... do you tell the kids about Santa or not?
I reckon this is one of the most talked-about topics among Christians around my age (which probably says more about us than we'd like). It's a subject that is entirely academic for me right now, and I've got about a million other things to care about first, but I thought this article by Noel Piper had some good points for those who care.
Possibly the best moment is the ending anecdote:
[My young son] and I were walking down the hall at the church we attended then. One of the older ladies leaned down to squeeze his pink, round cheek and asked, “What did Santa bring you?” Karsten’s head jerked quickly toward me, and he whispered loudly, “Doesn’t she know?”
I'm glad my parents were happy for us to have fun at Christmas: is there anything ever more exciting than hearing sleigh bells ringing on Christmas Eve? (Hey, where's Dad gone?) I have no faith scars from Santa, though perhaps it would have been better to know that all these amazing presents came from Mum and Dad rather than the Big Guy (not that One). And that would also have given me direct access to the decision-making process which chose not to get me that spy kit I asked for for so many years.
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2 comments:
We told our daughter when she was 3 because Santa terrified her. A teacher from our church thought this was abhorent and warned us, in no uncertain terms, not to let her tell other children in her class otherwise we'd be in 'big trouble'.
I was proud that I hadn't deceived my daughter but think about it for a couple of years it ain't about parents deceiving their children its about letting them experience a bit of magic.
Nevertheless, we're trying to disciple our daughter so that the only magic she believes in is the power of God.
There was no dilemma, we told our three children from the off that there is no Santa and that the most wonderful thing about Christmas is remembering the birth of Jesus.
We have always spent more on their birthdays than at Christmas too - just to reinforce the point.
It wasn't primarily about being honest (although that was part of it) it was about being clear that Jesus is at the centre of our celebrations.
And yes - many people thought we were too intense and some parents have asked our girls to keep quiet. But dilemma? No. And would I criticise you if you made a different choice? No I wouldn't.
You're right about this: there are more important things to worry about.
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