Sunday, December 7, 2014

Ho Ho Ho or NO NO NO

Some say HoHoHo while other Mommies & Daddies say NoNoNo. Some enjoy the Santa tradition while others justify why they don't partake. And then, of course, some of us must justify why we lie to our children. Will they believe anything we say if we tell them there is a Santa Claus?

I grew up believing in Santa Claus. I continued this tradition with my own children. I have no regrets. When a child reaches the double digits, it might be time to level with them. After all, we don't want them to be made fun of for believing, & we don't really want them to hear the truth from somebody else's unbelieving child.

Here's the cold hard facts… to each his own. There is no wrong or right. Do what you want with your family & don't bother pushing your values on anyone else just to make yourself feel better or seem a little bit holier than the rest of us. On the other side, don't feel you need to explain why you believe in Santa Claus. It's a personal choice.

I read a blog today about lying to your children being more difficult than stuffing Santa down a chimney. I'm not even a mom of young chidden anymore; yet, it ruffled my feathers. It's an age old argument. It will never change. Your choice may depend on the temperament of your child. If believing in Santa causes too much anxiety, it may be better to be honest.

On the other hand, childhood is fleeting. Children grow up faster than they used to. 10 is the new 12. If I can hang onto something magical, see a little extra excitement in the air, why not? I love the Nativity Story more than any other story on earth. When my children reached the double digits, I never said, "Guess what, the Nativity story is make-believe (like I did with Santa)..." No, it's not… It's a timeless truth. That precious story lives on forever… & ever...

No comments:

Post a Comment