Parents: what's your spin on Santa?

[MandyMarie]

How are you approaching those tricky questions regarding Santa? I'm shocked that my 8 year old even believes in Santa still, with the way things are these days. I overheard her telling her younger sisters that she was gonna get this toy and that toy, then she told me about that damn $350+ Fur-Real pony that she's gonna get. So I tell her "sorry baby, that's a little too expensive so I don't think you'll be getting that for Christmas"

Her response? "It's ok if you're broke, momma, Santa will get it for me."

Of course, that led into a whole discussion of why some kids can get certain things that others can't, and why we can't afford some things because we have to pay Santa so he can pay his elves. That led into a discussion about how the elves do make the toys, and so on. First time I found myself one-upped by the kids. What happened to the simple days when we knew there was no such thing as Santa, but we didn't dare question it for fear that the presents might stop coming??

 

[Gluey]

My 3 kids aged 8, 6 & almost 5, are all firm believers in Santa. I think it's great - childhoods are too short and the longer they believe in the tooth fairy and santa, the better

I get my kids to write out their wish list. They 'know' that Santa's elves are staking them out all the time to tell Santa if they're good or not , and we've always said that Santa won't be able to get everything on the list, he just picks one or two things as he has a lot of other kids to give presents too. And that he has to be fair to all the kids, so he can't give my kids something worth heaps of money, and the kids next door something that isn't..... I dunno, I guess we've just been really lucky so far that we don't have anything too scary like a pony on their lists!

I dread being one-upped by the kids, and it's bound to happen sooner rather than later!

Good Luck!!!

 

[LMP]

Santa is just a dyslexic Satan.

 

[DaveC]

Santa is just a dyslexic Satan.

Everything you post now sounds like it's being said in GOB's voice in my head...

 

[Liesje]

I never cared about Santa. I think I *wanted* to believe, but we didn't have a fireplace (we lived in a 150 year old farmhouse and the "chimney" running up the inside of the house was converted into small closets) so I didn't know how to reconcile that. I wasn't one of those kids that refused to believe, I just didn't think about it. Either way, I still got my present and I knew they were really coming from mom and dad.

 

[LMP]

Everything you post now sounds like it's being said in GOB's voice in my head...

Bees?

 

[Butterscotch]

How are you approaching those tricky questions regarding Santa? I'm shocked that my 8 year old even believes in Santa still, with the way things are these days. I overheard her telling her younger sisters that she was gonna get this toy and that toy, then she told me about that damn $350+ Fur-Real pony that she's gonna get. So I tell her "sorry baby, that's a little too expensive so I don't think you'll be getting that for Christmas"

Her response? "It's ok if you're broke, momma, Santa will get it for me."

I hate to suggest this, but she may be testing you. I did something like that at about her age (I no longer believed but wouldn't admit it in fear of not getting cool presents, "Santa" always gave more than the parents!) I would drop little statements like that around just to see what they'd say and how they'd handle it, and if I started hearing stuff about not 'affording' it, I'd know my friends were right that Santa was really my parents. I find it very hard to accept any 8 year old these days actually believes, when even kids that age or younger 20 years ago didn't. IF she does really know, and admits it, or you have to tell her, please be careful she doesn't spoil it for her younger sisters who have a few more years to hold on to the fantasy.

Another suggestion is to tell her that Santa wasn't able to bring those big ponies because they took up too much room in the sleigh and made it too hard for Rudolf to get it off the ground

 

[MandyMarie]

Re: Re: Parents: what's your spin on Santa?

I hate to suggest this, but she may be testing you. I did something like that at about her age (I no longer believed but wouldn't admit it in fear of not getting cool presents, "Santa" always gave more than the parents!) I would drop little statements like that around just to see what they'd say and how they'd handle it, and if I started hearing stuff about not 'affording' it, I'd know my friends were right that Santa was really my parents. I find it very hard to accept any 8 year old these days actually believes, when even kids that age or younger 20 years ago didn't. IF she does really know, and admits it, or you have to tell her, please be careful she doesn't spoil it for her younger sisters who have a few more years to hold on to the fantasy.

Another suggestion is to tell her that Santa wasn't able to bring those big ponies because they took up too much room in the sleigh and made it too hard for Rudolf to get it off the ground

Very funny. The Fur-Real horse in question is named Butterscotch. My daughter sent you here, didn't she?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4875172

I questioned whether she might be testing me, but my oldest is painfully shy and quiet, and possibly naive enough to still believe at her age (even though she's probably the only one in the 3rd grade to do so). She's not spoiled by any means, I have three daughters and one step-daughter whom we support with my husband's income. So it isn't like she just expects to get what she wants when she wants it. I dunno what to think, I guess I just hadn't prepared myself over possibly getting the third degree on Santa. Good grief, I was probably 14-15 before I finally 'fessed up that I knew Santa wasn't real, all because I wasn't gonna take any chances!

 

[Gluey]

I was about 9 or so....my 8yr old is still adamant that he's real. She knows the Santa's in the malls etc are fake and goes along with it for her little sister and brother, but she still believes that there is a real santa, through and through. I've found that the older she gets, then the more inquisitive and argumetative she naturally gets.....if she queries it then I'll be honest with her. But yeah it's really hard when advertising bombards the kids with all these expensive toys and gadgets they HAVE to have....

 

[DaveC]

Bees?

Beads!

 

[dazzlingamy]

You're complaining at 8 they still believe? I was 11 before it all came out of the closet. I didn't have a chimmney, but Father Christmas had a magical key that opened every door in the world! He also drank some of the beer and the cookie and rudolph had a sip of water and a few carrot sticks. The EXCITMENT of seeing that eaten in the more on the way to the xmas tree is undescribable. Let them hold onto it for as long as possible!

 

[Butterscotch]

Re: Re: Re: Parents: what's your spin on Santa?

Very funny. The Fur-Real horse in question is named Butterscotch. My daughter sent you here, didn't she?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4875172

LOL! That's cute!

Please also consider that she may never 'come out of the closet' or admit it in so many words. I never did, and I was never officially 'told the truth.' It just sort of happens one day and you have to leave it at that. My family had this sort of rule that Santa stopped coming to you when you were 12 anyway (or when you outgrew wanting toys, whichever came first) Oh, and Santa NEVER brings electronics(video games, computerized toys, etc)- the elves aren't high tech enough to make them! Good one, eh?

In the meantime I still think my pony too big for the sleigh thing is a good idea

 

[MandyMarie]

You're complaining at 8 they still believe? I was 11 before it all came out of the closet. I didn't have a chimmney, but Father Christmas had a magical key that opened every door in the world! He also drank some of the beer and the cookie and rudolph had a sip of water and a few carrot sticks. The EXCITMENT of seeing that eaten in the more on the way to the xmas tree is undescribable. Let them hold onto it for as long as possible!

Nooo, I'm actually very pleased to see she still believes. If you're not a parent, you probably haven't noticed how different kids are at that age these days. it's scary. I got my first teen magazine, BOP, when I was around 13, she and all her friends already have their first boy-crush poster on their walls. Wth? Slooow down!

I guess that's why it seems a little more complicated now. I'm just a little bewildered to see my 8 year old kinda stuck between having that blissful childish innocence and growing up a little fast. My little girl, whose room is still decorated with every Disney character imaginable, is suddenly into the "big girl" stuff and is crushing on that damn Zac kid from "High School Musical."

Yeah yeah, I think this thread is in need of a new title now...

 

[MooMoo!]

Could you not kind of explain one way or another that she cant have the pony but take her on a pony trek sometime insted? I dont know if you'd have any stables or that where you live, but it's about £20 more or less for a trek over here. A damn sight cheaper than "butterscotch"

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Re: Re: Re: Parents: what's your spin on Santa?

Very funny. The Fur-Real horse in question is named Butterscotch. My daughter sent you here, didn't she?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4875172

I questioned whether she might be testing me, but my oldest is painfully shy and quiet, and possibly naive enough to still believe at her age (even though she's probably the only one in the 3rd grade to do so). She's not spoiled by any means, I have three daughters and one step-daughter whom we support with my husband's income. So it isn't like she just expects to get what she wants when she wants it. I dunno what to think, I guess I just hadn't prepared myself over possibly getting the third degree on Santa. Good grief, I was probably 14-15 before I finally 'fessed up that I knew Santa wasn't real, all because I wasn't gonna take any chances!

$250 for that pony is insane! I was thinking of getting something similar for my step-daughter and I've seen some starting at $70 in Loblaw's (a Canadian chain) and I think about $80 or $90 in Walmart. Perhaps they're different somehow but they do look similar to me

 

[tanner_sis]

HAHHAHAHA when i was little i had a broomstick with a fake pony head on it that made noise..from crockerbarrel or something..had that thing for years..that furreal thing..thats just rediculous!

 

[mysterious_jen]

I never even bothered with santa, explaining the concept to a child with autism was just all too hard.

nor do i do religion , we dont attend church and i never botherd explaing the concept of jesus and all that crapola .

we have a very off beat and pagan slanted Australian christmas.

At the moment i am also trying to instill the values of make poverty history and donating to oxfam instead of buying everyone disgusting trashy presents.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Abolish Santa once and for all.

 

[david]

there's no santa???

 

[ZeroDude]

Abolish Santa once and for all.

Yes, and while we’re at that, let’s replace him with Fifty-Cent. Now those presents would be ghetto. Have a very Rolex Christmas! It wouldn’t be that bad, if only for the inherent comedic potential.

Damn those dark satanic mills.

 

[zuropa_fit]

we have a very off beat and pagan slanted Australian christmas.

At the moment i am also trying to instill the values of make poverty history and donating to oxfam instead of buying everyone disgusting trashy presents.

Yea for off beat pagan celebrations! And like I said elsewhere, my family is getting donations to The Heifer Project in their names. Buy my darling (only child) little boy will still get a scooter from "Santa".

 

[MrPryck2U]

Yes, and while we’re at that, let’s replace him with Fifty-Cent. Now those presents would be ghetto. Have a very Rolex Christmas! It wouldn’t be that bad, if only for the inherent comedic potential.

Damn those dark satanic mills.

I'm pretty sure 50 cent wouldn't work. He'd be too busy showing the children his gunshot wounds to give a crap about giving them a bunch of presents.

Seriously though, maybe if we all decided that we weren't going to lie to our children anymore about Santa and say he doesn't exist, the holiday would be a little better for it.

 

[indra]

buying everyone disgusting trashy presents.

I only buy good stuff for the people I give gifts to.

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

I'm not a parent, but if I were, I'd do the Santa thing with my kids.

There was a certain sort of magic to waking up in the wee hours of the morning (or even the middle of the night) and sneaking into the living room with my siblings to see what Santa had left under the tree and in our stockings for us. I miss that magic and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Our presents from Santa were never wrapped, so it was always a perfect delight to go around the corner and get that glimpse of toys piled up. We'd look at everything and play with them a bit before going back to bed.

I never went through a harsh realization of discovering the truth of Santa. I just gradually figured it out on my own, I guess. I think I was about 9 years old or so when my parents stopped trying to sell the myth to us (I was the youngest.) Honestly, I didn't really care who was bringing the presents, as long as I got them (I was a greedy child.) But the magic was gone, because with the myth went the mysterious arrival of presents in the middle of the night. After that gifts from our parents were either wrapped and opened on Christmas Eve during the extended-family gift exchange, or else doled out on Christmas morning after everyone was awake.

All that said, I used to mod a website that had some rather young members (I think the youngest was 8), so we had a policy that if a member started saying anything about Santa not being real, we mods would be quick to reply with something along the lines of: "What are you talking about? Of course Santa's real! I saw him having breakfast with the Easter Bunny last week!"

 

[FitzChivalry]

Re: Re: Re: Parents: what's your spin on Santa?

Very funny. The Fur-Real horse in question is named Butterscotch. My daughter sent you here, didn't she?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4875172

Ok, I realize that I am not an 8-year old little girl, but . . . . what (in the north pole) do you freakin' do with this thing Butterscotch? It doesn't appear to move or change position. So after about 5 minutes sitting on this furry lump that does nothing except wiggle its ears and bray, wouldn't any normal 8 year old be bored beyond tears?

At least that stick-with-a-pony-head mentioned earlier could be galloped around like a pony!

Maybe I'm just too old for ponies.

 

[angelordevil]

I'm not a parent...unless my relationship to a small and fuzzy little dog counts.

However, if I ever become a human parent, my spin on Santa is this: he's often overdone, but important. It's all about the symbolism. Although I detest the crazed rushes at the mall, Christmas can be the most joyous and wondrous moments of a kid's life. The spirit of giving is a good thing, if it's kept in check by the parents.

So, yes, speaking as the last person in his elementary school to believe in Santa, I'd propagate the myth to all future innocents. If my kid was really smart, and started questioning, I'd really push the "Santa as symbolism" thing.

It's amazing how just a simple string of lights this time of year can illuminate what's best about being human, red suit, or not.

 

[Cin]

there's no santa???

these are horrible, horrible people who are just trying to trick you.



Santa is real. . . . . . . . isn't he I still get present from him and I'm 30


It's just a coincidence that his handwriting is like my Mums.