My Mommyology

Learning from Motherhood.

The Santa Debate

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My Mommyology's Santa Claus

To Claus or Not to Claus?

With less than 30 days until Christmas, every store around the area has some sort of holiday decor and Christmas cheer.  Suddenly, we are walking through the mall by the big trees and the reindeer and Sam points into the distance and says, “Who’s that Mommy?”

Of course I look up to find a very authentic looking Santa Claus staring right back at her, waving with his jingle bells.  (Side note: I love how the Santa Clauses of our imaginations all look so real here in the States.  They’re burly and rosy with real white beards, and hardly any fake padding.  AND!  They they are jolly old souls).

At so it begins.  The introduction to the imaginary mythical character that is Santa Claus.  If you ask me, the optimist in the family, I am all for bringing a Santa into my kids’ lives.  You have leverage to keep them “nice” because they know that if they are, Santa will reward them in the end.  Heck, it always worked for me.  I loved the idea that I would write a letter and it would mysteriously disappear into the North Pole and I would just find out on Christmas day if I was good enough for Santa to have given me what I asked for (of course, I made sure my letter contained the details as to where to find the item of desire).  And, I learned the value of patience — not pestering my mom to buy them for me now because Santa could bring them to me if I stayed good all year.

Dad on the other hand, is the realist in the family, and a very practical persona at that.  So he questions, “If we have the power to influence our kids as they grow up, then why even bother teaching them about Santa?  Isn’t it better to reward them from you when they are good?”  I of course, scowled at him for 2 days when he said this, but then reconsidered when I spoke to some of my mommy friends here with different cultural beliefs and practices from mine.  They never grew up with a Santa Claus, and are not planning to bring them in to their kids’ lives.  So daddy’s point of view made sense to them.  You can still have a Merry Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday and raise and reward nice children without the presence of a Santa.

Interesting thought.  Sans the analogy of Santa replacing “God” and promoting commercialism into your family (we don’t want to go there), which rewards method is more effective in the long-run?  Are you teaching your children imagination, creativity, and perseverance, or how to tell white lies to get what you want in the end?

Share your thoughts!  I’d love to hear them!

Author: mymommyology

I am the mom that I am because of my two wonderful little girls. They teach me everyday.

0 Comments

  1. I didn’t grow up believing in Santa either. Maybe my 5 older siblings ruined it for me or my mom gave up because she didn’t have control over what those 5 siblings would tell me anyway.

    To us, Santa is another way of encouraging good behavior. At the same time, it also brings out our DD’s imagination and hope. Who knows if it’s bad or good?

    — Well, maybe Santa 😉

  2. Pingback: Of Baked Spaghetti and Broken Window « My Mommyology

  3. I like the idea of Santa because it is like a fairy-tale that comes to life every Christmas.. and everything about the believing and the excitement is part of the magic that is santa. I want my kids to remember waking up and finding out if they got what they wanted.. and seeing they did or even got more than they asked… for getting what they wanted even if they forgot to send the letter to Santa.. (I think my mom said Santa has a new technology that allows him to read children’s thoughts so they don’t have to write the letter). I think Santa is part of being a child – it’s the innocence of believing in fairy tales and magic despite all the bad things happening around us. I want to keep my kids believing in all good and magical things for as long as I can. The truth of the world will come soon enough. But saying this, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to teach my kids the value of being a good Christian.. of what it means to follow Jesus. I want to teach them to be good not to get rewards but just because it is the right thing to do everyday. And come Christmas time.. they will be rewarded by Jesus in the form of Santa Claus’ gifts!

  4. Santa rocks! 😀

    Though the true meaning of Christmas should not be lost due to the commercialization of the season, I think believing in Santais a good thing because…
    1) it reinforces hospitality (leaving out cookies and milk for a very special visitor);
    2) it is leverage for the kids. They tend to get used to parenting threats so an “unseen force” may have added weight on the good behavior-reward stand point;
    3) mama said she got a kick out of us dutifully making letters to santa, and our reactions on Christmas day when there would be letters FROM SANTA on the tree, together with the gift. hehehe;
    4) it just completes the Christmas season picture.

    ♥ ♥ ♥

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