2007-12-04 01:34:36 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071203/od_afp/swedenchristmaskyrgyzstansantaoffbeat_071203163428
2007-12-04 01:46:09 · update #1
Besides the harmless childhood lies, on occasion we need to lie to our children to protect them from harm. The problem is that usually, if we have to lie about something, it's because the stakes and emotions are way too high. If the child catches you in a high stakes lie, with intense emotions involved, it can be incredibly destructive.
So - don't generally tell lies, say nothing rather than lie, if you can get away with it. Plan out your lies ahead of time - if you went through a nasty divorce and your ex tells you horrible, damaging things (they hate the kids being the obvious difficulty, but abuse and problems with the law might also factor in, for example) you know the children will have questions, think about how you're going to answer them ahead of time. Misdirection can be used short of outright lying. Make lies as small as possible and as infrequent as possible.
If you always tell your kids the whole truth about everything you are failing to exercise appropriate judgment as a parent. If you are telling your kids lies so often that they are catching you at it, you are failing to exercise good judgment as a parent. The ideal is somewhere in between...
2007-12-10 17:27:42 · answer #1 · answered by VirtualSound 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only lie about Santa is telling the children that he's not real. Santa was a very real being -- St. Nicholas. There is no lying involved. :)
Why are there people out there who have absolutely no sense of appreciating the innocence of childhood during a magical time of year? It's very unfortunate that this is even an issue.
2007-12-04 02:32:38 · answer #2 · answered by AV 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When children are old enought o ask if Santa is real, they are old enought o be told. It's a sad time, but teh magic doesnt have to stop. Trust in the fact that their parents will ALWAYS be available for teh compelte truth is essential for a good parent/child relationship. I'm not sayign dont do Santa or the Easter Bunny at all, just that once tehy ask, it's time to tell.
2007-12-04 01:44:42 · answer #3 · answered by Betsy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Tooth fairy, heaven, there is no chocolate in the fridge that you want to eat yourself, daddy/mummy is NOT having an affair, the cat ran away (you put it down coz it kept peeing everywhere), the bran in their food is parmesan cheese, the elves went crazy at x-mas and opened half the presents (you had the flu and couldnt finish the wrapping), bread crusts make your hair curly, you'll lose your teeth if you dont brush (despite the fact that they will lose the first set anyway), any addictions that you have that YOU dont want them to take up when they are older, your Grandpa does NOT have Huntingtons disease and you are NOT next in line........things like that.
2007-12-04 01:53:34 · answer #4 · answered by Scully 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, I don't believe that allowing a child to believe in Santa Claus is lying to the child. Rather, it is stimulating the child fantasies. Don't you, as and adult, like to fantasize?
There is no need to lie to you child. You must be honest with your child. However, you must not give him/her more information than he/she is mature enough to handle. If your child ask you a question that you do not want to answer, be honest. Tell your child that you are not welling to disclose the information at this time.
2007-12-04 01:47:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The Tooth Fairy and The Easter Bunny
2007-12-04 01:40:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Think of Santa as an imaginary friend. If a child has an imaginary friend, psychologist encourage us to "go along" with it. I never told my child Santa existed, he just believes. Why stomp their beliefs? You are only young once.
2007-12-04 01:41:00 · answer #7 · answered by Rachel 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I dont see it as lying to them. It is magical to them and allowing to believe in something doesnt mean you are lying. I allow my kids to believe in Santa, The easter bunny, toothfairy and world peace. None of those things exist but they are 5 and 2 and if they can believe in magic of all of those things then I will push them to believe as long as I can. To see their faces when they anticipate santa's arrival is my magic and maybe some of you think it selfish but I will hold onto that as long as I can. As long as the grasp that Christmas is truely about giving and not recieving than why not allow them to believe good come back ten fold?
2007-12-04 01:42:15 · answer #8 · answered by desiwallace24 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
the tooth fairy
Easter bunny
Santa's helpers
Its not really a lie that you are telling your kids, its just to make things magical for them as they are growing up! Children love things like that! it makes them use their imaginations!
I don't know anybody who has every experienced any problems by making their children believe in Santa Clause.
2007-12-04 01:39:45 · answer #9 · answered by not2posh 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
i get so aggravated with ppl going on about parents who let their children believe in santa SANTA IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN ITS FUN FOR THE KIDS TO THINK THAT THERE ARE ELVES AND THAT A MAGIC MAN FLIES ALL AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE NIGHT DELIVERING PRESENTS i mean come on im sure u believed in santa at one pt
2007-12-04 03:08:38 · answer #10 · answered by jna1105 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋