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I think this topic was thoroughly discussed last week. Many felt that lying to a child in this way was horrible. I am one who believes that kids see too much "reality" too soon in life. Childhood is short, let them have a fantasy for this short time. Those of us who may have the new channels going all day. Please be careful of what your child may be hearing and seeing of little Caylee Anthony. Hearing about her death and all the details could be very tramatic. This time of year is for joy and fun.
Where I grew up (in my country) the Three Kings were the ones who brought the gifts to children, not Santa Claus. I was like 6 or 7 and saw my mom putting the gifts under my bed a few hours before my bedtime and then I reliaxed it was a hoax. I never told my mom about it until she asked me if I belived in the Three Kings when I was 12. I then told her.
You know, there's always some pious know-it-all who thinks telling kids about Santa is tantamount to child abuse. These are typically very unhappy, friendless people who cannot abide any fun at all in other people, and they live to ruin other people's fun in the pursuit of "truth," or whatever they perceive it to be. As if sharing a harmless little legend will mentally scar the child for life upon the discovery that it's not so. To people like that, I offer that they should get a life.
Now, all that being said, my nine-year-old daughter came to me a few holidays ago, looked me straight in the eye, and said, "There's no Santa Claus, right?" To which I shook my head and said, "No, sweetie, there isn't. It's just a pleasant story." She nodded her head sagely, said, "Cool," and moved on. No trauma, no scarring, no latent resentment. Same thing for my older son. My youngest is nine, and he is dubious, but he's still pretending to believe. I'm fairly sure he'll shake it off by the time next Christmas rolls around. After all, a ten- or eleven-year-old who still believes in Santa is bordering on mental retardation.
Location: Everybody is going to hurt you, you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for-B Marley
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I think anyone who thinks it's wrong to let them have their little childhood magic just forgot what it's like to be young. Never forget, that's when you become old.
Seriously, if you fear years from now your kid is going to be lying on the couch complaining to a therapist about your lying to them about this...you might want to re-examine your childhood development plans, do you really want to be this anal about being the "perfect parent"???
"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished." --Francis P. Church
Well, the chimney pipe is 8 inches wide and the man is 300 pounds..hmmm?
Goes all over the world in ONE night? Hmmm?
Flying reindeer? Hmmm?
You know, if your kid doesn't figure it out then he is kinda... slow.
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