Teacher "ruins" lives of first graders by saying Santa is illogical

by Gopher 63 Replies latest social current

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  missylissy

  Aw, c'mon. Six years old and still believes in Santa? It's time he knew anyway. A teacher's job is to teach. A class full of students ponders on what's real or not. The teacher teaches them the truth. Would you rather have your child lied to? Their lives weren't "ruined". They were taught a life lesson.

  if this is a life lesson, maybe it should wait. You wouldnt except ur kids teacher to be teaching your kids about sex or any other matters like that when they are 6. That surely is a life lesson, but they were too young for it. When you're 6, you're just starting to enjoy and undersdtand what goes on at christmas. It should be sumthing they find out on their own. I know i would have been devestated if an adult told me there was no santa when i was 6 years old.

  She should have definatly left it alone.

  -missy.
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  darkuncle29

  When I was 5 years old, my dad was explaining to my siblings how Santa comes down the chimney. I said sarcastically, "What?!? Well then how does he get out of the furnace?"

  I was at that time content to let my brother and sisters hold on to the fantasy. When I was just a little bit older it dawned on me that not all adults are smart-ie, know what they are talking about. I kept my mouth shut in most of those cases, as a child arguing with adults is futile.
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  bebu

  I think background and attitude might be playing big roles in our perspective. Did you grow up believing in Santa? Did your parents make you feel like a fool when you learned the truth? Are you a really cynical person (understandable for many here!)? Do you have kids of your own? Or have you ever had the option of celebrating Christmas with your kids when they were younger?

  Eyebrow had a great comment. There is in this culture a subculture that CAN enjoy Christmas, and parents who can make it special. The fact that most children grow into adults that can look forward to creating special, happy memories with their kids speaks volumes more to me than insisting on always, and in every way, a stark realist. Most of you here were not in this subculture, and were deprived of understanding that imagination is not always such a "wicked" thing... Is this a holdover on the JW mindset, or the result of feeling burned by the ugly WT Armageddon fantasy? Santa is not in the same category.

  That teacher is not the first teacher to field such questions. I think she should have been prepared to deflect this: What do you think? Why is that? Why do you like Christmas?... And just let them discuss and share their thoughts. It could certainly have been handled better. The results of at least distressed kid reveals this.

  Santa is not the main reason to celebrate Christmas as I see it, but it certainly isn't an evil legend like Armageddon, either. The WT insists that Christma is only about materialism, paganism, selfishness and profits--do you still believe them?? Relax! You don't need to celebrate it, but don't scorn us who can appreciate it.

  OK... now I'm rambling, too!

  bebu
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  SanFranciscoJim

  Although Santa Claus is not a real person, she could have at least confirmed the existence of the Elves.

  Only if she was getting a kickback from Keebler.
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  wednesday

  that teacher is not too smart. she could have easily have each child talk aobut what they believe and by the time they were through, most ofthe kids would have forgotten the original question. soemething as simple as "if u belive it then it is so". hey, we belived in a new world were we would be perfect and nerver grow old.
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  AlanF

  I think that it's virtually always bad to tell lies to children, if not in the short run then in the long run. The Santa Claus myth, being a deliberately constructed one, is a lie, period.

  All cultures have their myths and fairly tales. So do all sub-cultures. In a multi-cultural society like the Unites States, where religious myths are prohibited by law from being taught by government representatives, including teachers, it would be ridiculous to expect teachers to know and respect all of the many religious myths of the various sub-cultures. I think that it's equally silly to expect teachers to keep quiet about the facts when any myths, religious or otherwise, are discussed in class. To expect teachers to do anything but tell the truth about such myths is to open a bottomless can of worms. Teachers have enough important things to deal with without also having to deal with the consequences of telling the facts about mythological nonsense.

  Are we to expect teachers, when questioned, to defer all questions about myths merely because some parent might still be lying to his or her child? How about if a senior in high school asks, "Mr. Smith, is there a Santa Claus?" Should the teacher say, "I'm not allowed to answer you because your parents may object if I told you anything." Should the teacher avoid answering by sidestepping? What kind of example is that?

  Students of all ages can handle facts -- if they're taught facts early on. And if high school seniors shouldn't be treated like morons, then below what age should our society demand that teachers treat students like morons? Seven? Ten? Fifteen?

  How about not not below any age!

  Consider requiring teachers to respect certain myths of a large American sub-culture -- the Fundamentalists who believe that the earth was created in six 24-hours days some 6,000 years ago. How sensible would that be? It would require that a great deal of normal science not be taught to any students at all for fear of offending this segment of the population. How stupid that would be!

  How about requiring teachers to respect the myths of small American sub-cultures, like, say, the Hare Krishnas, who believe that man has been on the earth for hundreds of millions of years? How about believers in astrology? Should teachers avoid commenting on the simple fact that astrology is a crackpot pseudo-science?

  Requiring that government officials and employees, and especially teachers, avoid saying anything that might offend the mythological sensibilities of various people is obviously unworkable and ridiculous.

  Oh, and comparing telling children the truth about Santa Claus when the subject offhandedly comes up in the classroom to giving them sex education is ridiculous. Sex is not a myth; it's a perfectly normal part of human relationships. Most school districts have specific sex education programs that are controlled by careful guidelines about the age and so forth of the students who take the course. I suppose that those who make this comparison would like to see schools come up with similar guidelines for dispelling students of all manner of myths, including Santa Claus?

  AlanF
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  bebu

  Requiring that government officials and employees, and especially teachers, avoid saying anything that might offend the mythological sensibilities of various people is obviously unworkable and ridiculous.

  I agree with that. We don't need any more legislation. We need more consideration. And I realize that there is "consideration" in wishing to be always honest with a child. It is a good thing--I recognize that concern. I don't think that teacher helped the parents, because she made their motives suspect.

  My Christmases growing up were like out of Calvin and Hobbes. A lot of cookies, lights, snow, presents, music, crafts, and a benevolent soul who loved kids enough to give them presents--even if they weren't so perfect. I thank my parents for that terrific gift each year as a child. It wasn't just the day, but the whole season we loved.

  Of course, Hobbes is only a stuffed tiger, snow is cold, cookies crumble, and Santa doesn't exist either. But I do know that when there is real love in the midst of it all, to me it more than justifies the magic of a Christmas legend. Love is what makes life worth living.

  bebu
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  AlanF

  bebu said::: Requiring that government officials and employees, and especially teachers, avoid saying anything that might offend the mythological sensibilities of various people is obviously unworkable and ridiculous.

  : I agree with that. We don't need any more legislation. We need more consideration.

  Actually I was talking about both. I mentioned things like "should we expect...?" not "should we legislate?"

  Legislation is obviously a bad thing for this, um, 'problem'. But my discussion is largely about whether "we" -- meaning "people in general" -- ought to expect that folks like teachers have "consideration" (or whatever word we can agree on) for the multitudinous nonsensical and false beliefs that are always to be found in a large group of people. I claim that it's not possible to do that uniformly and without creating many far worse 'problems' than a child discovering from a teacher that there is no Santa Claus.

  : And I realize that there is "consideration" in wishing to be always honest with a child. It is a good thing--I recognize that concern. I don't think that teacher helped the parents, because she made their motives suspect.

  No, the parents' lies being uncovered made their motives suspect. Had they not lied, there would have been no problem. Lies usually lead to trouble, no? That particular child could also have been told the truth by any number of others. Should whatever person who might have happened to tell the truth to the child be castigated as some are castigating that teacher? I don't think anyone should be castigated for telling the truth about such things. If anything, parents who tell warm, fuzzy lies to their children out of nothing more than tradition need to think hard about what they're doing.

  When I was very little, my parents had a habit of saying, "A little bird told me that you did such and such." Both of them made very sure to make both me and my brother believe that a real little bird talked to them. I didn't believe it particularly, but one time I questioned my Dad strongly about it. He claimed that for sure it was a real bird. For a time I believed him. After all, my own Dad wouldn't like, right? Wrong. He did, and my Mom supported him. After awhile I realized that it was a lie, but neither of them would admit telling us this lie. Believe me, that put a huge blot on my trust of them.

  : My Christmases growing up were like out of Calvin and Hobbes. A lot of cookies, lights, snow, presents, music, crafts, and a benevolent soul who loved kids enough to give them presents--even if they weren't so perfect. I thank my parents for that terrific gift each year as a child. It wasn't just the day, but the whole season we loved.

  That's all wonderful, but it could just as well have happened without the myth. In fact, it probably would have been better, since you would have seen that Mom and Dad loved you and gave you presents even though you weren't perfect. Why is it better that some jolly old fat man in a red suit, who you never met, 'loved' you?

  Having grown up as a JW, I now envy many of the traditions that come so naturally to folks like you. We do Christmas with all the trimmings now, but we just don't have the tradition that makes it such a special thing.

  : Of course, Hobbes is only a stuffed tiger, snow is cold, cookies crumble, and Santa doesn't exist either. But I do know that when there is real love in the midst of it all, to me it more than justifies the magic of a Christmas legend. Love is what makes life worth living.

  True, which certainly overflows at our house in this wonderful season.

  AlanF
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  Eyebrow2

  Soooo the next time the ugliest little kid in her class goes up to that teacher and says" do you think I am ugly?" maybe she should say yes.

  and add...the truth is you smell too...and you should know this because it is TRUE.

  the teacher is in what i consider a NO FLY ZONE for anyone that is not the kids parents or guardians
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  asleif_dufansdottir

  >>: My Christmases growing up were like out of Calvin and Hobbes. A lot of cookies, lights, snow, presents, music, crafts, and a benevolent soul who loved kids enough to give them presents--even if they weren't so perfect. I thank my parents for that terrific gift each year as a child. It wasn't just the day, but the whole season we loved.

  >That's all wonderful, but it could just as well have happened without the myth. In fact, it probably would have been better, since you would have seen that Mom and Dad loved you and gave you presents even though you weren't perfect. Why is it better that some jolly old fat man in a red suit, who you never met, 'loved' you?

  You're missing the point. I had the whole Santa thing figured out at a fairly young age (I only vaguely remember *really* believing in him), but when you continue the "Santa myth" you are taking part in a cultural tradition, which can be very important...It's a chance for grownups to give gifts without taking the credit for them...a chance for kids to get something from someone they don't really know which can give them faith in the goodness and generosity of human nature - kindess of strangers.

  This is when it works right. Obviously, sometimes it doesn't.

  But when you figure out who Santa really is (one must never say Santa doesn't exist...you rather say that grownups take on his role), then you get to be an *insider* on the whole thing, which is also a right of passage. Then on another level, there is the "Yes, Virginia there really is a Santa Claus" way of looking at things...that he symbolizes everything that's good about Christmas when it works right, when people are good to each other and when total strangers sign up to give needy children gifts anonymously...when you look at it that way, there is not just one Santa, there are uncounted Santas!

  (and how Dare you say Hobbes wasn't real! The very idea! hmph)