Santa Claus

[Bad Writer]

*shrugs* I could go either way. I didn't know at the time that 38% of kids harbored negative results from it.

Too late now for me and mine.

All's well that ends well.

[Savannahw]

I never believed in Santa. I really wanted to but, I didn't. I asked my mom at a young age questions she couldn't answer about him. So we kept up the tradition for my grandparents and cousins. I felt a little felt out not believing.
We have Santa for my sister and brother. I'm pretty sure my brother knows, but my sister is just entering the Santa age, so that is exciting.
Is mistrust of the parents the only negative side effect? Because I'm pretty sure that happens anyway at some point.

[Whateverist]

Shrugs. I did it with my two daughters, as my parents did to me and my brother.

Just get counseling .. soon.

[pocaracas]

Wasn't santa just a marketing thing?
I have no memory of ever believing there was actually a santa.... I always knew my parents bought the presents before-hand.... and even tried to find where they hid them
My kids seem to do the same... plus, there's always at least one kid in their schools/kindergarten who spoils the whole thing and blurts out: santa doesn't exist!

[Minimalist]

[Cato]

[Bad Writer]

[NoraBrimstone]

I think you can judge how smart a kid is by the age at which they realise Santa is real. For example, if a kid is over 5 and thinks Santa is real? You probably don't need to bother saving for them to go to uni. Just focus on their coffee-making skills and ability to offer people fries. So I suppose the lie does serve a practical purpose.

[Bad Writer]

I think you can judge how smart a kid is by the age at which they realise Santa is real. For example, if a kid is over 5 and thinks Santa is real? You probably don't need to bother saving for them to go to uni. Just focus on their coffee-making skills and ability to offer people fries. So I suppose the lie does serve a practical purpose.

And it does...if you're basing a child's perceptions of reality based on how well they discover that Santa isn't real. Why can't we use other critical thinking exercises to help foster cognitive growth in children though? Why does Santa have to play a part in this?

My in-laws use Santa as this very exercise, and it's proving to be a fruitful effort. Their child is one of the smartest, critically-thinking 5-year-olds that I know. However, though he realizes that Iron Man and the Hulk aren't real, he still thinks Santa squeezes his round belly down a skinny chimney. We're still not sure when he'll figure it out...and my wife and I are actually forbidden from talking to him about it.

More on that note, I would never outright tell a child that believes in Santa that "There is no Santa, kid." That would be cruel, and the child might react badly to the assertion. Instead, I would rather try to reason out the reality of Santa with him/her.

[Rahul]

More on that note, I would never outright tell a child that believes in Santa that "There is no Santa, kid." That would be cruel, and the child might react badly to the assertion. Instead, I would rather try to reason out the reality of Santa with him/her.

Let me guess. You never got that Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas as a kid and laid in wait one Christmas Eve to catch the fat fucker and make him pay. Only to discover your parents putting the presents under the tree.

Am I right, or amirite?

It seems like you're oddly passionate about this Santa thing.