Hellobee Boards

I think we luckily have at least one more year before we have to decide what we are going to do, but we are leaning towards not doing Santa in the traditional sense of there's one man who brings you presents if you're good. I don't know yet how it will all manifest but I think we will just follow DDs lead with it and not actively encourage it. DH and I both grew up believing in Santa and had no trauma from figuring out he wasn't real, but as of right now the whole thing just doesn't feel like what we want to do at the moment. I always like to hear what people do though and why.

We're teaching him about Santa. I didn't believe in Santa at all growing up, and, as an adult, I feel like I missed out on something

@catomd00: We've received several as gifts. They live in our basement creeping out everything else down there!

Team Santa!

Team Santa for sure

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: No, not exactly? My family was very religious...it was all about the birth of baby Jesus (which has it's own magical pull for me then, and even to a point now, as an agnostic--the warmth of candle-light services, the music, etc...). There were presents, but they were usually there before Christmas Eve, and it was made clear to us that they were gifts from family members. My dad and grandmother even went as far as saying Santa was an evil creation.

I didn't think much either way about Santa as an adult, until the first Christmas I spent with D's family. I was woken up at 5AM by our young nephews running down the hall screaming "SANTA CAME!" and just the utter joy they had. Plus, in our family "Santa" comes to visit later in the day, having "forgotten to drop off some toys" (it's usually either FIL or D in a costume). It's just a little bit of extra special that I want my children to experience.

@yoursilverlining: I agree. The Elf is sinister.

I didn't grow up in the US so I was never ever told that Santa might be real, not even the slightest. So we are team no santa!

Team Santa...our daughter loves him so much that she ran up to a guy in July who looks like Santa and told him she wanted a TV for her room....seriously! Luckily he's a good family friend (he plays Santa) and he said "well you better be a good little girl for such a big gift!" Haha he played it perfectly!

@blackbird: 1) good one, and 2) what made you change teams?

Why do people get so fired up over this topic?

Santa was a part of my childhood and I figured out around 1st grade or so that he wasn't real. I remember feeling sad b/c I wanted that magical thing to exist, but it was in no way traumatic.We'll do Santa b/c it is fun and it wouldn't be worth the struggle to teach her otherwise.

@Happygal: It sort of cracks me up watching Santa become some OMG HUGE THING. I just had no idea. I changed my mind because I was raised without Santa and I really have no basis or strong feelings to NOT do Santa. "it's how i grew up" is not valid, as I tend to do a lot of opposite parenting from how I was raised. DH wanted to do Santa, her little cousins do Santa, so we're doing Santa. I don't want my kid being the only one who "doesn't believe" and that being some whole big thing. I dont' have strong convictions, I just used to be like "nah, we wont' do santa, nbd, christmas wasn't ruined for me as a child".

Team Santa!

But agree with others than the Elf on the Shelf is creepy.

I will definitely teach the kids about Santa. Those Christmas mornings when I believed were so magical. I would never want to take that experience away from my kids.

BIL has told us they do not want to teach their kid about Santa because it's cruel to lie. I disagree as I was "lied" to as a kid and don't regreat it, but to each their own. It does worry me though when we both have kids if their kids will tell my kids there is no such thing. Hopefully that won't happen.

No elf on the shelf though.

@sorrycharlie: same here! But look, if you have strong convictions about NOT doing Santa, that's fine in my book, too. What you teach at your home about Santa does not majorly impact me. Will my kid be sad if your kid tells her that Santa isn't real? Perhaps, but she'll survive. Will I feel judged by my devout friends for upholding a secular practice? Maybe, but as we've seen here today, people judge others for lots of things! I can't get worked up about it.

We will do the Santa thing, but more like he's a character of the season. Does that make sense? I LOVE Christmas, and the magic of it. I won't use Santa as a way to threaten her (Santa is watching, you better be good).

I see us letting her take the lead on this one. If she wants to write a list to Santa, sure.

We only do 4 gifts on Christmas morning, so maybe the stocking will be gifts from Santa?? Or, her big gift from us? Who knows.

@Shizaz: I'm actually Jewish even though we did Santa. None of my Jewish friends ever said anything about Santa being made up and they obviously didn't believe in him. I'm not a fan of the assumption that kids who aren't raised with Santa are the ones who are going to tell. I was actually told by an ex-Santa believer who figured it out. I see it like any other thing some people believe in but not others, like God. You teach your kid that some people believe and others don't and that its important to respect their beliefs. I've never believed in God but I've never told anyone that God is fake!