Ok, made decision..............what to say?

[christyg]

I decided to start a new post so that everyone wouldn't have to read through all of the other one. I had previously posted about how my husband and I were trying to decide whether or not to keep doing Santa Claus. We have a just turned 6 year old daughter and just turned 4 year old son. We have "loosely" done the Santa Claus game and since our daughter has started asking some specific questions, we have become concerned about continuing with it.

So, we have pretty much decided to go ahead and tell them the truth. I feel really guilty because even though we have never told them that Santa Claus was real, we have implied it by giving gifts from him, leaving out milk and cookies, etc. We are just not sure what to do next.

So, my last questions are these:

1. What should we say to our 6 year old daughter?
2. Should we include our 4 year old son in the conversation or have a separate conversation with him?
3. Should we continue with the Santa Claus game of leaving gifts under the tree and in stockings with them knowing the truth.

My husband and I both really want to just do away with everything having to do with Santa Claus. I would really like the focus of Christmas to be all about Jesus. We will still have our tree, decorate the house, bake Christmas cookies, open gifts on Christmas morning (from us), participate and attend our church services, and read the Christmas story (which we do every year, anyway) but, I don't want to worry about scarring the kids for life! My husband said that he thought that if we went cold turkey, the kids would be completely fine since we still do all of these other things.

What do you think??

Thanks so much for all of your help! Have a good day!
Christy

[Tansy]

We allowed our china girl to experience the "wonder of Santa" last year her first year home. But through it all she knew it wasn't real it was just for fun. I was planning on sharing this story.. "The Real Story" this year I shared some if it with her last year but I think we will study it and maybe do a lap book on how he has changed over the ages.

this tells how it all got started. "Santa's" roots are based in humility and generosity.
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=167
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=818

I'm thinking about starting a new tradition. Hanging up our stockings a week before and when no one is looking we should put presents we have made, in them. Stressing Giving without expecting anything (not even thanks) in return. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." (Matthew 6:34) But there will be no standing in line at the mall to talk to santa or any of that jazz. On that note there are many many ministries (like the one I work at) where your kids can give gifts, to people your kids will never meet. PM me I'll send you a few links...

Ya know some things are based in pagen roots some things are not. My parents went for years deceiving us in many creative ways! I was convinced for years that Santa came to our house when we went to church. It was fun but around age 8 they stopped and shared true stories of santa with us. Then we would secretly go around the neighborhood on Christmas Eve leaving butter cookies for our neighbors.

I think its all in how you handle the traditions, create new ones celebrate Jesus' Jewishness By lighting Hanukah candles.
We also have a cresh and in beginning we have just a stable and I put Joseph and Mary in one room and the 3 Kings in another part of the room. We move them slowly each day closer and closer to the stable. On 25th Jesus is put in the manger. And 12 days later the kings arrive.

We also have a a christmas card judging contest.. categories are; most gaudy, Keeps Christ in Christmas, Most Secular. We have a few more silly categories too...

So that is my 2 cents

hope it helps.
Edit
I don't think you will be able to completely eliminate Santa, my mom always sends a few presents from her and a few from santa.

[lmercon]

Does it really need to be a big sit-down discussion kind of thing? Could you just bring Santa up less and less in conversation? Just down-play, redirect, change the topic as discussions come up. Focus the attention on the other things without making a big deal about Santa or the lack of one. Kids figure it out sooner or later on their own anyway. I think they all secretly like to believe - it's childhood. My parents taught me that Santa was a fun, pretend figure, but I still jumped out of my skin whenever I saw him. Children have a wonderful way of handling two separate realities. While I don't discourage the belief in Santa, I do ENCOURAGE the belief in Christ. God is the one who sees our sins and to whom we owe our love and worship. Highlight the things you want to encourage and downplay the things of Santa. They will get "it" soon enough anyway. Why cause their "childishness" to take a blow right before the holiday season?

Just my 2 cents. Please don't take anything I said as the "right way to do it." These are just some thoughts I had.
Laura

[threegreatkids]

We had a pastor who once reminded us that parents don't worry about whether or not to tell their kids that Big Bird isn't real. We've kind of taken that approach. No gifts from santa but we read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and "Santa Mouse" and other than that focus on Jesus. When oldest asked a direct question, we said the same thing we said about the tooth fairy..."Not really, but it's kind of a fun story, isn't it?"

[Daisy]

I don't think it has to be a big stressed-out affair.

I'd simple tell them that Mom and Dad had thought they would play the Santa game with them at Christmas but really feel like it would be better to focus on Jesus during this time of year. You can tell them Saint Nicholas was a real man who lived long ago or you can just say that Santa is a make-believe story and your family would rather remember the "REAL" story at Christmas.

This I would do though, I would make sure that I had traditions to replace the Santa ones. That way you can continue to share with your children a sense of wonder and excitement. Some of our traditions (and perhaps others will give suggestions also) include...

1. We celebrate Advent by reading Jotham's Journey (Your children are still a bit young for this book but there are others like it). We light the candles, the whole shabang.

2. We set up the nativity on December first (even if the tree is not up yet). Baby Jesus and the Wise men are NOT in the nativity.

3. Baby Jesus (from the nativity) is hidden in one of the wrapped gifts to be opened on Christmas morning. When he is unwrapped, we all stop, sing Away in the Manager and read the Christmas story.

4. The Wise Men travel all over the house during December. Every night I hid them in a new spot and the children hunt for them every morning. They are "traveling." They wind up at the nativity on Epiphany where they leave one little stocking stuffer for each child. This ends our Christmas season.

5. We read a different Christmas picture book every night. I even wrap them up. Some are library books, others are old favorites, and I try to buy at least one new one every season.

6. We string popcorn and cranberries for our tree (how old-fashioned is that!). We make ornaments. We bake.

7. We make Jesus a birthday cake and sing Happy Birthday.

8. We've done a Jesse Tree before and that was also fun! You can google ideas for that. It walks you through all of the Bible right up to the Cross using ornaments on a special "Jesse tree".

Whatever you choose to do, it will be special to your children.

[Shimmer]

Wanted to mention that Fisher Price has a Little People nativity set that we set out for our kids. Nice to have one they can play with without concern of breaking.

Daisy, I love hiding of the wise men! I so want to do that this year. How fun! I have to admit I'm a bit clueless on when they are supposed to show up. When is Epiphany?

[Daisy]

Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.

January 6, 2010

It is the traditional 12th day of Christmas.

[NicoleJ]

Hi - thought I might reply here, as I thought it was an interesting discussion.

We are a little bit different, in that we have never done anything Santa and my kids know it is fake and always have (same as tooth fairy and Easter bunny, etc). Their opinion has basically been that they feel sad that other kids are told lies from their parents (this is their own words!). We always went with, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest..."

Last year was the first year we put up a tree (it was a real one) and the decorations on it were home made and all of them represented something we were thankful for that the Lord had given us (for eg, a cardboard house because we were thankful for our little home, a photo of our family, etc). We also hung our cards on the tree that people had sent to us, so we could share how we were thanful to the Lord for our friends and family.

We try to do minimal presents and we still have a nice family lunch together (in the 40 degree c. heat!!).

I guess some of the reason also why we did this was that I didn't want my kids to think that God was a fairy tale. For eg.:
Santa is never seen... God is never seen
Santa knows what you do (whether you are good and bad) ...and so does God!
Santa keeps record of your good and bad deeds... and so does God
Santa is always good and loving and kind... and so is God
You can ask Santa what you want... and you can pray to God and ask Him!
I'm sure you get the idea!
The difference is, of course, that Santa is a fake and God is real!

Anyway, just my opinion! Take it or leave it!