My Christian mother believes it is child abuse were I not to tell that Santa Claus is the reason behind Christmas presents to my future children. What are your opinions on this?
2007-10-15 19:21:50 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"your christian mother also does the same about jesus and god doesn't she?"
Yes, she does.
2007-10-15 19:27:08 · update #1
Actually, lipstick, I was upset as a child because I believed in Santa Claus. Older boys spray painted my hair because of that. Now if my mother told me otherwise...
2007-10-15 19:29:14 · update #2
your christian mother also does the same about jesus and god doesn't she?
2007-10-15 19:25:39 · answer #1 · answered by Gyspy 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Telling children the truth is never child abuse. Sometimes there are better ways to say it than others, but nevertheless.
I believe it is not good for kids to have their heads messed with with things like Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Stork, or any fanciful explaination you give to them of the way things work. I was fed a bunch of these when I was younger, and I grew up believeing some of them well into my teens just because I didn't take the time to think about and question them.
Think about this. Have you ever seen the Adam Sandler movie "The Water Boy"? If so, think about the various explainations that Bobby's mama always gave him as to how the world works, and how they affected him. This is, obviously, an extreme and exaggerated example, but the point is valid nonetheless.
Everything that is presented to a child as fact, which is in truth fiction, is something they will have to un-learn later in life. Why put them through all the trouble? Why not do it right the first time?
P.S.- Santa Clause, aka, Saint Nicolaus, was a real person. He was a pastor (bishop) in ancient Roman Turkey. He lived from 270 AD to 343 AD.
2007-10-15 19:40:16 · answer #2 · answered by The Link 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just remind him how excited he was about santa coming when he was younger and how it wouldn't be kind to take that away from other children who still believe. When you basically show him that he's being the one who helps a child have a good Christmas by not telling about Santa then he might realize how important he is as a "big kid." My daughter was on the fence when she was in Kindergarten and it was important to us that she keep believing, just a little longer. As it happened I was pregnant that year with her first little sister and she really wanted a sister. We found out three days before Christmas that we were having a girl so in her stocking we put a note from Santa telling her she was going to have a sister. Sure enough when her baby sister was born in April she told us that she KNEW Santa was real because he knew she was going to have a baby sister. It worked...but this year she's in second grade and now I think she's right back there in the not believing department.
2016-05-22 21:54:49 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well i think Jesus Christ is behind Christmas, but far as giving out gift and Santa Claus bring them , a child should have the right to dream while they are small, it wont take long before they are old enough to think things out for them selves, so go ahead let them have some fun they will soon know that Santa is not real
2007-10-15 19:30:40 · answer #4 · answered by I am women 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
that's a little extreme to say the least. That doesn't even border child abuse. And Santa Claus isn't the reason behind Christmas - Saint Nick isn't the reason behind Christmas. It's meant to celebrate the birth (although obviously not the exact date) of Christ...Now I wouldn't go so far as to say that allowing your children to believe in Santa Claus for their young childhood is terribly wrong either...
2007-10-15 19:26:35 · answer #5 · answered by christie 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not child abuse in any form.
If your mother is a Christian, shouldn't she be more concerned that you teach your children the TRUE meaning of Christmas rather than harp on you about whether or not they believe in Santa?
I do believe, however, that children should be allowed the joy and wide-eyed wonderment of believing in Santa, at least until they're old enough to know differently.
I say tell her to butt out, she had her chance to raise her children her way, now it's your turn to raise your children the way you see fit. You can be nice and tell her that there will be things you value her opinion on, but her way is not necessarily your way.
2007-10-15 19:34:21 · answer #6 · answered by Kiki 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How easily the word'' child abuse'' is used??????
If something like that is child abuse, god help me, i had to tell my kids in the end of the day, about three years' old that asking for more and more from Santa has to stop because its only us parents that buy them!!!
Well, they are both married now and live a very normal life!!!
2007-10-16 01:38:54 · answer #7 · answered by constantina B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
arily is right- you need to tell your kids how to deal with the fact that grandma has these ideas about Christmas/Easter Bunny/ Tooth fairy etc etc, but we don't. I don't approve of the consumerism behind Santa Claus/Easter Bunny etc myself- but from a humanist perspective, not a Christian one.
Talk to your kids about it, say to them: "Here is what to say when other people tell you about Santa Claus ... " - if you want my opinion you might be better to tell your kids not to jump on other people who do have those other ideas -- they need to learn how to be tolerant of others having different ideas.
All this and more will be in your future when you have your own children - maybe it is a good idea to sit down with your mother now and sort out how you want to handle these disagreements, because there will be lots of them if she is tossing around terms like "child abuse."
Depending on your age, you might want to consider whether she has practical experience that might be worth bearing in mind.
2007-10-15 19:57:55 · answer #8 · answered by Ergot W 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No - that's a really stupid question. But, you are robbing some of the magical joy in being a small kid - plus the good excuse of getting them to bed early on Christmas night - ha! Also, they will hear about Santa Claus from their classmates and if they tell them he's fiction and get them all upset, then you'll have a lot of thieir classmates' parents not too happy with you!
2007-10-15 19:26:13 · answer #9 · answered by My 2 Cents.... 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No...Santa isn't real. I seriously sweated telling my daughter the truth the day I picked her up from school when she was in 5th grade and she said exactly this: "Mother, I want to know the truth, I will not be lied to any longer...is Santa real?" LOL! She held that lie against me for the following 2 Christmas seasons. I promised her to never lie to her again.
2007-10-15 19:32:37 · answer #10 · answered by GoodJuJu2U 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
child abuse? to teach your future child to believe in a psychotic delusion?
Nicolis was a Catholic bishop a long time a go that gave junk to children.
Santa now a days is a [ con man ] for the store owners to make 50% of there yearly profits, riping off people in the name of religion
_________________
your future daughter will love >you< for giving her somthing from your heart .
and not lying to her.
tell your mother santa sais so , ha ha ,look at my 360 picture
2007-10-15 20:14:06 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋