Anyone not do santa?

[jojoreta]

I don't do Santa. My daughter knows he isn't real but she is reminded every year that a lot of kids do think he is real so we need to let then believe that. She's always been very smart when it comes to things like that but she does like to pretend he is real sometimes which is fine with me. I'm not going to stomp on her imagination for a couple weeks a year

[graceworks]

no santa here either. My 2 year old knows who he is from decorations, books, etc but doesn't have any idea about the gift giving aspect. We will never tell her that Santa is real. To me, that's lying.

When she is old enough to have "believing" friends we will tell her not to argue with them, and that some parents pretend he is real.

Christmas is about Jesus' birth here. We do all the traditional Christmasy things, just not Santa, although we are not anti-Santa either. She has a Santa book and a few Santa ornaments.

It seems kind of silly to me to go to so much fuss to perpetuate the Santa thing to your kids. But to each their own. (I didn't grow up in a Santa household either so maybe thats part of it)

[GodLover]

No Santa here but I am going to try the elf on the shelf this year

[EmmaGM]

Originally Posted by GodLover No Santa here but I am going to try the elf on the shelf this year

Isn't the elf story that he's like a lookout for Santa?

[EmilytheStrange]

no Santa here. DD got a book about him last year, but it's a touch and feel type, so I just let her touch and feel. She doesn't watch movies and all that, so that's not an issue.

DH wants to incorporate some Santa magic, so we'll see later. This year it isn't going to happen. She's 2. We have a book about baby Jesus and it ends with 'I am the reason for Christmas Day'. That's my itinerary - teach her about baby Jesus' birth and that we are celebrating that birth on Christmas. done.

I've wanted to do Elf on the Shelf because I like the IDEA.. but not the whole 'spy on you and report your deeds to Santa'. If you do him just as a mischevious being that spends December in your house, you could pull it off. Again, though, that's a lot of effort for a 2yr old.. I'll think about it next year when she'd actually really notice.

ETA: if someone gives my child a gift from Santa or when we go to a holiday festival and Santa is there, I will not get all upset. I will just tell her that it's Santa. The same way that I tell her about the firefighters that dress up in the dog costume, the Sesame Street people who danced at the last event we went to, or any other 'character'. I really don't think it's worth getting upset about. Santa is the same as Mickey Mouse - not real, but not worth raising my blood pressure about.

[RainandRedemption]

We don't do santa. At first everyone in our families were pretty shocked, and some of them VERY upset, when we told them. Everyone got used to the idea, and while my grandma still brings it up sometimes, everyone has realized that we're not going to do something because it's important to THEM. Luckily everyone eventually accepted it. If we had someone in the family try to give our kids gifts from santa I would honestly be flaming livid. Maybe unreasonably upset over it. But I would absolutely not allow someone to talk to my kids about him being real and giving them gifts from him.

We talk to the kids about traditions, and how everyone has different traditions, and you can start traditions etc, and how some families choose to pretend santa is real with their kids. Im going to have to have a talk with my kids again this year because we might be visiting family in Canada, where one house might be "visited by santa" on christmas eve, so I want to clarify with my kids so they're not confused or so my 3.5 yo doesn't "spill the beans"

[kierstenw]

We don't do Santa. I don't have any advice since DD is only 6.5mo, but we will focus on family and community (volunteering, giving to Toys for Tots, etc.) I know this will start a war, but I think it is ridiculous to run around creating evidence that Santa is real, only for them to find out in 8-10 years that it's all a lie. Not for me, thanks.

I am adamant about making sure that they don't tell other kids that what they believe is wrong or a lie. Like KaleidoscopeEyes, we are atheists and plan to just tell our children that some people choose to believe in God and that it is their prerogative. They will be respectful toward everyone regardless of whether they believe in a giant egg-laying bunny, a fat guy with flying reindeer and superhuman time-traveling powers, or an invisible and all-knowing man in the sky. That's part of our general parenting philosophy and not specifically taught during the holidays.

[knodceo]

Wishing we didn't do Santa! My almost 5 year old is questioning it big time. We debated before she was old enough to understand...and we are digging ourself into a bigger hole of lies when she asks us questions...we have decided to tun it around and let her lead the way. We brought back the elf...and she has already asked if he is just a stuffed toy...we turn it around to get her thoughts.

I don't think we were harmed in having a Santa, bunny or tooth fairy. Kids should be kids and enjoy the magic involved in being a kid.

That being said we don't like to lie...we also do not believe in a higher power...

[essential1892]

We do santa, easter bunny, tooth fairy.

I think that it makes things magical- I love that my kids are still so young that they believe in these things. We aren't religious so the holidays are just fun days to us that we celebrate with family.

My five year old came home from school the other day and said that his friend told him that there is no santa- I was so sad. I felt like his innocence was taken away (totally overreacting, I know).

Like I said, holidays to us are just for fun and adding in santa and his cohorts makes it that much more fun for us.

[hac1224]

Originally Posted by RainandRedemption We don't do santa. At first everyone in our families were pretty shocked, and some of them VERY upset, when we told them. Everyone got used to the idea, and while my grandma still brings it up sometimes, everyone has realized that we're not going to do something because it's important to THEM. Luckily everyone eventually accepted it. If we had someone in the family try to give our kids gifts from santa I would honestly be flaming livid. Maybe unreasonably upset over it. But I would absolutely not allow someone to talk to my kids about him being real and giving them gifts from him. We talk to the kids about traditions, and how everyone has different traditions, and you can start traditions etc, and how some families choose to pretend santa is real with their kids. Im going to have to have a talk with my kids again this year because we might be visiting family in Canada, where one house might be "visited by santa" on christmas eve, so I want to clarify with my kids so they're not confused or so my 3.5 yo doesn't "spill the beans"

Exactly us on the bolded, except only DH's parents made a big deal about it. His mom even called my mom extremely upset when she first found out many years ago. Mom my basically told her that we didn't make a big deal of it growing up. I think my MIL realized she was the only one bothered and had to get over it. My kids know a little about the real St. Nicolas and know that lots of others kids believe in Santa. It's not really a big deal to them either.