Santa or Jesus?

[hickslawns]

My kids were being, well kids, in church tonight. Told them they better tighten it up a bit because Santa hadn't come yet. He was still watching them. My 9 year old daughter said "But Santa will forgive you if you are a little bad. You just can't be bad all the time." I had to explain to her "You are thinking of Jesus. Jesus will forgive you, but you must make every effort to correct your actions and not repeat them. Santa never forgets!"

Just thought it was cute. Kinda lost something when I typed it out, but it was cute at the time. Still got a little Jesus talk in there on Christmas Eve Day though. He is the true reason for the season! Merry Christmas guys!

 

[lung buster]

Aren't kids great? They can come up with the funniest things! Sounds like it brought up a chance to remind her the true meaning. Good stuff! Merry Christmas.

 

[Hoytmania]

Good stuff Phil. If you teach them young they will always have it with them as they grow older.

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

I'll preface this with three things: To start with, I don't have kids, so I'm obviously missing out on a different perspective here. Two, please do not take this the wrong way. I ask because I think you and I know each other well enough I can ask this in search of answers that may some day help me as a parent. And three, I never believed in Santa.

That being said, do find it all bothersome for lack of a better word, that a 9 year old still buys into the concept of Santa Claus?

This will be a source of contention for Tracie and I. I don't want to lie, albeit a "white lie", to my children about some fat ass the slides down every chimney in the world in one night thanks to the aid of flying deer. Tracie however, was a believer and wants to foster that childhood memory. I feel we can teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas and still generate that excitement that children who believe feel on Christmas Eve. I always felt it, but knew my parents were staying up late to wrap presents for me. Maybe it's just the Scrooge in me, but it's just how I feel.

I didn't want to take anything away from a special moment for you Phil. Just thought this a good segway into something I've been struggling with as I begin to contemplate parenthood. I have some great role models around here in that department, so I'm sure there will be more questions like this in the future!!!

 

[Bowhunter57]

If I heard it once, I heard it a hundred times, this season...parents pulling the "Santa Card". You know..."Santa is watching" or "I'm calling Santa and telling him about that" or "I don't think that Santa would like that". It's a control issue, for some and pure entertainment for me, as I watch the expressions on the kids' faces.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57

 

[hammerhead]

I'll preface this with three things: To start with, I don't have kids, so I'm obviously missing out on a different perspective here. Two, please do not take this the wrong way. I ask because I think you and I know each other well enough I can ask this in search of answers that may some day help me as a parent. And three, I never believed in Santa.

That being said, do find it all bothersome for lack of a better word, that a 9 year old still buys into the concept of Santa Claus?

This will be a source of contention for Tracie and I. I don't want to lie, albeit a "white lie", to my children about some fat ass the slides down every chimney in the world in one night thanks to the aid of flying deer. Tracie however, was a believer and wants to foster that childhood memory. I feel we can teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas and still generate that excitement that children who believe feel on Christmas Eve. I always felt it, but knew my parents were staying up late to wrap presents for me. Maybe it's just the Scrooge in me, but it's just how I feel.

I didn't want to take anything away from a special moment for you Phil. Just thought this a good segway into something I've been struggling with as I begin to contemplate parenthood. I have some great role models around here in that department, so I'm sure there will be more questions like this in the future!!!

Trust me if you have kids your prospective on a lot of things will change.

 

["J"]

When you look into those eyes for the first time Jesse you'll transform into a Dad and the questions will be answered..... That and if your wife has anything to do with it she'll kick your azz up around your ears if you spoil it hahahaha....

 

[hickslawns]

True words J. If not, then I think she has Milo's cell and he can come smack Jesse in the balls with his hammer!

9 years old? Jesse- I don't know. She is a smart kid. We think she has known a couple years. She just doesn't want to admit that she knows. Not sure if it makes sense the way I worded it. She has asked some questions the last couple of years and we do NOT lie. We simply answer like a politician! lol Answer her question with another question! Okay. We dodge the answer and make her think about it. We want them to make up their own mind about when it is time to stop believing. I think the most important thing is to continue to remind them it is not about Santa. It is about Jesus.

 

["J"]

One thing that always comes to mind, and someone has already mentioned it.... You have one way of thinking on how to raise kids prior to having kids and when the event finally happens your perspective all of a sudden is tweaked.... Some of it by a little and some by a lot.... It's what we do as parents.... Everyones life experiance brings something to the table..... You just do the best that you can and hope it all turns out for the best..... Love them unconditionally and steer them in the right way...... And Jesse I think Tracy will have a little pull on your perspective after the blessed event.... Just sayin....

 

[cotty16]

My boys are 10 and 9. We are still doing the Santa thing. Its a part of childhood. I'm not going to rush them out if being a kid.
Do they have their doubts about Santa? Yep, but it's that little belief that keeps Christmas morning pretty damn exciting.

 

[RedCloud]

Our oldest kids stopped believing at about the age of Mike's kids are now. They still get presents from Santa (14-17yr. olds) partly because it is a Tradition but also so my 5yr. old son won't figure it out till he is ready. The 5yr. old little guy decided this year that every Santa he sees in stores and such are as he says " phony bologna" guys in costumes lmao. He still believes there is a REAL Santa though but just not the ones we see every day .

The other Tradition is we that we get up Christmas morning and pass out gifts but before we can open anything we have to sing " Happy Birthday Jesus " and use cup cakes for the little B-day cake candle included :smiley_clap:.

Kids do change the way of thinking that's for sure. We as parents just do and say things for our kids just so they don't have to grow up faster then they need too sometimes weather it's right or wrong .

 

[rgecko23]

I agree, once you have kids your perspective will change with kids.
This year we bought an "elf on a shelf". This elf goes back to the north pole every night to tell santa how the kids behavior has been. All we had to do for the last month or so is mention the elf is watching and she snapped up.

She is 4 right now and this morning was the best christmas. She was in histarics over her barbie dream house..I will never take that away from her. I will let her figure it out on her own just like I did. I was about 8 or 9 when I figured it out.

 

[hoot gibson]

i think if you ask any one of us here . or any where that if we , or they are pissed off that our parents . as you say , lied to us about santa . im betting you would find out 100 % that no body is . its part of growing up . the joys i have had with my children and grand children beleving in santa , can never be replaced .

 

[Hunter II]

When my daughter was 8 she told me the kids at school said there was no such thing as Santa. Luckily this was before deer gun season. I saved a pair of lower legs from a deer and screwed them to a couple of old broom sticks. After she was in bed I went outside and made a bunch of deer tracks and sled runner marks in the snow. I topped the scene off with some milk duds. As we headed out to relatives in the afternoon on Christmas day she saw the tracks. She went another year believing.

 

[uglykat26]

my daughter pulled a swift one today , her grandma asked her what santa braught her , and my 5 year old looked dead into that preachers wifes eyes and said santa is daddy , i saw him putting the presents under the tree last night when i sneeked downstairs , if she wants to believe im santa thats great but this year we will be teahing her the true meaning of christmas and the real saint nick

 

[Hoytmania]

Jesse, here is my perspective on the whole Santa thing. SANTA DOES EXIST!!!!! Know hear me out before you all start thinking I am wako which I admit wouldn't be hard to do.

You are not lieing to your kids by telling them Santa does exist. It is only society that will lead them to believe that Santa is as you put it a fatass that slides down chimneys and flys around the world in a sliegh pulled by reign deer. It is the childs responsibility to find out the true identity of Santa. Which you and Tracie being your children or childrens parents are Santa. You two are the ones that are constantly watching over them making sure that you are instilling in them the qualities it takes to be a nice person instead of a naughty one. You might fit the fatass bill lol rotflmao but you sure don't fly in a sleigh pulled by reign deer sliding down your chimney, but you are the ones that put the presents under the tree. You will be eating the cookies and drinking the glass of milk on Christmas eve (which is a great benefit to being Santa I might add).

All that to say this, as parents and grandparents we are individually Santa to our own families. Take it for what it is worth but Santa does exist. :smiley_coolpeace: