Before I start, please be warned that offense may happen as I step on my soap box. However, please also know that this is NOT aimed at anyone specifically and it is only a result of a conversation I had with my six-year-old son tonight..,
So since Noah was a baby, I've struggled with the decision to teach and/or support the Santa Claus theory.
When he was a baby, there was never a problem with it. He was too little to even know what Christmas was let alone Santa and everything else. We bought his gifts along with family and the word "Santa" was never mentioned.
When he was younger, I would tell Scott that I refused to allow our kids to believe in Santa. Coming from a united Pentecostal background, teaching Santa to your children didn't happen. I grew up knowing he didn't exist and I don't feel I missed out on anything.
As he got older, the world of Santa has been introduced to him. Daycare, school, television play a huge part. His daycare (after Olivia was born brings in a "Santa" and gives each child a gift which the parents pre-purchase, wrap and drop off to the daycare prior to the special visit.
When this would happen, we would tell Noah/Olivia that gifts from Santa only happen at daycare. We didn't want them to not get a gift when other children did, but they were too young to be trusted with the "Santa is not real" discussion for fear of the other children's familial beliefs.
This year, both kids were discussing openly about Santa and how they were excited for Christmas. We had had enough. Since earlier in the year we had briefly touched on the subject on Santa not being real, we went into more detail explaining how he wasn't real and that all gifts come from mom and dad and family. They seemed to get it; weren't disappointed since we had never made Santa a big deal.
Today, while at my company's Christmas party, Noah decides to write Santa a letter. I quietly explain that all his gifts are bought. He proceeds to tell me that "yes, but I'm asking Santa for something else that he can make and bring to me". I asked him if he remembered what we discussed a few nights before. He said yes, but wasn't sure he believed me. Since we were in a crowded room full of believers, I left it at that and knew that Christmas morning e would clearly know that he isn't exist since that item would NOT be under the tree.
Tonight, instead of doing a devotion, I told Noah the story of Saint Nicholas (VeggieTale style) and how from that wonderful act of spreading Jesus' love, the story of Santa Claus came out.
I, then, had an "AHA" moment. I told Noah that Saint Nicholas was a person like us and that people die. I asked Noah if he thought that anyone could live forever. He knew right away that God never dies and that Jesus died but came back to life. I then asked if he thought any other person could live forever without dying? He said "no".
Here is my soap-box moment... From that I had a moment of sadness for all Christians who teach their children that Santa is real. They are not only lying to their child, they are also giving someone else the same power that God has. Think about it..Santa never dies, you can't see Santa but he exists,Santa sees everything you do and rewards you if you are good, Santa brings them joy by delivering all these gifts on Christmas day.
If you want your child to believe in the one and only true God, you can't lie to them about Santa....cause really there are too many similarities in the story. I truly believe that this innocent story has been used by centuries to put the same doubt that children have about Santa in their minds about God. You can't tell them Santa is real, then when they find out it isn't true expect them to believe that God is real too.
Stepping off my soap box now!
