And people wonder what is wrong with teenagers today wanting to look and act like adults(having babies and such)! Why is it soo wrong for a child to believe in Santa or any other "fanstasy" character out there? Who is it hurting that they find out on their own that there is no such thing as these characters?? They will one day find out that these things are not real, but in the meantime..what's wrong with believing? Did your parents tell you when you were 10 and under that there was no such thing and any of the "fanstasy" characters?? And if you believe longer than that, who is it really hurting??? Why is it wrong for kids to keep their innocents? People need to make up their minds! Can you answer this? I for one would like for my daughter to believe as long as she can. If she finds out one day..okay..she finds out. Nothing wrong with that.(And she will find out one day). What is wrong with a child being innocent and naive about the harsh reality of life for just a little while?
2007-12-23 04:10:36 · 9 answers · asked by ? 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
amosun..you profile and answer to this question explains everything..you stated yourself..you had to take care of your family at the age of 8!! Doesnt make you a bad person..it just shows that you had to grow up fast!!! And why should any child have to grow up fast..Thats my whole point..KIDS NEED TO BE KIDS.. not adults at the age of 12!!!! I figured out Santa wasn't real when I was 7 years old. And it didn't make me believe my parents any less or any more! I knew even at that age to think for myself!!
2007-12-23 04:33:03 · update #1
I guess the next thing we need to tell our children is not to believe in Angels or Spirits next huh? We can't see them! It's all about believing in something. And about the kid who was taking care of his sister by the age of 10--that's my point also...Kids are not suppose to take care of their siblings..that's the parents job..I didn't have my second daughter for my first to take care of. That's my responsibility. Now granted I feel that kids need help around the house and such starting at a young age...but not helping raise their siblings. That's the parents job.
2007-12-23 09:56:31 · update #2
I have no idea.
But I think kids should be kids and not rushed to grow up. Once they're grown, you can never get your "baby" back. People should enjoy it while it lasts. Kids grow up too fast these days, it's ridiculous. I'd rather my child believe in Santa until they're teens then out having sex starting at 11.
I found out at 10 that Santa wasn't real due to kids at school. I have no idea why kids feel the need to ruin it for everyone, but my aunt also thought when I was 9 that I was too old to believe. However, everyone arguing with her got her to shut up for a few years and not tell me. Then she just randomly came out and told me one Christmas Eve, after I already knew.
but yeah, I agree with you. Believing in Santa, the tooth fairy, and easter bunny in no way made me hate my family for telling me about those characters. people say that children will "hate" you once they find out the truth, it's a load of bull.
2007-12-23 07:09:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
All you can do is parent your children the best you can. Family traditions are very important. Believing is a wonderful traditon to teach your children. Remember what you did as a child and a teenager! Be open and ready to talk to your children about whatever they want to talk about!!! I'm 57, I believe and have shared my tradition with my children and now with my grand children. the christmas elf has come to our house and he moves to a different spot ever night to observe if the children are being naughty or nice!!! Amazingly when they come to Mimi's house that same little elf appears when the children come to visit!!! When they tell my grand kids there is no Santa- I say how sad!!! Santa has so many helpers here. We believe and that's all that matters!! Our gifts arrive on Christmas Eve and they always will cause Santa brings them!!! God Bless you and Merry Christmas!!1 Don't forget to leave Santa his milk and cookies and throw some corn flakes out for the reindeer!!!
2007-12-23 12:27:46 · answer #2 · answered by MiMi Sugar 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
With all due respect, childhood is about not being an adult yet, not about wallowing in fantasy or believing things that aren't true. In the name of "preserving innocence" we make our children into helpless infants until they are eighteen and then we wonder why they can't handle responsibilities like parenthood and college. I am a big fan of John Holt's work and he wrote about a young child who started learning to cook (yes, that's right) at the age of two, and by the time he was ten he was preparing meals with his younger sister. Far from "taking away innocence" this empowered him to be a productive member of his family and boosted his self-esteem tremendously, because self-esteem comes easiest to us when we can accomplish good and useful things. I am not saying every parent is going to be comfortable letting their preschooler do work around the house but what we're doing with our kids now clearly isn't working. And it's not about whether we force them to remain childish. It's about whether we treat them like rational people or we treat them like gullible idiots. We've mostly been doing the latter. That is not good for children. Santa has nothing to do with it. (And can we not teach our children about generosity and morality without invoking imaginary friends? Children are capable of coming up with their own imaginary friends, and don't need us enforcing that.) We need to let them grow up at their own pace, not just "not too fast" but also not too SLOW.
2007-12-23 13:32:27 · answer #3 · answered by Dana 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I agree with you.I'm going to keep Santa real as long as possible.Lots of people think making kids grow up fast is preparing them for life.in a way it is but the innocence of childhood is important and we should let them have it for a little while.There going to need happy memories from childhood when the real world kicks in.
2007-12-23 12:34:08 · answer #4 · answered by melissa f 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you......I think a lot of it is due to the fact that children have so much more to be exposed to now then we did when were young. It forces our children to grow faster then they should. My daughter is 10 and still believes in Santa, however I think she is becoming suspicious. I want my children to stay children as long as possible.
2007-12-23 12:22:05 · answer #5 · answered by imamom 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Not all parents do this. My parents can't really accept that I'm almost an adult...they want me to stay their little girl forever.
You're right, kids should be kids. But it's not necessarily parents that make teenagers grow up so fast. I want to be taken seriously. But honestly, I think it's the media that's partially responsible. Look at our "role models"!!!
2007-12-23 13:52:37 · answer #6 · answered by Redhead/Music-lover 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A child's belief or lack there of in the existence of Santa or Fairy Tales does not predetermine that they will become under aged parents. Where the hell do you get that train of thought?
Belief in things that dont exist is not the definition of innocence, and it never has been, and never will be.
Protecting my child's innocence is one of my first and foremost desires as a parent, however, telling them lies is not.
Santa was an amazing man who lived his life to do things for the betterment of children and people around him- something I'd want my son to emulate. Celebrating his beliefs and the gathering of his family is more important than telling him lies I'll have to fess up to later and then re-convincing him of new reasons to do what is right.
It doesnt fly with me. I never did Santa, no one in my family did any of the make believe entities of the various holidays, amazingly enough we all are well rounded individuals.
If telling your child stories and making up tales works for you, thats fantastic, but I think I'll focus more on the big picture and end result, since it seems to be working well for us.
2007-12-23 12:20:20 · answer #7 · answered by amosunknown 7 · 2⤊ 5⤋
Nothing. I hope my children can enjoy their innocence for as long as possible.
2007-12-23 12:17:38 · answer #8 · answered by Holly 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
So they don't have to take care of them.
2007-12-23 12:17:34 · answer #9 · answered by goo 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋