Santa Isn't Real and That's OK

Before you throw tomatoes and boo me out the door, hear me out.

I love Christmas. I always have, despite not being brought up to believe that Santa was real. My husband,  on the other hand,  was a firm believer for many years. We just assumed the other would have no problem when it came to whether or not we'd share Santa with our kids. Strangely enough, prior to marriage we discussed how we'd compromise on finances, discipline,  etc. Never did we talk about how we would approach the Santa deal.

The time eventually came for our daughter’s first Christmas. My husband assumed we'd throw a few gifts from Santa under the tree. He was a bit surprised when I disagreed...and then came the arguement. Yes. We had an argument over Santa.

He wanted to maintain the Santa tradition he had as a child and I preferred to not teach our child that this fictional being was real (I feel the same about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and their friends). We put the subject aside but knew it could not be avoided forever.

Late one night I was browsing a blog post that spoke to why a couple decided not to treat Santa as a real person despite the backlash from friends and family. The more I read, the more peace I felt. I realized the reason I felt so strongly was not just my upbringing, but a conviction.

Before I go on, I don't want anyone to think that I believe myself to be the authority on what should or shouldn't be. I am simply sharing what was laid on my heart. First, I felt guilty. Guilty about basically bringing my child up to believe a lie. I became afraid that when she found out the truth, she'd start to question the actual important things that we've taught her. For some this may sound extreme,  but we don't know what type of child she'll grow to be and this could have a big impact.

Secondly, I felt strongly about ensuring that our children had no clouded view of the Savior. By sharing that Santa is also "all knowing", "all seeing" and can be everywhere in one night, I was giving him similar characteristics of God. And let's face it, they will never be close to the same. I want my children to know that God is the ONLY one that can be all of those things.

Finally, I asked my husband how he felt when he found out the truth about Santa. He was a little sad and disappointed. Why would I want to set my child up to purposefully feel those things? I teach 1st grade. I see what that can do to a kid. It can be heartbreaking. I know not all children respond that way, but why take the chance? They will face many more opportunities for disappointment as they grow.

In the end, we came up with, what we feel, is a good compromise. Our children will know that Santa is not real and that's ok. They will know him as a fictional character from their storybooks. They will understand that not everyone will believe the same way they do.

Some people feel we've ruined their childhood. We're awful for crushing the magic of Christmas. However, these people are not responsible for raising our children. We feel accountable for focusing our children's hearts and minds on Christ at Christmas and all year long. We know not everyone shares our views and we know others bring both Santa and Christ into their homes and for them that works. We simply don't want the lines to be blurred. Afterall, Christmas starts with CHRIST.

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