Santa Claus - What are you going to tell your kids? [Poll]

@mtcantor said:

Gussy it up all you want. You are lying to your children because its a nice lie that makes them happy. When kids learn the truth, they also learn that their parents lie to them and I believe it creates a cynicism.

Here's the thing: kids would be happy even without the lie. Lots of things make kids happy. Kids all over the world are not trained to actually believe in a Santa-God, and they are just as happy.

Not to mention, this whole thing has a heavy Christian bias. My wife is Jewish, and was never really part of the whole "Santa is real" thing. She still likes the whole pagentry and imagery of Christmas.

Whatever though. I'm fine with whatever other people want to teach their kids. They want to make them believe in Santa, that's cool. I don't want to lie to my kids. That's our choice.

hahaha what? So I'm angry at my parents?

You're on glue brah. I couldn't be happier that they told me santa is real when I was younger. You've got a skewed vision on this

@TheHumanDove: I'm not your brah, buddah.

Gussy it up all you want. You are lying to your children because its a nice lie that makes them happy. When kids learn the truth, they also learn that their parents lie to them and I believe it creates a cynicism.

Here's the thing: kids would be happy even without the lie. Lots of things make kids happy. Kids all over the world are not trained to actually believe in a Santa-God, and they are just as happy.

Not to mention, this whole thing has a heavy Christian bias. My wife is Jewish, and was never really part of the whole "Santa is real" thing. She still likes the whole pagentry and imagery of Christmas.

Whatever though. I'm fine with whatever other people want to teach their kids. They want to make them believe in Santa, that's cool. I don't want to lie to my kids. That's our choice.

Of course I'll let my kids believe in Santa Claus. I don't wan't my kid to be the one that spills the beans for other kids.

@Matthew:

Santa Clause was retailer exclusive DLC and I forgot to pre-order so I had to buy the standard edition that came with a limited use Santa that ends once the servers get turned off. This will prepare any child for the cruel realities of the world.

@Rave: I have a wife. No kids yet, but that will probably happen in the next year or two. Anyhow, this is just our plan. Different strokes. As I said, lots of non-Christian families never teach their kids that Santa is real, and those kids are plenty happy.

You fucking monsters.

Everybody knows that, without Santa, your child will be doomed to spend his days trudging through a bleak, joyless existence devoid of all spectacle and wonder.

@hidys said:

Pretty much ignore the whole concept as I have never understood why kids need to believe in mythical beings giving presents.

Exactly. The parents spend all the money buying the gifts so they should get the thanks. :-)

Christmas Morning is pure joy for kids, with so little fantasy in the world I want them to be able to hold onto it as long as possible. So I'm in it for the long haul, even years and years after they've figured it out I'm still going to drag out the old Santa suit and take pictures and deliver presents. I want it to be so ingrained into how they think about Christmas that they expect it for their own kids, and they'll make a big fun deal about it too. Rituals can make some kids roll their eyes, but they will eventually come around to the awesomeness that it Christmas.

Isn't lying a sin?! Why do Christians endorse Santa?! They endorse engaging in sin?!?!?!??!?!??!??!?!??!?! THE CHURCH NEEDS TO START PROTESTING THE CHURCH!

@ShiftyMagician said:

Tell the kids when they are old enough that I was their Santa, then talk about the gift of giving and then present them with a little gift or something to reiterate the point. Dunno if that's a good idea but that's what I would do.

That's actually a really good plan.

That I defeated that dark menace once and for all.

Where are the options for "I'm not going to confuse my child's perception of reality by feeding them lies about magical fairy people such as Jesus or Santa Claus"?
 
edit: I also think it's even more insane when people put labels on presents "from Santa" or worse, wrap them. What the fuck. If Santa was real, he would NOT do it like that. That thing fucking magically appeared in the living room. It doesn't need to be wrapped or labelled.

I like the idea of Santa and the spirit of Christmas. Even now, as I don't believe in Santa Claus, I still love the magic behind the idea. And I sure as hell will do everything I can to bring that magic back to my kids. Its what creates nostalgia and good memories. Crushing them with the weight of the world isn't really the good way of raising a kid. And if you think so, then don't get children.

Edit: From this topic, I've realized that giantbomb's community consist of some of the most saddening human beings allowed to roam free on the internet.

I probably won't tell them about Santa. Depends on what the wife thinks, though.

@Klei: So are Jewish families "some of the most saddening human beings allowed to roam free on the internet?" Or is it only sad when good Christian folks don't teach their kids to believe in Santa?

You really seem to think this believing in Santa thing is some kind of universal constant. It isn't. Not even in the West.

Childhoods can be just as happy and filled with love without these kids of misleading lies. Just tell your kids the truth. That's all. The world is really not so horrible that they can't handle it.

@N7 said:

I'm going to like being a parent one day. I'm gonna make up a whole bunch of shit like my parents would do. I'm going to tell them that Santa Claus is the nickname of a fabled secret agent of the United States government who went missing around the North Pole in an op gone wrong. The legend goes, every December 25th, he would send toys to children all around the world. Not just any toys, toys packaged with specific technology that can tell if you are a good guy or a bad guy, with hopes of locating who did him in. You don't want to learn what happens to the bad kids. So be good for goodness sake.

This sounds like the best option.

I don't understand all the people saying that a kid believing in Santa is messing with their perception of reality, I mean what was your world view like when you were eight years old and all the unrealistic things you probably thought were real. I view Santa as something fun but just like all those things, my kid can figure most of it out by himself.

I plan on being straight with my kids right from the beginning.

That's just me though.

You can still celebrate the holiday and what it stands for without going along with the mystical side of things. I think it's a good thing, really.

Kids these days are willing to shoot someone over something like an xbox. I'd rather just perpetuate it as long as I can so they don't murder me in my sleep.

@believer258 said:

@Hunter5024 said:

I'm not going to buy my kids presents cause this is reality dude. Life doesn't give you presents. Then they'll think its because they're on the naughty list, and they'll do everything in their power to behave, so that maybe just maybe they'll convince Santa they're as good as the other children. But they won't be. And then they'll know the most important lesson of all: life is a cruel bitch and nothing makes the pain go away. Knowledge is the best present you can pass onto your children after all. Merry Christmas.

Please tell me you aren't serious about this at all.

You got me! I won't really have kids. I intend to pass my legacy on through genetically mutated super-reptiles! They will have every present they could ever desire.

The only logical choice is A. 
Because the way I found out was basically I went into my moms room one day and found presents "from" santa clause. 
 
I knew my mom was cheating -.-

It's a fun story for little kids. Let them believe it hurts no one and makes them happy.

"Squinky? Spraynard? Sit down. I have to tell you something. I destroyed Santa and consumed his essence. According to some legal documents, I am now Santa. Also, I am now Tim Allen. More power, kids. More power." Then I grunt and wave a power tool in the air.

Santa is fun. I hope some of you guys never have kids, they will have very depressing lives.

Magic is awesome, so Santa is real for a while at least. Also, It'd be way easy to just never bring Santa up but they'll be seein that mother fucker all over the place and I'd rather not have to explain to a 3 year old that effusive present-slinging elves do not exist.

Why am I not surprised at all by this thread having its own fair share of "Christians are dumb" posts?  Yep, the imaginary and make belief aspect of childhood is intrinsic to religion.  No way we can discuss one without the other.

@Turambar said:

Why am I not surprised at all by this thread having its own fair share of "Christians are dumb" posts? Yep, the imaginary and make belief aspect of childhood is intrinsic to religion. No way we can discuss one without the other.

I'm an atheist and I'm totally telling my kids about Santa. When I found out that Santa and all that wasn't real I was upset for a little while, but not nearly long enough to have it ruin all the magic and happiness it brought me before. In my family the older kids will go to the younger kids houses on Christmas Eve and while the parents are reading the kid "The Night Before Christmas" the older kids will be outside with sleighbells and they'll ring them and the kid will be all like "OH MY GOD SANTA" and then the older ones make it sound like Santa is flying away and so the parents are like "Santa is nearby, better go to bed so he can bring your presents!" then the kids go to bed and everyone is happy. The end.

Oh man

Some of you guys are so deadly serious...how can you enjoy life that way? My parents let me have fun with my imagination and I would do the same with any other kid. Let them embrace all the silliness you can concoct as a child and leave reality to us old fucks.

How does any kid not figure it out by themselves? I don't see how it's a difficult situation for anybody, where their 10 year old kid could possibly still believe that Santa Claus exists when it takes about 3 seconds of logical thought for the whole thing to fall apart.

I side with letting kids enjoy their imaginations while they still can. They'll figure it out in their own time, your just taking away their's and your own fun and excitement by ruining the magic.

@Rave:

So you don't believe in the possibility of Extra Terrestrial life? why not, if I may ask. I can sort of understand Bigfoot but at the same time you never know.. the legend of a giant ape man that walks on two legs could just be a form of mammal that we haven't discovered yet. We're constantly finding new species of animals all over the world, lots who have no fear of humans because they've never seen us before.

One thing i will say is that UFO's are most definitely real. You may not believe in Aliens (which is kind of weird since you claim to be an athiest) But a UFO is just that. An Unidentified Flying Object.

I was raised Jewish as well, and I knew the truth about Santa (although I can't remember if I figured it out or if my parents told me) but I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to ruin anyone elses' fun. I don't know if I'm going to raise my future kids as anything, but I'm going to teach them the same belief. Let their parents break it to them however they choose to.

I believe that aliens and religion are separate, though. At the present, I'm unsure of the existence of God, but I think if aliens exist, we're probably under no threat from them. If they know we're out there, they can get to us, and haven't attacked yet, they probably won't.

I'm not a parent right now, and it would be foolish of me to make a decision that monumental without serious thought.

My parents lead me on until I was old enough to understand the true meaning of charity and Christmas. I feel like that is what I would do as well.

Lead them on until about 10, but it's likely that some random kid at school will break the news. Which sucks because most kids are dicks, and will probably tease the children that still believe in Santa.

let the kids break it to them.

there is actually a santa. he lives in Finland, right next to the artic circle.

Are you still allowed to tell kids Santa exist or has that been banned by [insert organization to tell you what to think and do]?

I began putting logical thought into the situation at around 7 or so, and stopped believing. But I kept telling my parents that i still believed until i was like 13, so I could get extra presents out of them each year.

That's probably what i'd do, minus the scamming me out of money for more stuff part. Tell them about and not draw attention to it, letting them figure out by themselves.

Ive decided the Santa thing is good for the joke. Ima do it up hard! Heard something stupid cute about cutting out elf foot prints in a piece of paper, then putting powder sugar down to leave tracks threw the house. Ima go one step farther and put a print of my kids face while they sleep. So yea, basically ill do it just to screw with em.

@FunExplosions said:

I also remember being really shocked that so many kids were stupid enough to believe in a magic fat man who gives them presents.

Really? Your really surprised? Do you know how many adults in North Korea believed Kim Jong Il could control the weather based on his mood? Too many....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-il#Cult_of_personality

I plan on confusing the kids by dressing as Santa, giving them presents, and then making them watch while their mother gives up her milk and cookies, ifyouknowwhatimsayin

HO HO HO motherfuckers

@Orbitz89 I meant aliens or flying saucers in the traditional sense, sorry for the confusion. I think there is for sure life in other planets but I don't believe earth had or is being visited.

One of the reasons is that in this highly connected world, where everyone has a phone and camera the world is tracked by gps we still have no scientific proof of them. I as a sane and rational thinking person would have to change my entire life's view to believe in such things, I don't need to prove they don't exist someone needs to prove they do.

Why as being atheist are you surprised I don't believe in visitors or traditional aliens? I believe we evolved not in any kind of divine or alien creation.

Same goes for Bigfoot, ghosts, loch ness monsters etc... It's not crazy or irrational or even close minded not to believe in this stuff, again I reiterate that these things have to be proven to me that they exist not vice versa.

I'm telling them the truth: Santa Claus was killed by the Soviets in the 80's.

@Brendan said:

How does any kid not figure it out by themselves? I don't see how it's a difficult situation for anybody, where their 10 year old kid could possibly still believe that Santa Claus exists when it takes about 3 seconds of logical thought for the whole thing to fall apart.

I dunno. Religion seems to persist.

@medacris said:

I was raised Jewish as well, and I knew the truth about Santa (although I can't remember if I figured it out or if my parents told me) but I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to ruin anyone elses' fun. I don't know if I'm going to raise my future kids as anything, but I'm going to teach them the same belief. Let their parents break it to them however they choose to.

This. Except i'm not Jewish.

Man I still get gifts from my mom that say From Santa. It's super heart-warming at this point.

I think its better that kids know these presents came from their hard working parents, than some fat drunk breaking into peoples house and drinking their beer.

After I get through telling them that they were a mistake and should not exist I will tell them to put out the milk and cookies.

Other. I'm not going to confuse my kids with contradicting ideas about fact and fiction. Santa's a mythical fable and the universe is cool enough without him. Now go the fuck to sleep.