When being around kids (young enough to still possibly believe in Santa), what is your opinion on the matter?


I ask because my kids do not believe in Santa. Well, they're still so little, but we do not tell them Santa is real. My sister was telling my daughter about how Santa would come bring her gifts. I didn't say anything for the sake of having a nice time with my sister (we aren't getting along well) but it made me wonder.

It's usually frowned upon to tell a kid that Santa is not real, but is it okay to tell a child who doesn't believe that he IS real? Why is it a double standard?

maybe she didnt know that she knew he wasnt real?

If someone asks me why we don't celebrate or if I will tell my child Santa is real or not, I will answer. I'm not going to go out of my way to say he's not real to or around other's people's kids. But it's also my freedom of religion and speech to carry on a conversation about my beliefs, just like any other. I try to be mindful of other's feeling but if a kid happens by at the wrong time or someone is eavesdropping that's their issue.

Did you sister know that your daughter already knew that Santa wasn't real?

Quoting Jays*Mama:" maybe she didnt know that she knew he wasnt real?"

She didn't. I'm not mad at her or anything, it just made me think. I know people are so up in arms about not letting a kid know Santa isn't real, but it makes me sort of wonder if the same goes for kids who don't believe. It's sort of a double standard. I mean, we expect that a child who doesn't believe will take the word of their parents over others, but then we are all expected to lie to keep an illusion for a child that does believe. It seems like we hold them to two different standards.

Quoting she nan igans:" When being around kids (young enough to still possibly believe in Santa), what is your opinion on the ... [snip!] ... a kid that Santa is not real, but is it okay to tell a child who doesn't believe that he IS real? Why is it a double standard? "

This all being said I'd like to add, I'd be PISSED if someone tried telling and convincing my kids Santa is real. And you can bet they'd be removed from my home or my child's presence if they couldn't respect my beliefs.

To me it gives the child something to believe in. Christmas just doesnt seem as magical when you know the gifts came from your parents. I think up until a certain it is perfectly fine to let them think he is real. My parents didnt tell me until I was 9 or 10 that he wasnt real.

Quoting Jas ♥:" Did you sister know that your daughter already knew that Santa wasn't real?"

She did, but she may not have remembered. WHen I told her we wouldn't be doing the whole Santa thing she argued with me about it. With her I think it was not meaning to be rude. It was more a spring board for the thought, you know?

I dont know. If my kid knew santa wasnt real and someone tried telling them that he is, id probably be like yea they know he isnt real.

I always talk about him like he's real until the kid tells me otherwise, lol
If your daughter had said, Santa's not real, and your sister kept insisting he was that'd be different.
I don't want to be the ass that tells a kid Santa isn't real, lol

I didn't think I wanted to do the whole santa thing, but my son was in a daycare when he's was 9 months to almost 2, and they told him about santa, it pissed me off, and I took him out of the school, but he's 6 now and still believes so I try and make it as fun for him and my other kids I have now... I'm planning on doing the elf on the shelf things, and I have video baby moniters in their rooms, he thinks santa sent those to watch him and his siblings...

I hope he won't be to hurt when he finds out and just remembers the memories I made for them...

1 year when I still believed santa bout tickets to disneyland to go to on xmas day, when I think back at it now it reminds me as a single mom, my mom did *everything* to give us *everything*

Quoting B&Js Mommy:" To me it gives the child something to believe in. Christmas just doesnt seem as magical when you know ... [snip!] ... a certain it is perfectly fine to let them think he is real. My parents didnt tell me until I was 9 or 10 that he wasnt real."

I'm not arguing that kids shouldn't believe in Santa. My point is should everyone else be expected to lie? If so, what about the kids who don't believe? Isn't it setting a double standard if you're expected to only respect one type of believe (that he is real).

When I was a kid I believed. My Mom said some people didn't believe and that was that. Even if other people said he wasn't real, that was fine. My Mom said he only visited people who believed in him, and for a kid that was fine.

I would just tell children, when I do tell them he doesnt exist, that some people still believe in him and not to ruin their fun and imagination and to just play along with them.  

You can just tell the kid's your sister still believes in a Santa Claus and not to ruin her fun of it.

Quoting she nan igans:" She didn't. I'm not mad at her or anything, it just made me think. I know people are so up in arms ... [snip!] ... all expected to lie to keep an illusion for a child that does believe. It seems like we hold them to two different standards. "

Hmmm, I don't know. I think there is a slight difference between trying to convince a child that Santa is real and disappointing a child by telling them that Santa isn't real.

Quoting B&Js Mommy:" To me it gives the child something to believe in. Christmas just doesnt seem as magical when you know ... [snip!] ... a certain it is perfectly fine to let them think he is real. My parents didnt tell me until I was 9 or 10 that he wasnt real."

Not everyone celebrates though. We don't and never will.