Tag Archives: santa

3 points to a truthful conversation about Santa

Yesterday, I shared about how we told our kids about Santa.

I used to think there were only two options when it came to having Santa as a part of a Christmas celebration:

1. Either you do it
2. Or you don’t

It turns out, there are more options than that.  As a family we have decided to share the truth about Santa, not take part of his festivities, but to talk about it, laugh about it, and have open conversation.  Santa does not have to be a banned word in our house, as I used to think.  Here is the framework of our truthful conversation about Santa.

1.  Like Buzz and Woddy, Cinderella, or Snow White, Santa Clause is a pretend character.  We can enjoy books and songs about Santa, but we know that it is for fun.

2.  Some people call Santa, “St. Nick.”  This is because a long time ago there was a man named St. Nicholas who gave gifts in secret to families who were in need.  That was very nice of him and we also have the opportunity to give and serve others

3.  You will probably hear your classmates talk about Santa.  You don’t have to get in an argument if he is real or not, you can simply know that their mom and dad have not told them that it is make believe.  You can also share that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

We celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus.  That is very exciting because he is God, coming to earth, to get to know you personally.  Let this be the resounding message you share with your kids.

Question: How do you handle Santa in your family? Click here to comment.

What we told our kids about Santa

We told our children that Santa was not real.  Right from the start.

“Yea, that guy in the mall is dressed like Santa but he’s still stuck in his Halloween costume and will not be making a visit to our home through the chimney,” I said to the kids.  “Don’t worry, you’ll still get presents.  But not from him.”

My wife was not pleased with “our” decision to spill the beans, an act that has earned me the nickname “Grinch” all December long.  Liz liked the idea of having a whimsical-fun Santa vibe in our house.  I like fun, but that doesn’t match my definition of it.

My purpose for sharing inside information about Santa was not supposed to be a big deal.  It’s with the intention of making Jesus the big deal.

As a kid, I went coo-coo for Coco Puffs over Santa.  I had a Christmas Wish List longer than Santa’s beard and I couldn’t wait to get to the mall to sit on his lap and tell him all about it.  My brothers and I would fight over who got to set the milk and cookies out on Christmas Eve and then we would try to stay up all night, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa.

As a family, we were involved in the church community all throughout the year.  We talked about Jesus and knew that he was “the reason for the season” and that was all good and nice.  But when it came to Santa, he was the one who brought presents and the one I waited for.

Yea, Jesus was delivered.  But Santa delivered.

When I found out that Santa was not real, it was a crushing blow.  It seemed as if I was lied to.  And I was embarrassed for being dumb enough to believe it.

In that moment I knew that I would not promote Santa to my kids.  Why focus on a fake part of Christmas and miss out on the real deal?  Why even drift toward it and blur the lines?  Can children really hold two images of Christmas (Santa and Jesus) in their mind?  Or will one grow stronger than the other?  They hear about Jesus, but Santa gives them presents.

Thinking about this whole Santa vs Jesus thing, this is what it comes down to:  You will stand for something at Christmas time.  Do you want your children to wonder who you stand for?

Question: When did you learn about Santa and how did you feel? Click here to comment.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about what we shared with our children and how they’ve handled the insider information about Santa.