Santa Claus.....Naughty or Nice??

Ok, SERIOUSLY?? I had to clear the cobwebs out of this blog to start writing this post!! What can I say, having 2 kiddos has not given me much time to be a blogger, I honestly don't know how other mommas find the time. This post is so seemingly random since I haven't blogged in over a year, but I've got something on my mind that I need to share and this is my outlet. Ok, here goes, let's pretend that the next line is the REAL start of this post.......


It's that time of year again, it comes around so quickly now. CHRISTMAS. A time for love, joy, giving, family, and all sorts of other warm and fuzzies. In all reality, it's also a time for frustration, exhaustion, overloaded schedules, and DREAD. That last one was for me, dread. Please don't assume that I'm a Grinch! Really I'm not, I love Christmas, always have. The dread is really over one simple question that I hear so often now as a mommy (directed to my kids), "Is Santa coming to see you?" or, "What's Santa Claus bringing you this year?" Sigh. And there it is, the dread. Why, you ask? It's simple. We don't teach our children "Santa Claus". Now freeze that facial expression and push the pause button in your brain.....find a mirror. There, my friends is my dread. It's the look I get, and the "WHAT? WHY NOT!?" that follows. In the past, it hasn't bothered me as much, but for some reason, this year, it gets to me. Quite a bit, apparently, if I am finding time to blog about it! So, why don't I teach Santa to my kids? I'm glad you asked. No, really. Take the time to read this, and do so with an open mind and heart. Maybe you will change your mind about the jolly fat man, or maybe you will just see things from a different perspective.

First and foremost, I am a Christ follower, and I try to live in a way that pleases my Heavenly Father. (Notice I said TRY. No claims to perfection here, just want to set the standards for my convictions.)

#1. Lying is not ok. Ever. Lies and deceit are sins, and not of God. The legend of Santa Claus is simply not true. If I teach my children to believe the story of Santa Claus, I am deceiving them, and sinning against God. (Not to mention, at any little threat of being exposed, we have to pile more lies on to cover the original....isn't that the very nature of deception?)

#2. As parents, we are responsible for teaching and nurturing our children. More than anything, I always want my children to trust me. I never want to give them reason to doubt me. One day, they will learn the truth about Santa, and when that day comes, what will they think of me, and what will they think of everything else I have taught them to be true? This brings me to my next point, and the most important.

#3. I want my children to love Jesus Christ with all their hearts. I can't make them do that, I can only teach them about who He is and how much He loves us. They will have to make their own choice as to what they believe. As I said before, I don't ever want my children to doubt me, but I most certainly don't want to set them up with any reason to doubt or question the reality of Jesus. If from birth, I tell my children that: a jolly little fat man in a red suit rides in a sleigh with 8 flying reindeer, comes down the chimney with their presents, goes back up the chimney and goes all around the whole world in one night to visit all the "good" children, HOW can I expect them to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, performed miracles, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven? Those are two very powerful and crazy stories that take faith to believe. One is true, one is not. If I teach them both as truth, what happens when my lie is exposed? Wouldn't it be understandable for them to question the existence of Jesus as well? Some children may not, but why even risk it? I met a guy when I was 19 years old who, religiously speaking, didn't know what he believed, but he was pretty sure he was an atheist. Upon further discussion, the topic of Santa came up. He said that his unbelief really started when he learned that Santa Claus was nothing but a fabricated story. My own mother experienced this questioning and doubt when she found out the truth about Santa. This world does a good enough job influencing our children in a negative way, why be a part of that?


Honestly, this was an easy decision for me. My parents didn't teach me Santa Claus. I don't feel deprived, or let down in any way. I grew up loving Christmas, still do. I have total respect for my parents for making that decision. They were both taught Santa, and they caught alot of grief from their families when they chose to be truthful to my sister and I. I can understand how this would seem weird to someone who grew up believing in Santa, but I would ask you to think about this from the perspectives I have given here. Does it change anything? Regardless of religious beliefs, I think all parents want their children to trust them 110%. If only for that reason alone, why would I want to lie to them from day one?

These are my reasons for the decision not to teach Santa. I sincerely hope that no one takes offense to this. I am not judging anyone who chooses to teach Santa. There are many areas in this life where we all have different opinions or beliefs. I would just like the same respect, not to be judged for teaching my children the truth. My children love Christmas. We teach them that we give gifts, because Jesus was a gift to us. When asked what Christmas is about, it is "Happy Birthday Jesus!!" They feel the same excitement and awe, they just know the truth about where the gifts come from. Frankly, I like it that way and so does my hubs. Truth is just easier.