"What do you tell your kids about Santa Claus?"
This has been something Barbara & i have discussed, and one that rests somewhat uneasily upon us. But Ally's question got me thinking as to why i let santa into my home. Here's the comment i left on his blog:
"You know what, this has become a subject of tension in our house over the past 3 years.
I have never met, talked with or heard of someone actually denying Christ because they were duped into believing Santa as a child.
But apart from that, I’m guessing it’s a matter of age – at least in my house.
My 3 year old son has a head full of santa at the minute; he’s getting it from nursery, town & TV. The latter of these also gives him a head full of Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman (which i don't think he’s ever seen) and various other fictional heroes.
We don’t have to tell him about Santa, he’s heard the tales elsewhere, but we can let him enjoy it for a season. Santa, Spiderman & Buzz are on equal parr in his brain. But if you ask him who Christmas is about his instant answer is ‘Jesus’. If you ask him to pray he prays to Jesus, (not santa) although sometimes, i admit, he prays that Jesus will have santa bring him a green bike with stabilizers, lights and a drinker on it; but even in this he’s looking to Jesus for final authority and as the true giver. (at least that’s what i read into it)
How many of us adults think this way when it comes to our groceries – ‘Lord give us our daily bread’ or are we simply looking to our cash card and Tesco as the main source of food? And that’s weekly, not once a year.
My hope of parenting is that we make more of Christ than we do of Clause, or any other thing or person, whether real or fictional.
This year that is the main train of thought in our Christmas parenting. But it might change next year, i guess we’ll have to pray, think and teach according to our children’s maturity.
For this year, i’m letting him have Santa, Spiderman & Buzz"
If you disagree & want to sink the boot into me, which i'm sure many do, feel free to comment. And if you want to tell what you do about Santa, and why, then i'd encourage you to comment on Ally's blog since he asked the question.
