There are a few holidays during the year that are my absolute favorite. Christmas and Easter are two of those holidays for more than one reason. My children rank pretty high on that list. Not only are these two holidays a way for us to celebrate Christianity, but also give my children a chance to be children. I am all for my kids believing in something that is not real. Please don’t ruin it for them if you aren’t on the same boat.
Ruining my child’s Christmas imagination
I get that some parents don’t believe in celebrating Santa Claus during the Christmas holiday, thinking they are just encouraging the concept of lying to them. I don’t view this as ‘lying’ though, merely encouraging them to use their imaginations. When my daughter came home from school this past December telling me that another child told her Santa Claus was not real, I thought I was going to be sick.
The look on my daughter’s face was one of heartbreak. I, of course, told her not to listen to what anyone else says, that she should just believe.
Believe in the magic.
Isn’t that what imagination is? It is the magic that comes from those little minds and hearts, thinking of things that make this world something more. If you choose to not let your child believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, that is up to you. But please don’t let your child ruin it for mine. They deserve to use their imaginations and believe as long as they want too. Encourage your children who don’t believe to not ruin it for the rest of the children. 
Our children deserve the right to be children. This world is already filled with so much that is not desirable. Let’s give them the chance to have the magic to see it as something much more for as long as possible.
Thank you from the mom who loves to believe in a Santa Claus and Easter Bunny for her children.
Hi Clair,
Thank you for providing the opportunity to discuss Santa Claus! I am a parent who holds a firm belief that Santa Claus IS real and my husband and I believe that through his story, we can teach our children the importance of giving ourselves to others, which is the true realization of the Christian message of Christmas.
We teach our children the true story of Saint Nicholas- In the 4th century, Saint Nicholas was a Christian Bishop of Myra in Lycia (present day Turkey). He was extremely wealthy, and devoted his life to God, choosing a life of poverty and donating all of his money to the poor, but always in secret. We tell them that it is from this man’s real life that the legend of Santa Claus originated. Our reason is not simply because we don’t want to lie to our kids, but because we want to impart them with the true story, which is so much better than the legend! All children need the true inspiration of the life of a man that chose to give to others rather than to keep his fortune for himself. Through our continued gift-giving, each of us ensures that the memory of Saint Nicholas is truly eternal.
My children have vivid imaginations that I witness each day as they go hunting in the back yard, make up their own song lyrics, and make princess dolls come to life. I don’t feel that we are limiting their imaginative freedom just because we don’t teach them that Santa comes down the chimney in a red suit. What I believe will allow my children to make this world something more is remembering a man that is celebrated for truly changing the world of those that he helped, and realizing that they can change the world in that way as well.
As for the inevitable time when one child tells another that Santa Claus is not real, with this approach you can respond with “Yes, he is! And he is in heaven with Jesus and he lives in the heart of everyone that gives gifts out of love for Jesus Christ.”
Thank you again for starting this discussion. Christ is Risen!