Santa - Believers and non-believers

[pompeyvix]

Seeing as we're sharing weird pics , here is Anabella completely mesmerised by the big man

 

[_Meep_]

Seeing as we're sharing weird pics , here is Anabella completely mesmerised by the big man

Aww, he looks so interested in whatever she is saying. Great grotto.

 

[CaptainMummy]

I must be really weird. Santa left footprints in ny housr last Christmas!

I find it 'weird' that someone would tell their child that Santa isn't real and not do the whole Santa thing! (not meant in a bad way, but I don't know anybody who has not done it, and I'm obviously just carrying on with what my parents did for us)

 

[CaptainMummy]

And since we are sharing Santa photos (we haven't been yet this year) This was 2 year ago when Ella was only 15 months, she was absolutely mesmerised by him. as soon as he entered the toddlers Christmas party, she was over there like a shot, poor Santa never even got to sit down before having a chat with her!
https://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s521/paigesmummyxx/dec%2014/DSC_0176_zpsry38p2fs.jpg

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I like the old man santas (Dont judge...)but find 20yr old dressed as a santa creepy. YOU DONT LOOK old lol .

 

[AngelUK]

My Sebastian today at the school's Santa's Grotto. He loved it and that makes it all worth it to me (Dominic was too shy and hid behind me)

https://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s313/Angelique_the_Mage/Dominic%20and%20Sebastian/0e6b28e8-a2d0-4344-b052-b434ec319cd3_zpsqpx4wunn.jpg

 

[_Meep_]

Cool, an African Santa! Awesome. Sebastian looks sooo cute and thrilled.

The Santa we saw was pretty ancient - he was the dad of my childhood best friend, so (having been on holiday with the family many times) I could be pretty confident he wasn't a creep or a paedo, which made the experience much better for me lol.

 

[wtbmummy]

I think it varies a lot. My brothers are 8 and 10 and only now suspect but my sister 12 guessed from about 7. She somehow never ruined it for our young brothers though

Our ds is 2 almost 3. This is the first year he 100% understands christmas. He is so excited and started talking about santa a lot (he LOVES aurther christmas) and presents and christmas food etc..
We werent going to let him "see santa" as not dh or myself ever did but then we found an amazing santa at paultons park. (This man could have been the real santa he was amazing) Our son loved it! But at 2 he has already asked about why there are other santas!! (Damn having a smart child)
We have just explained that not all children get to visit the real santa so other people dress up to give the other children the "MAGIC"
Although we do santa we talk A LOT about the magic of christmas and all that magic brings. We told him its not just about santa but the magic that everyone feels.

I would be upset if my son came home upset but i think we have explained it in a way he would agree (thats not santa) and say real santa is busy

 

[_Meep_]

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Woah!

 

[_Meep_]

Creepy isn't he??!?!?!

 

[staralfur]

I never really understood the worry of having kids sit on Santa's lap to be honest, and it's still a common thing where I am.

Pedophiles don't get off touching your child's leg in front of a crowd of people. They don't want to be in front of a kid's parents while they're engaging in their perversion. My old next door neighbour used to be Santa at our local mall and he did it for free, because it reminded him of when his kids were young and it made him happy seeing all the kids happy. He was one of the kindest people I've ever met. So I get kinda sad when people imply that Santas are creepy.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

^ Think my issue is paying to see him lol its not 'weird' as such...but just more like why on earth...lol

 

[_Meep_]

I'm sure SOME are secret paedos, but I doubt there are many lol. I just said my latest Santa picture was creepy because ... well, it is. Our local garden centre really didn't think that part of their Christmas display through! *Shudders*

 

[redneckhippy]

K

 

[jessmke]

Our town does sleigh rides with Santa in December so we took Isla last weekend. She is perfectly happy to have other people hold her so we thought we would get a pic of her with Santa. She was fine sitting on his lap (which is the norm where I live and doesn't bother me) right up until I went to take a pic and then she started crying, so this is her first picture with Santa.

 

[_Meep_]

Hahaha, well at least Santa looks happy. His snowy beard is brilliant!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Oh bless hsha x

 

[redneckhippy]

Haha, it is weird when you really think about it.
Anyway, I read this on facebook and thought here would be a good place to share;


"In our family, we have a special way of transitioning the kids from receiving from Santa, to becoming a Santa. This way, the Santa construct is not a lie that gets discovered, but an unfolding series of good deeds and Christmas spirit.
When they are 6 or 7, whenever you see that dawning suspicion that Santa may not be a material being, that means the child is ready.
I take them out "for coffee" at the local wherever. We get a booth, order our drinks, and the following pronouncement is made:
“You sure have grown an awful lot this year. Not only are you taller, but I can see that your heart has grown, too. [ Point out 2-3 examples of empathetic behavior, consideration of people's feelings, good deeds etc, the kid has done in the past year]. In fact, your heart has grown so much that I think you are ready to become a Santa Claus.
You probably have noticed that most of the Santas you see are people dressed up like him. Some of your friends might have even told you that there is no Santa. A lot of children think that, because they aren't ready to BE a Santa yet, but YOU ARE.
Tell me the best things about Santa. What does Santa get for all of his trouble? [lead the kid from "cookies" to the good feeling of having done something for someone else]. Well, now YOU are ready to do your first job as a Santa!"
Make sure you maintain the proper conspiratorial tone.
We then have the child choose someone they know--a neighbor, usually. The child's mission is to secretly, deviously, find out something that the person needs, and then provide it, wrap it, deliver it--and never reveal to the target where it came from. Being a Santa isn't about getting credit, you see. It's unselfish giving.
My oldest chose the "witch lady" on the corner. She really was horrible--had a fence around the house and would never let the kids go in and get a stray ball or Frisbee. She'd yell at them to play quieter, etc--a real pill. He noticed when we drove to school that she came out every morning to get her paper in bare feet, so he decided she needed slippers. So then he had to go spy and decide how big her feet were. He hid in the bushes one Saturday, and decided she was a medium. We went to Kmart and bought warm slippers. He wrapped them up, and tagged it "merry Christmas from Santa." After dinner one evening, he slipped down to her house, and slid the package under her driveway gate. The next morning, we watched her waddle out to get the paper, pick up the present, and go inside. My son was all excited, and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The next morning, as we drove off, there she was, out getting her paper--wearing the slippers. He was ecstatic. I had to remind him that NO ONE could ever know what he did, or he wouldn't be a Santa.
Over the years, he chose a good number of targets, always coming up with a unique present just for them. One year, he polished up his bike, put a new seat on it, and gave it to one of our friend's daughters. These people were and are very poor. We did ask the dad if it was ok. The look on her face, when she saw the bike on the patio with a big bow on it, was almost as good as the look on my son's face.
When it came time for Son #2 to join the ranks, my oldest came along, and helped with the induction speech. They are both excellent gifters, by the way, and never felt that they had been lied to--because they were let in on the Secret of Being a Santa."

I love this idea!

 

[AnneD]

OK, so perhaps many people do take the Santa thing to a level that I DO find weird. For the people who just tell the stories and have some presents from Santa show up under the tree, I don't find that too weird. The people who go through elaborate details and actively tell their kids he's real and answer probing questions as if he's real and actively try to get their kids to believe, I find that "weird." I also find it weird when people have their kids line up to sit on a strange man's lap. I also find it weird that I have to worry about my kid saying "Santa's not real." Of course he's not real, he's a fun story to tell around this time of year. There are lots of kid's stories that are fun and most of them we don't try to convince our kids that they are real, even if we play along with imaginative play.

I agree with this. We teach them all year around not to let strangers touch them, not to take sweets and presents from strangers, and other 'stranger danger' things, yet come December, it's OK to have a random bloke with a fake beard ask a kid's name, is they've been good, offer sweets etc. and yes, potentially sit on his knee (depending on where you are, it seems). At the same time, it's all about not lying to your kids and answering anything they ask as truthfully as possible (in an age-appropriate way), and to be honest about what they themselves think, but if they or anyone else questions if Santa is real or not, all truthfulness is out the window.

I agree it's weird that this is even a problem. My daughter comes home from school or playgroup full of nonsense - from someone's dragon being real to stories about god and how she will go to hell because she doesn't go to church, but it's really as simple as telling her that said dragon is pretend and that while some people believe in god, we don't (and why), and that religion is not actually about going to church. Kids will say a lot of things, and not everyone will agree with what they say.

Mine believes in Santa in the same way she believes in Peter Rabbit, I'd say. She's as old as Violet and has already questioned many a thing connected with it (why there are so many, we're not supposed to see Santa, how does he get into houses, how does he get everywhere etc.). It doesn't take away the excitement of Christmas. I'm not fussed if a kid tells her Santa isn't real. I'm pretty sure she actually knows, deep down, that he isn't, just like Peter Rabbit is only in the book and not every rabbit we see is Peter, and rabbits don't wear blue coats.