It is good that you told him that is a story and indeed that's the way it is. Just let him to enjoy the Chrismas spirit and eventually he will grow and realize the true behind this. He is only 4, let his imagination fly...
Not sure what to tell my 4 year old about Santa
by jwfacts 41 Replies latest jw friends
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mrsjones5
When I was a child raised in the bOrg I knew there was no Santa but for a while there every Christmas eve I would wish that Santa was real and he could perhaps give me one tiny present. How sad is that?
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sabastious
The family house should be a sanctuary for the kids. They should feel that no matter what is going on in their lives and the world outside that they can always count on a safe haven to escape to. Growing up a Witness I always spoke ill of parents who "lied" to their kids about Santa Clause. The way I look at it now is very different.
If we were in the midst of World War III how would that information translate into my house? It wouldn't, unless the kids were old enough to handle such facts, which will be different for each kid. So if they saw something I didn't want them to see, I would stretch the truth for their emotional safety. The fact is that embellishing the truth to your kids is a privilege that, when used reasonably, can provide that safe haven in preperation for the real world. There is a method to the madness so-to-speak. The Watchtower doesn't teach that kids need to be prepared for the outside world because their entire life framework revolves around escaping world responsibility, at the cost of quality of life.
I would say keep the ruse going if there is a need for it. If not, then let the little one down easy.
-Sab
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sabastious
When I was a child raised in the bOrg I knew there was no Santa but for a while there every Christmas eve I would wish that Santa was real and he could perhaps give me one tiny present. How sad is that?
((mrsjones))
What odd childhoods, eh?
-Sab
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garyneal
My parents raised us up to believe in Santa. I 'learned the truth' when I was 8 years old. Later, when I was an IFB, I remember the pastor denouncing Santa saying, "Rearrange the letters of Santa and you have Satan," and "The image of God is replaced by a man and four legged beast," referring to Santa and the Easter Bunny. Also fundamentalist Christians would say, "All the qualities of Santa, 'sees you when you are sleepy, knows when you're awake, and knows when you are bad or good,' belong to Jesus so why spread a lie?"
Needless to say, I became influenced and promised with my wife long before we had the kids that I would not teach Santa. Now, I've changed and am torn too. I have not really pushed one way or another but my wife still guilts me by saying, "You're not telling them the truth." Never-the-less, she has been good about not telling them (at least not in front of me).
Right now I am not sure what my daughters think but I feel that it does not matter anyway for I've been doing a poor job at hiding the 'Santa' gifts and my oldest found one of them for the littlest one.
I say, let them have their fantasy. My parents did and it did not hurt me the least bit. My wife can't understand because she never had that fantasy in her childhood.
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wasblind
Hey Mrs Jones,
the biggest gift you got you gave to yourself
and that's out of the b0rg :))
Hugs to ya lady
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mrsjones5
Cheers Sab
Wasblind, I totally agree and to add to it I gave my kids the gift of being raised bOrg-free.
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skeeter1
I think you tell him that Santa is real. Then, when he is older (2nd or 3rd grade) and figures out that something is wrong with the story . . . you tell him this historical truth. To keep the wonderful messag eof Saint Nicholas alive, we teach our young children about Santa Claus.
Skeeter
Saint Nicholas
A medieval fresco depicting St Nicholas from the Boyana Church, near Sofia,Bulgaria Saint Nicholas of Myra is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Sinterklaas. He was a 4th century Greek Christian bishopof Myra (now Demre) in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. [ 8 ] He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. In continental Europe(more precisely the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Germany) he is still portrayed as a bearded bishop in canonical robes. In 1087, the Italian city of Bari, wanting to enter the profitable pilgrimage industry of the times, mounted an expedition to locate the tomb of the Christian Saint and procure his remains. The reliquary of St. Nicholas was desecrated by Italian sailors and the spoils, including his relics, taken to Bari [ 9 ] [ 10 ] where they are kept to this day. A basilica was constructed the same year to store the loot and the area became a pilgrimage site for the devout, thus justifying the economic cost of the expedition. Saint Nicholas was later claimed as apatron saint of many diverse groups, from archers, sailors, and children to pawnbrokers. [ 8 ] [ 11 ] He is also the patron saint of bothAmsterdam and Moscow. [ 12 ]
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TheSilence
Who says Santa is not real? I believe in Santa. Santa, to me, is the spirit of love, kindness, and generosity. Christmas, to me, is a celebration of family and friends and of my freedom to believe or disbelieve as I see fit. You are your son's Santa. There is nothing that is not real about you. You harbor these qualities with him. We were all denied that magic as children, don't deny it to your son. I watch that magic in my nieces and nephews and allowing them that experience is beautiful. 3 of them are old enough not to believe and not one of them has been hurt or scarred by it. And they know that Aunt Jackie still believes in Santa, she just sees it a little differently than they do. And every one of them experiences the joy of watching the younger ones still get excited about reindeer and elves and it reminds them of a magical time in their lives just as their own children will one day remind them.
Santa is real and while he may only come once a year the spirit of Santa is something that I carry with me year round. It reminds me to be good to and there for the people that I love. It reminds me to be grateful for my freedom to choose my own path in life. It reminds me that there is no greater gift than family who love and support me and friends who are there for me. Santa is alive and well in my life and I hope that is a lesson I teach to my nieces and nephews year round. You choose what Santa is and what he represents for you. Then you live those ideals and you become Santa. And when you let your son believe that Santa is real there is no lie, no fabrication, no misrepresentation because really what he believes in is you.
Best,
Jackie
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Mad Sweeney
If he already believes in it, you don't need to say anything to confirm or debunk his belief at this point. He will begin to doubt on his own and then you can tell him the truth as you see it when he asks you. Then if he wonders why you didn't correct him sooner you can just explain it is because pretending is so much fun. But I wouldn't lie. If my kid asked I'd answer truthfully, but I'd wait for him to ask.
