Poll: Does Santa Claus exist? More importantly, what will you tell your children?

[Jamanticus]

Well I look at it this way:

If I tell any of my Ninjalings that Santa does exist
"Gee whiz, thanks for all the cool toys Santa"


If I tell any of my Ninjalings that Santa doesn't exist
"Gee whiz, thanks for all the cool toys dad."

Seems a pretty easy decision, either you can put all the love they feel towards something imaginary, or you can put it towards yourself.

Have Santa give them small gifts, while you give them the big cool ones they really want.
I do plan on telling my kids he's real, it's just one of those childhood things.

That's precisely what my parents did when I was a young person.....

If you do something like that, then you have the best of both worlds, really.

 

[Zeldadudes]

Have you guys thought about how much more exciting it makes Christmas if they believe in Santa clause?
Just a thought.

 

[Jaythulhu]

I think this topic has become a question of cold logic and truth verses romantic imaginings and ideals. Both have merits and flaws but you can't say that one is "better" or "worst" they just are. They're two theories that exist.

Not really. Saying that he's not real is the truth, saying he is real is a lie. There's a very, very big difference between them.

I wasn't saying that they are the same. I was pointing out that they are different systems of belief and thinking. They are very different. That's why they might be incompatible to compare.

Yes, truth and lies are completely incompatible. You're right there. However "romantic" a notion santa claus is, to say that he exists is a lie. Plain and simple.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

BTW...2 years ago, I walked down our road at midnight Xmas Eve dressed as Santa.

You could hear the screams of joy in the next village.

Let the kids have their fun before they grow into sulking teenagers.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Bah. They're gonna become sulking teenagers anyway. The only difference I can see is whether they hate ya for lying to them throughout their childhood or not.

 

[Brett Alex]

I certainly will tell my kids about him.
I won't flat out lie to them though.

If they say "Is Santa real?" directly to me, I'll answer with "I've always thought its a nice thing to believe in." Which is the honest truth.

When their young, the idea of Santa makes kids happy. That would make me happy. As they and question things and figure them out for themselves, they'll be using their own brains. That would make me happy. And they'll still be getting the gifts so they'll be happy no doubt.

BTW...2 years ago, I walked down our road at midnight Xmas Eve dressed as Santa.

You could hear the screams of joy in the next village.

Let the kids have their fun before they grow into sulking teenagers.

That, along with jim_doki's Hogfather quote sums up everything else I was gonna say on this. Damn you two for stealing my thunder, I was gonna come riding in on a sleigh and everything!

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

I never understood this whole christmas business. Isn't the core idea of christmas to be generous, and to spend time with your family? Why the crap would you have to make a specific time of the year for that?

What makes it even worse is the fact that it's all commercialized. I mean, what is the point of Santa in this holiday? It could be reasoned that the exchanging gifts bit is playing up to that whole generosity business, but what reason could there possibly be for Santa? Buying shit for kids?

I understand the idea of extending innocence, or giving the child something to believe in, whatever you want to lable it, but why couldn't we do that without having to buy a bunch of toys?

 

[Jaythulhu]

Because our society would fall in on itself with all that goodwill. We're very base creatures, really. Greed and the desire for stuff appear to be part of our makeup.

 

[AuntyEthel]

Wow, so many of you are a bunch of cynical bastards. Saying that you'll tell a toddler that Santa doesn't exist because you're lying to him, or you're setting him up for future disappointment is so damn cold hearted. Part of being that young is your innocence and the belief that there is something in this world called magic. Children should be able to experience that feeling for the first few years of their lives. Its later in life when we discover there's no such thing as magic, miracles, god etc and we become the moping cynicists that we are today. We don't want our pre-schools filled with kids like that, do we?

 

[Simski]

I see no harm in them believing in Santa as they grow up, it's a fun thing when you're kid.
I won't tell them he's real though, I will neither tell them that he isn't real.
I want my kids to find out that by themselves, leaving them another mystery.

I will however teach how to criticize and understand religion at a young age.
I will not have my kids follow some crackpot hypothesis just because they fear going to some imaginary hell if they don't.
Pfft, it's fucking horrible to teach such a thing to a kid.
I want them no part in it.

 

[PureChaos]

it seems that most parents will tell their children santa is real and if you tell your children he isn't and they go around telling all the other children he isn't there will be a lot of unhappy children and angry parents. the same really goes to the tooth fairy, easter bunny and any others that i've forgotten/don't now about. most people can remember when they found out santa isn't real but can anyone remember finding out the truth about the easter bunny/tooth fairy? the thing with sants is that parents seem to use it a lot as a bribe to get children to behave, but it seems to make them more upset when they think they wont get a present at christmas.

 

[Jharry5]

I'd let them find out the truth on their own. I wouldn't like tthem to end up embittered or whatever; part of the fun with Christmas is the excitement of thinking that there's a chance Santa does exist and I wouldn't ruin that for them.
If they ask me, I'd probably answer vaguely, ask them what they think or just say "ask your mother".

 

[Resistance205]

I think i am going to tell my kids that he does exist. Have a few happy years of believing that he does. I think it would be easier for them to belive he exists then have to listen to all the other kids arguing with him.

As for my spouse disagreeing with me, i am not exactly sure what i wuld do. I think it would depend on if i think i cold win the argument.

 

[the_tramp]

I do not see the logic in parents telling their kids not to lie or commit bad acts 'because Father Christmas'll know'. I find this a brainwashing incentive for kids to act, and in addition the parents are lying to the kids so goes against everything that they're saying. Thankfully my brother told me that he wasn't real so I've known since I was about 5 or 6.

I've had this conversation with my Mother a few years back and she said that it is a magical time of the year, constantly seeing kids smiling and on Christmas day having your kids running into your room yelling 'He visited us!'. I don't think its right to lie to kids but then again I've never liked the idea of Father Christmas or the commercialisation of Christmas. I refuse to watch television from September onwards because the constant barrage of adverts makes me want to stab myself in the eyes. I only watch ondemand tv that either has adverts cut out or I can fast forward through them.

 

[Redlac]

Hmm.. a question I'm not sure how to answer.

Back when me and my lil' sis were kids, we would often quote the Simpsons when it came to this issue.

"There's only one fat guy who brings us presents, and his name ain't Santa."

This was of course, the truth. My parents really didn't make a big deal out of the whole Santa thing, nor did they really mention it. But they did emphasise the 'be good or you'll get coal' thing.

Of course, if they start asking questions I'll let them know about the St Nicolas on which the tradition is based, but I'm certainly not going to destroy any sense of wonder and magic they might have. Kids should be allowed to be kids. Life sucks as much as it is!

 

[jewru]

ill tell them that he exists, but then ill get them no presents for Christmas. and when they ask why Santa dident get them any presents ill tell them "because Santa hates jews and poor people" and i plan for my kids to be both Jewish and poor hahahahaha. that will mentally scar them

 

[Jaythulhu]

Wow, so many of you are a bunch of cynical bastards.

In case you hadn't noticed, life is not all sweetness and light. Children get enough rubbish stuffed into their heads without having more sunshine blown up their arses. Stop mollycoddling them, wrapping them in bubblepaper and telling them everything is dandy. Start teaching them about the REAL world they're a part of.

You just may find they're actually capable of handling a bit of truth every now and then.

 

[poleboy]

I'm going to tell them that Santa is a giant robot living on Venus who hunts down everyone who's been naughty and kills them on Christmas Eve, so they'd better stay indoors and be real quiet.

Seriously though, don't bring it up unless you have to, and give 'em the straight story if you must. My parents never tried to sell me that crap about Santa, but we had Christmas like everyone else (well, all Protestants with heavy atheistic tendencies anyway).