Santa Claus

[Orchid PE]

Does anyone actually tell their kids Santa Claus is real anymore? Growing up that wasn't something my parents taught me. But I'm interested if parents still do it and why.

 

[Tiger15]

Yeah. Everyone I know does. We did.

As to why...

• tradition
  
• it's fun for the kids
  
• it's fun for the parents and the whole family
  
• it's a mechanism of control to help reinforce good behavior
  

 

[csb]

We had a talk with our eighth grader last year about Santa isn't real. It was awkward it went on that long. We were really sloppy about it all. When he was 3 he was certain Jesus brought the presents (we did not start this) and didn't want anything to do with any Santa. Santa was middle-management and why would my kid need to talk to him?

Two years before that, during a basement flood, he discovered his old teeth and the Tooth Fairy was found out. 

We never had the Easter Bunny. 

It was fun? I dunno. Sneaking money into a kid's room feels like Mission Impossible. 

 

[Road Guy]

We did it for all 3 kids - dont regret it, now that they are adults they tell me they will also "play the game" when / if they have dependents

lots of fun stuff IMO

One year my youngest refused to leave the living room sofa so he could see Santa - he eventually fell asleep and we moved him to his room, put out the presents, and then moved him back.

Wifes family had a weird thing that santa presents were not wrapped, while I came from a family heavy into wrapping - so I would have to leave some presents unwrapped, which is still sort of creepy to me..

The wife also had to work a lot of christmas's with her job - my kids were troopers about waiting till she got home from work (she worked nights through most of the santa years) - even though they would get up at 4 am and she wouldnt get home till 8 or so

 

[csb]

! The wrapped vs unwrapped- some years Santa wrapped, some years he didn't. There was no consistency to Santa. 

I did have a rule that Santa didn't bring the best present. I should get credit for that; not some consultant who came in at the last minute. 

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

We like to say "Santa came" to our kids on Christmas, but we also stress that it's a tradition based on legend, not a real person.

 

[Tiger15]

We did it for all 3 kids - dont regret it, now that they are adults they tell me they will also "play the game" when / if they have dependents

lots of fun stuff IMO

One year my youngest refused to leave the living room sofa so he could see Santa - he eventually fell asleep and we moved him to his room, put out the presents, and then moved him back.

Wifes family had a weird thing that santa presents were not wrapped, while I came from a family heavy into wrapping - so I would have to leave some presents unwrapped, which is still sort of creepy to me..

The wife also had to work a lot of christmas's with her job - my kids were troopers about waiting till she got home from work (she worked nights through most of the santa years) - even though they would get up at 4 am and she wouldnt get home till 8 or so

When I was a kid my family did the Santa didn't wrap presents thing. This was so kids could open and play with Santa gifts as soon as they woke up. Parents could sleep in and then we could do personal gift exchange later.

We did not do that with my kid. Wrapped everything and opened everything together when we woke up.

 

[DoctorWho-PE]

Santa at our house does not wrap gifts. Santa also only brings things that are pre-assembled, so never brought Lego or anything in a box. My 8th grader has not believed for several years... my 6th grader... I'm not sure.  I keep hoping she has hit the non-believer, it would be much easier.  But I also don't want to ruin the magic.  I was really hoping last year that she would say the elf was not real at least, so I could not deal with that crap anymore. But no such luck.

 

[Tiger15]

My son learned about the santa thing on his own. between talking to friends and google. But he wouldn't admit to us that he knew for a long time, like 2 or 3 years. He enjoyed the tradition.

 

[Orchid PE]

Interesting, because most people I know don't do it. I don't think we'll do it, because me and my wife were never raised that way.

I still don't see the point since if you are going to take credit for the nice gifts, why not just let your kid know all of them are from you and you do it because you love them? 

I've also seen some good ideas for the number of gifts. One guy I worked with only bought 3 gifts; a small, medium, and large (financially). I kind of like that idea. Growing up we got one nice-ish gift, then some small things in our stocking, then me and my sisters all got some sort of shared gift. I like that method as well.

I think we won't get much this year for the 2yo since she still won't be able to comprehend Christmas, and I guarantee the grandparents are going to get a bunch of gifts. I'll probably stash some away for later in the year.

I've seen people that go smaller for Christmas (especially with multiple kids), then go a little bigger for each kid's birthday. Saves from having to spend a bunch of money around Christmas, plus makes the kid's birthdays a little more exciting.

 

[Orchid PE]

We like to say "Santa came" to our kids on Christmas, but we also stress that it's a tradition based on legend, not a real person.

My sister and her husband do something similar, but they teach their kids that it's based on the St. Nicholas that lived forever and a day ago. I don't know much about him to do that.

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

My sister and her husband do something similar, but they teach their kids that it's based on the St. Nicholas that lived forever and a day ago. I don't know much about him to do that.

They're probably right, but my point is there's not a real person actually coming down our chimney's and entering our house.  I should probably research St. Nicolas as well...

 

[Orchid PE]

Sadly, the houses we've owned didn't have fireplaces. So I would've had to leave a door unlocked for Santa.

Now it all makes since. People in FL don't do santa because we don't have chimneys.

 

[csb]

Oh, now if you're asking present advice, we do this:

One thing you want

One thing you need

One thing to wear

One thing to read

 

[redrum]

If you dont do Santa with your kids do you ask them to not tell their friends what is happening?  

Those Christmas mornings are pretty special with your kids, they are great and I would like to have one or two of them back to be honest.

 

[bwin12]

We like to say "Santa came" to our kids on Christmas, but we also stress that it's a tradition based on legend, not a real person.

That's what we do, our oldest is 7 this year and we told her last year. We also asked her to not talk about it with her friends because Santa is probably big to most of them. She understood. We don't want to lie to her and as mentioned, we don't want her to think strangers can get in the house. By explaining Santa is a spirit we can get the best of both worlds. 

When she was 3.5 my MIL brought out a Santa costume and insisted she put it on, take pictures and show her the next morning. I was pissed. My wife was trying her best at balancing overly irate me and her gleefully unaware mom. 

 

[snickerd3]

Santas is the spirit of christmas and giving and the whole st nick thing.  we never had/have chimney's either...since he IS magic opening doors isn't an issue...Duh.  Minisnick has always believed that Santa is this huge grizzly bearded tatted man like in the movie rise of the guardians.  The mall santa had fit that description for years. UNtil one year he didn't and minisnick was devastated.  he said that's NOT Santa.  We asked him to think logically and if he thought Santa could be at every mall every day visiting with kids and he said huh yeah I guess you would need help.  Not sure if he still truely believes.  I know he has friends that have told him otherwise, but gosh darn it presents still magically appear and it blows his mind.

Santa brings one wrapped present and it is not usually an expensive one.  Santa has a budget.  And Santa comes to our house even though we are at grandmas for christmas.  Kids don't live at grandmas house so he has no reason to stop there.

 

[snickerd3]

the BIL(well his wife) is anti-magic.  No santa, no toothfairy, no easter bunny, no harry potter, etc...

But somehow the magic in the Chronicles of Narnia is okay because it is has a religious subtext.   smh

 

[envirotex]

My "kids" who are 19 and 24 still get presents from Santa...When they were little, it was usually a bigger or special gift.  Now they get little things like toothbrushes, toiletries, or movie passes and ALWAYS some sort of toy (think yo-yo, nerf gun, frisbee).  If you don't believe, then you don't receive, has always been our philosophy...kind of like don't ask, don't tell. 

Also, Santa does not wrap presents. Far too busy for that...

Santa usually fills my stocking with things like champagne, lip gloss, and chocolate...

 

[Orchid PE]

Santas is the spirit of christmas and giving and the whole st nick thing. 

I mean, I thought the whole thing was about the birth of Jesus? I could be wrong, but my upbringing tells me otherwise.

the BIL(well his wife) is anti-magic.  No santa, no toothfairy, no easter bunny, no harry potter, etc...

But somehow the magic in the Chronicles of Narnia is okay because it is has a religious subtext.   smh

I get it. Exact same thing for me growing up.

I didn't know people thought the Easter Bunny was real? Like, again I think that holiday revolves around the resurrection.

Us Christians took that pagan shit over.