Santa Claus/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy

Starr - posted on 10/12/2009

I've been conflicted too and so when Big J told me there really wasn't a Santa I talked to him about the "spirit" of Santa and what it means. I remember finding out there wasn't a Santa and it sucked!



But what is amazing about kids is their ability to use and soar with their imaginations. I think that such icons are great examples that allow them to do so. Therefore, I don't find it harmful but part of the fun.

Jocelyn - posted on 10/11/2009

Quoting Krista:

I love that kids live in a world where anything is possible, and magic is everywhere! I can't wait to take my kids to Disneyland or Disney World, and I want them to be young enough that they still believe that all the characters who are walking around are real. They don't need to know that Donald Duck is really a sweaty, overweight, balding man (just like the Santa in the mall)! Magic is one of the best parts of childhood!

hahaha omg that's aweful :P

the mall we go to has had the same "santa" for years and years.  a little skinny compaired to some santa's, but he's got a real white beard.  the sweetest man ever :)  i'm hoping that he keeps being santa until my kids grow out of the santa pictures...how cool would that be to have 10 years of santa pics all with the same santa?!

Krista - posted on 10/11/2009

I love that kids live in a world where anything is possible, and magic is everywhere! I can't wait to take my kids to Disneyland or Disney World, and I want them to be young enough that they still believe that all the characters who are walking around are real. They don't need to know that Donald Duck is really a sweaty, overweight, balding man (just like the Santa in the mall)! Magic is one of the best parts of childhood!

Jodi - posted on 10/11/2009

Quoting Evelyn:

It's just all in good fun. Everything shouldn't be taken so seriously all the time! Like someone said previously...they have enough time for reality when they are adults...let's give them a little fantasy and pixie dust while they are still innocent enough to enjoy it!

There are some things that shouldn't be over analyzed and this is definitely one of them!

LOL, my 4 1/2 year old thinks she is going to grow up to be a princess.....should I burst her bubble about that one?  Or just keep up the pretence?  Of course I am going to keep up the pretence, she makes a beautiful princess!!

Evelyn - posted on 10/11/2009

It's just all in good fun. Everything shouldn't be taken so seriously all the time! Like someone said previously...they have enough time for reality when they are adults...let's give them a little fantasy and pixie dust while they are still innocent enough to enjoy it!



There are some things that shouldn't be over analyzed and this is definitely one of them!

. - posted on 10/11/2009

Oh I did "Santa" training last year for Dante's first Christmas!

I didn't want him to be one of those babies who are frightened of Santa. So for a month we watched Christmas parades on Youtube, and I'd get all excited for him when santa's sleigh would come past and I'd say "ohh Dante, look who it is!? it's SANTA!!"



Well it worked, my partner's Popa (bless him), got dressed up in a Santa costume one weekend when my stepdaughter was here and came and visited my partner's mum's house!.

Got lots of beautiful pics of that special occaision, just unfortunate that step daughter is scared of Santa and we think she doesn't get told about the spirit of Christmas.



I remember as a kid, waking up to easter egg hunts, waking up in the morning to find the cup of water that I had my tooth in either had a coin or note in it.



I was told about Santa by the time I started intermediate school (I was about 11), even though I already knew. I had to keep it a secret as my siblings are 5-6years younger then me.

Orr the egg hunts ant Nana and Grandads house.



Do I feel guilty for "lying"? nope. Not when you see the looks on their faces when Santa has been.

Alison - posted on 10/09/2009

These things can be used as a good teaching tool because they promote selfless giving. I tell my son it's a fun game rather than telling him they are real. Of course he thinks they are real for now, but when he asks, I'll tell him it's just for fun. We'll carry on with the fun for as long as he wants to do it.

Heidi - posted on 10/08/2009

Well my 18 year old is far beyond any of this, and my 10 year olddoesn't believe, but pretends to for the sake of my 4 year old. when my 2 older boys lost there first 4 teeth it was worth $10, and each tooth after is $5. As for Santa, even my 18 year old still gets something from santa, and so does my 10 year old along with my 4 year old. And the Easter bunny always has a scavenger hunt for my boys to do. They start with 1 clue and follow 6 other clues to get to the end where there easter gift is, and along the way they get there easter chocolates. Its all in fun, and I see no harm in it. These are all things I did as a child and I decided to carry it on with my boys and I turned out fine, or at least I like to think I have.

Isobel - posted on 10/08/2009

Quoting dana:

I've been debating about this for awhile, I don't want to lie to my kids. I remember when I figured out that there was no Santa, he brought me a doll house for Christmas and I found the box for it by the garbage. Of course my parents said Santa brought it but, they had to assemble it. I then thought they were liars and not smart enough to hide the box. I was really disappointed with them. Now, let me say, I had a pretty rough childhood so I'm not sure most kids would even think that way towards their parents.

I guess I'm still really on the fence. If we do tell him anything, it will be more along the lines of a St. Nicholas rather than Santa Clause, the North Pole and reindeer. Well, maybe there will be reindeer but, they won't fly!

Then again ask me in a few months when I cave...

I understand that you don't want to lie to your kids...i really do.  The question for me was...Do I want my kid to be that jerk on the schoolyard who tells everyone that there is no Santa and their parents are liars. Not that your kid will be a jerk of course...but that's just how I remember kids who told the truth about stuff like that ;)

Lindsay - posted on 10/08/2009

We really do up the Santa Claus thing in our house. When the time comes, there will be a tooth fairy but we don't talk too much about the Easter Bunny.



Each year, we sit down with the kids and help them write a letter to Santa. We take them to the mall and "mail" them and go sit on Santa's lap. We all help to bake the cookies for Santa and they help me set out the plate of cookies and milk and carrots. Josh, bless his heart, dresses up in the Santa costume to bring in their gifts just in case they decide to sneak a peek. He them goes outside and makes noise and rings some bells for his exit. He always makes sure to leave a cookie partially there with bite marks and crumbs on the plate and just a few drops of milk in the glass. He sticks pieces of the carrots in the yard. Then we type these letters to the kids from Santa and leave them by the cookie plate. They are personalized and state things that the kids accomplished throughout the year and what they did well and to remind them they they should continue to do nice things and be good kids. I think we are creating some great memories for the kids. They are still talking about it from last year. Yes, they will find out one day but by then I think they will be grateful for the memories and times they had. I also hope it leads to them having the giving spirit and help to make other children have "magical" Christmases.

Jodi - posted on 10/07/2009

Quoting Jenny:

It's not lying, it's tricking lol. I trick my kids all the time. I had alot of that growing up. 

 

LOL, is that like the trick when we take their noses and use our thumb to make it look like we took their nose?  My kids both believed that when they were little, and it was all in good fun.  I don't think either of them have been screwed up because of it!!

Jenny - posted on 10/07/2009

It's not lying, it's tricking lol. I trick my kids all the time. I had alot of that growing up. My uncles worked in a mine and had the kids convinced there was these monsters called the Googelywogs that would steal their lunches. They would tell us sorts of stories about sightings and us kids just ate it all up. I hope my kids look back fondly on stories like that as I do. I'll maintain the traditions as long as I can.

Esther - posted on 10/07/2009

I think it's in line with fairy tales - when we read to our kids about sleeping beauty we don't tell 'em that in real life prince charming doesn't pick up after himself and is a complete and utter whimp the second he is struck with an innocent cold, we just let them revel in the magic of it all.

Jodi - posted on 10/07/2009

There is lying to children, and then there is lying. We have always done Santa, Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny and the kids love it,



I finally told my son before last Christmas. He is such an innocent in so many ways, and he had absoutely no idea. He was 11 at the time. I sat down with him and explained it, and he was okay about it. He asked questions about it being us all along, and had a great laugh. In fact, he took great pleasure in helping to pretend to be Santa for his little sister.



The funny thing was, that a couple of days after I had talked to him, he came back and said "Mum, if Santa isn't real, then does that mean Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy aren't real too?". Thats how innocent my son was, LOL. But seriously, it didn't bother him.



Personally, I think it is harmless and in the spirit of a celebration.

Charlie - posted on 10/07/2009

NOOOOOOO , i understand where you are coming from none of us want to lie to our children but i think this type of " lying " ( i wish it had another name ) is good .

Sara - posted on 10/07/2009

So conclusion: I am, indeed, the meanest mommy ever! >:(

Charlie - posted on 10/07/2009

I see it as giving the children a little more magic in the world , its fun and when they are old enough and mature enough they will know better but i personally think its a wonderful practice and gives so much joy to the little kids , i had a couple of children at my kindy ( 5 years old )who were told Santa and the Easter bunny weren't real by their parents from the start and i felt so sorry for them they were always miserable at Easter and Christmas time when we would have our egg hunt and always try make the other children be miserable too by telling them its not true or that they were stupid for believing in it , i think secretly they wanted to believe in it too but they had been told otherwise .
I honestly don't know many people who resent their parents for telling that little lie otherwise it wouldn't be tradition .
Any way i think let kids be kids :)

Jocelyn - posted on 10/07/2009

Oh, I would also like to add that I help answer Santa letters every Christmas, and some of these children just blow me away with their innocence. I had one girl tell Santa that all she wanted was a bell from his sleigh because she knew "you are real, and seeing wasn't believing, believing was seeing." So I went out and bought the biggest jingle bell I could find and sent it to her. I also had one little boy ask if I could help find his best friends lost dog. And one little girl only wanted her family to be together for Christmas (daddy was in the army).
Anything that makes kids so innocent and so selfless can't be bad :)
P.S. I always end up crying at some point :)

Jeannette - posted on 10/07/2009

I think it is fun! I loved their letters to Santa for instance...and making cookies for me and their dad! lol! They weren't depressed when they found out Santa wasn't real...heck, Sara and Alexis are still writing letters to Santa! lol!

The tooth fairy was neat for them. They got money for losing a tooth! I'm surprised Trev didn't yank out his teeth before they were ready.

They didn't believe there was an Easter Bunny. Maybe when they were really little, but they were very young when they were telling me that they didn't believe a rabbit had anything to do with eggs! I don't even know how a bunny got brought into it! lol! Although, I still make them Easter baskets every year...now it is flip flops, beach towels, games, books...things they are interested in...and a few pieces of candy.



edited to note that santa is not real

Holly - posted on 10/07/2009

I really had no choice. I came into my hubby and oldest daughter's life wen she was 3.5 years old and had already been told of Santa/Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny. Saying that, I would probably have told my kids about them all anyway and played to the ideas. I love the "magic of Santa and the Easter Bunny" and my daughters LOVE fairies of any kind! Plus, I really don't think it's avoidable. What is your child going to say when their friend comes to school talking about the dollar the Tooth Fairy left her and your child doesn't get anything? Or what do you say to your kids when all their friends are excited for Christmas and Easter (and of course they all talk about "Santa's going to bring me..." or "I asked Santa for..." or "When the Easter Bunny comes...") and they don't have a clue? In the end, I think it's all fun and games, and I certainly don't remember being crushed when I found out they weren't real! It was more like "wow, my parents really love me to do all that for me!" :)

Krista - posted on 10/07/2009

I definitely want my kids to grow up believing in Santa, the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy. Holidays aren't religious in our family, and I think that the magic of Santa is a great thing for kids to have. I don't worry about "lying" to my kids about it...parents lie all the time! ('No, the icecream store is closed'...'your face will stay like that if you keep making that face'...and all the other crap we tell them...) I think that telling your kids about Santa is a fairly benign lie, and the letdown of finding out the truth is minor compared with all the years of magic. I can remember every Christmas, watching out the window to see Rudolph's nose, listening for reindeer on the roof (Dad actually climbed up there and made noise one year), sneaking downstairs to see if Santa had been there yet, not sleeping at all on Christmas Eve...I want my kids to have all those great memories too.

Jocelyn - posted on 10/07/2009

My little guy is only turning 3, so luckily I still have some time to decide lol. But I think I am going to go along with the whole "Santa Clause" and other holiday "creatures". I don't remember ever specifically finding out that the didn't exist when I was little (so no trauma for me lol), and it's just a fun tradition to go along with (ie, we don't celebrate christmas because of Christ, we celebrate it because that's what we (hubby and I) grew up doing. I actually celebrate the Solstice, but we still have a Christmas tree and all that stuff.) I don't see the harm in it.

Dana - posted on 10/07/2009

I've been debating about this for awhile, I don't want to lie to my kids. I remember when I figured out that there was no Santa, he brought me a doll house for Christmas and I found the box for it by the garbage. Of course my parents said Santa brought it but, they had to assemble it. I then thought they were liars and not smart enough to hide the box. I was really disappointed with them. Now, let me say, I had a pretty rough childhood so I'm not sure most kids would even think that way towards their parents.



I guess I'm still really on the fence. If we do tell him anything, it will be more along the lines of a St. Nicholas rather than Santa Clause, the North Pole and reindeer. Well, maybe there will be reindeer but, they won't fly!



Then again ask me in a few months when I cave...

Esther - posted on 10/07/2009

I think kids need a little magic in their lives. They can be adults and deal with reality long enough. I'm going to let Lucas believe in Santa, the tooth fairy and all that good stuff for some time and let him enjoy the excitement.

Sharon - posted on 10/07/2009

I agree - its fun - its in the spirit of - I'm not angry at my parents either. Santa gives a gift and then there is a gift from each family member and my over indulgent mother also brings a gift from santa. The boys are wise to this and play her on it. Which cracks me up!

Cathy - posted on 10/07/2009

Rhys has lost his first 2 teeth over the last month... the first he didn't get what the big deal was about sticking his tooth under the pillow but was thrilled to find the coin in the morning. When he lost his second tooth, he got himself ready for bed an hour earlier because he was so excited about what may be there in the morning.
No guilt ... just love seeing him that excited.

Sara - posted on 10/07/2009

I babysat for my sister one night when her daughter lost a tooth. She asked me to sneak a dollar under her pillow, so I did. The next morning she was so excited, but I felt awful..my parents did all that stuff with me and it was fun, but now that I'm a parent a little torn...

Cathy - posted on 10/07/2009

It's just a game. I feel no malice towards my parents for "lying" to me. That unbearable excitement at christmas was totally exhilerating. The tooth fairy made it worth while suffering that wobbly tooth. Kids don't get the chance to fire up their imaginations as much these days. Its a wonderful thing as long as you aren't spoiling them. Mine only get to ask Santa for one gift, anything else is extra.