is the concept of Santa bad for kids?

[Abertawe]

I'm unsure I'd allow for my kids to believe in Santa. first and foremost it's reliant on a lie to enforce a psychological hold which is not a great foundation for raising a child. is it also brainwashing children for a lifetime of consumerism? - establishing from a very early age that reward equals materialism. uniting children - differing races & religions to be good, comply, submit to the status quo or risk alienation because Santa doesn't reward bad kids. entrenching the consumers of tomorrow. no doubt kids love the magic of Santa - I sure did. it'll be a quandary for me. let kids be kids the majority will say but its cultural conditioning in its purest form.

how do 1ff parents handle Santa?

 

[GTFCfish]

 

[Cornish Piskie]

My little girl is four years old and very much looking forward to her visit by Father Christmas in pretty much the same way I did when I was four.

She's excited and is opening one window of her advent calendar every day which is a visible sign that they days to go are getting fewer. And to show that she is a good girl (which Father Christmas - who knows all the children in the world - will approve of), she offers to share the chocolate that comes out of the calendar with our cats. She's learning that it is good to share, and that good behaviour shows a better spirit than bad. The fact that they don't seem to want the chocolate doesn't take away from the generosity (or should that be 'shrewdness') of the gesture.

I've told her that on Christmas Eve, after her bath and story she has to put out a glass of something nice for Santa and some carrots for his reindeer. This teaches her the spirit of hospitality...... offering food and drink to visitors.

OK, so these are rather oblique messages and of course, there is the element of self interest involved, but we deal with these in a positive way too. I could go on but you get the drift.

I learned that there wasn't really a Santa when my sister told me just to shut me up when I kept going on about it. (what, go on and on about something..? Me..?) I remember being upset but not surprised. I had harboured secret thoughts that it wasn't real for some time but kept quiet. After all, you don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg, now do you.? I got over the disappointment quite quickly. Actually, I felt a bit more grown up for knowing.

I think that used in the right way, allowing children to believe in Father Christmas can be beneficial in the same way that the stories of Hans Christian Andersen or the Grimm Brothers can teach, in an entertaining way that a small child can understand, valuable ideas and concepts. Sympathy for the little match girl. An ugly duckling doesn't have to hate himself because one day he'll grow into a beautiful swan.

On Boxing Day, she and I will sit down together and I will help her write thank you messages to send to everybody - including Father Christmas - who gave her presents. This is a lesson in gratitude that my father taught me to do when I was small. I still do it today.

Christmas has to be magic for children and it can be if we throw a little fairy dust around and let them revel in it. Let them be children while they still have the innocence to truly believe.

They'll grow up all too soon.

 

[Stevencc]

Oh, so that's how advent calendars work.

 

[Indian Dan]

When you actually have kids I’d expect you will change your mind.

Either that or you’ll have to move to North Korea

 

[The Mustard Tiger]

I'm unsure I'd allow for my kids to believe in Santa. first and foremost it's reliant on a lie to enforce a psychological hold which is not a great foundation for raising a child. is it also brainwashing children for a lifetime of consumerism? - establishing from a very early age that reward equals materialism. uniting children - differing races & religions to be good, comply, submit to the status quo or risk alienation because Santa doesn't reward bad kids. entrenching the consumers of tomorrow. no doubt kids love the magic of Santa - I sure did. it'll be a quandary for me. let kids be kids the majority will say but its cultural conditioning in its purest form.

how do 1ff parents handle Santa?

I agree that it's good to challenge things and be different in life, but you don't young want kids to do that. Imagine when all the other children are getting excited in the build up and there's a beret wearing kiddy in the corner tucking into a plate of lentils explaining the virtues of not celebrating Christmas. I don't think that child would be first on the list when it comes to birthday invites.

There's a lifetime to be cynical about these kinds of things so let kids enjoy being kids.

 

[mowgli]

Let kids enjoy themselves ffs! I hate Christmas for a clouple of reasons but i don't begrudge children enjoying it as i loved it myself as a kid.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

When you actually have kids I’d expect you will change your mind.

Agree. Really changes your perspective on a lot of things.

 

[Leo]

Too true Mowgli

Let kids enjoy themselves ffs! I hate Christmas for a clouple of reasons but i don't begrudge children enjoying it as i loved it myself as a kid.

Too true Mowgli. Let the bah humbuggers enclose themselves in their own sad world & the remainder of those who enjoy it can get on as they please without intervention.

 

[Etty Abrics]

Too true Mowgli

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

You know what Santa is an anagram of?

That's right. SATAN. and we all know he has many different GUISES

So yes, it is most definitely a bad thing unless you want your child to be ENSNARED BY THE DEVIL

 

[Abertawe]

You know what Santa is an anagram of?

That's right. SATAN. and we all know he has many different GUISES

So yes, it is most definitely a bad thing unless you want your child to be ENSNARED BY THE DEVIL

wow. nice one, another piece of the jigsaw. not wanting to go full icke but the dots fit. any anagram on clause?

 

[Stevencc]

Lace Us (he's putting drugs in the presents)
As Clue (coming after Santa/Satan meaning the clue to his true identiy is in the first word)

 

[Stagat]

Why Clause and not Claus though?

 

[Abertawe]

Why Clause and not Claus though?

cuz I'm dumb