Are there any studies on how people's lives are changed because there parents told them Santa Claus doesn't exist or does it not matter or somewhat impact their lives in any way?
2007-11-11 16:39:21 · 22 answers · asked by bubblegal1234 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Like why though are you told not to tell friends, like there is a reason or something I wish I knew how to explain better
2007-11-11 16:47:08 · update #1
Wait, Im only 20 I don't have kids, I am curious about the answer for some reason.
2007-11-11 16:48:49 · update #2
It may take some of the fun out of Christmas but i don't think it will cause emotional trauma. Besides maybe you could emphasize family instead of a big fat man in a red suit breaking into your home once a year :-)
2007-11-11 16:43:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
What do you consider early?
Both of my kids flat out asked me when they were 8 if Santa was real. My mother had a fit and thought that I should keep it going as long as possible and tell them he was real.
However, I felt that it's a fun fantasy to engage them in, but when they have the common sense to ask the right question, it's time to tell the truth.
Neither one of my kids was upset. They just "knew" he wasn't real and simply needed it to be confirmed They still get presents from Santa, only now, I get the credit :p
From one article I found: "When they did find out the truth, most of them reacted in a positive manner. Two out of three kids said they felt a sense of pride in figuring out the truth about Santa Claus. Half of them said that although the jolly guy was not real, they liked the idea of him."
The rest of the article is here: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50429
2007-11-11 16:48:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
How early is a very early age? Very young kids simply don't have the concept of "real" or "not real". That's why anything they see on TV is "real" to them. Trying to convince them Santa isn't real is about as easy as convincing them that monsters aren't real. When they're old enough to know the difference, then they'll go through the process of learning that Santa isn't "real". It's an inevitable part of childhood, trying to shelter your kids from the disillusionment is just going to make it manifest in other forms.
Peace to you.
2007-11-11 17:05:01 · answer #3 · answered by Orpheus Rising 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't think that anyone ever told me that there was no such thing as santa...you just stop believing at some age (it's probably different for everyone). it's almost like the magic goes out of your heart as you mature. remember all the really great games you played as a kids? the crazy rules and how everyone played it for years or at least for the summer? when was the last time you played, just because? it's like that...no one really needs to tell you that santa doesn't exist...he just isn't there one day and that's that...
2007-11-11 16:56:20 · answer #4 · answered by chieko 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was never led to believe in Santa. My Parents were quite religious and thought that if they told me Santa was real then i found out he was not. That i would think the same of their God.
2007-11-11 16:55:38 · answer #5 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My parents told me Santa is not real, but he is fun to pretend to believe in at the holidays. I believe if we tell our kids Santa is real, they we are lying to them. I don't know that it impacted my life at all. However, I have heard people say how crushed they were when their parents told them Santa is not real.
2007-11-13 01:37:10 · answer #6 · answered by Susan R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing we told our kids from the moment they could understand our words that there is no Santa Claus and they are no worse off.
2007-11-11 23:02:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say they'd learn to have trust in their parents for not lying to them. Shouldn't telling the truth breed trust? So if you tell them Santa is not the big guy sending presents through the chimney and all that other stuff then you'd be a truthful parent/guardian.
2007-11-11 16:53:01 · answer #8 · answered by Joe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't lie to my kids about Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc. They know there is no such thing. I think that Jesus and what He did for us is plenty to get excited about at Christmastime and if you ask my kids, they completely agree.
As far as what I tell them about not telling their friends....I told them that some parents tell there kids Santa is real and that is up to those parents. It doesn't make them bad parents, they love their kids and think it would be fun for them to imagine that. But then I told my kids that the reason I told them the truth is because I don't ever want them to think I lied to them about Jesus (who you also can't see) and I want them to know that He IS real.
2007-11-11 16:47:23 · answer #9 · answered by Linnie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you would feel incredibly guilty later on for taking away some of the innocence that is childhood. Go the whole nine yards and tell them as well about the toothfairy, easter bunny, and take away all cartoons. Let kids be kids...jeez laweez...it is so sad you have to even ask that.
2007-11-11 16:45:37 · answer #10 · answered by sketch_mylife 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋