Children with opposing parents... Question.

[Heatherz70]

In a household where the children do Santa, the tooth fairy and Easter bunny... But one parent is an Atheist and the other parent mentions the others lack of belief. How can the fantasy of childhood characters be maintained yet the lack of religion be addressed? Would love some feedback

[Erinome]

I don't know, honestly. I figured if I wanted my kids to take me seriously about everything else, I couldn't lie to them about Santa. We're celebrating Chanukah this year, as my kids heard that fucking Adam Sandler song, and now want presents every night for eight nights. I don't mind. It's good for them to experience different cultures.

[KnockEmOuttt]

I'd probably do the Santa thing with my kids, just to show them how misleading false beliefs can be. They say most kids aren't angry when they realize Santa isn't real anyway. It makes them feel like grown-ups.

[Shell B]

I was married to an Italian Catholic who loved to tease me about being an atheist. Every time anything came up about about god, he would mention it and have a good laugh. My stepson eventually started identifying as an atheist anyway. So, I guess it depends on how the parents handle it. Do they handle it as some life altering thing and argue or are they lighthearted? As for Santa and stuff, I did all of that with the stepson. He eventually found out I was lying, called me out on it and was told that if he wanted to call me out for lying, he also had to thank me for all of the Santa stuff. Easy as pie. No reason to stress about it. Make believe is fun.

[jonb]

Yes well confession time. My wife and I are adamant atheists, she laughs and says I'm like a spider capturing and devouring a fly when some 'witnesses' innocently knock on the door and I welcome them into the living room. However Yule we do the whole thing, and its got way out of hand. The kids now even hang up socks for us and insist they come from father christmass we all lie our faces off fantasize and have a great time.
For me its not about not dreaming, its about knowing the difference between dreams and reality.

[frankiej]

If I ever have a kid I will probably lie to it all the time. I'll be trying to scare it with horror stories and telling him/her that monsters are real. They will eventually reach an age when they realise that is all crap. That is what my dad did... he would spend hours telling me stories that would terrify me. I never fully believed any of them, but I was always glad that I got to spend so much time with my dad.

Anyway, kids have wild imaginations. I'm sure they can separate a jolly old man who gives them lots of presents and a dead jew who threatens you with hell fire.