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Original poster

Dh won't lie about Father Christmas

265 replies

lazycow · 08/11/2006 14:04

That's it really. He says he refuses to lie to ds for something that is purely recreational even in an indirect way and has suggested we say something along the lines of

'Everybody plays a game at Christmas where they pretend Santa Claus exists so we can play too etc..'

I have some sympathy with this view actually as I don't like lying to ds either but this seems to be a bit TOO PC for my liking. I suppose I remember the excitement of waiting for the Santa delivery on Christmas eve and would like ds to have that.

As dh says though a lot of the lying about Father Christmas is because adults enjoy watching the result so in a lot of ways we are lying to our children for our own pleasure.

As ds is only 2 this year I'm sure we can skirt the issue with 'Let's put the stocking up and see if any presents arrive' without mentioning who brings them but next year I think will be different. Although I can see dh's point I can't help feeling disappointed and that somehow ds will miss out.

Does anyone else tell their children that Father Christmas doesn't exist from the beginning and if so do your kids still love Christmas and get excited about it?

OP posts:
FrannyonFire · 08/11/2006 21:08

Yes, I can't think of any reasons why Coca Cola would want to be seen as the originators of Father Christmas, at all

FrannyonFire · 08/11/2006 21:10

and Filly, I haven't been saying he has not been used by Coke, but that he was not created by Coke, contrary to what many people believe

not quite sure what you are trying to point out

Rhubarb · 08/11/2006 21:11

Hijacked by Christians my arse! Who ever heard of Christians hijacking anything!

The present giving was Saint Nicholas so poo to you! He was a monk and used to sneak into the poor houses at night to leave something for the residents that would help. AND he carried a sack.

The monastery never figured out where all their missing chalices went!

Rhubarb · 08/11/2006 21:12

Hmm, I did wonder what all that white stuff on FC's chin was........

FillyjonkTheFireEater · 08/11/2006 21:12

Ah, you are saying that Coca Cola didn't create Santa

yes, am 100% with you there

Coca Cola may be a rather nasty company willing to scrape the bottom of the ethical barrel but even they cannot create mythical beings which travel by flying reindeer, I think.

Though I have often wondered whether santas elves are free to join a union.

FrannyonFire · 08/11/2006 21:12

I think he is an amalgam of various sort of pagan Green Man type figures, and the Christian St Nick, isn't he?

It is a fab and powerful legend, in whatever form you choose to introduce it in your house

Rhubarb · 08/11/2006 21:15

This is my last word on the subject!

Heathens!

pointydog · 08/11/2006 21:17

You choose your information sources judiciously, grasshopper.

hatwoman · 08/11/2006 21:23

before dh and I had kids we had a conversation / disagreement about FC. He thought it was a load of bull and I thought it was magical. he thinks the world really is full of things to wonder at without FC. he's a great lover of the world around us. he reads and reads and reads in order to try to understand it. He is constantly in awe of it. a few weeks after our FC conversation the comet Hale Bop (sp?) was visible. we were in Wales on a beach one night gazing up at it and he said to me "who needs Father Christmas when they are stars in the sky?" I often think of that comment.

dds do kind of believe in FC, but I know that when it wears off (and dd2 age 4 is already deeply suspicious) I don;t need to feel sad - as long as they've inherited a little bit of dh's real awe at the real world.

hatwoman · 08/11/2006 21:24

bugger why do I always do typos when trying to be profound. that was meant to be: Who needs Father Christmas when there are stars in the sky

FillyjonkTheFireEater · 08/11/2006 21:25

great post hw!

pointydog · 08/11/2006 21:47

ANyway, colditz. Was it not you who was meant to be slavishly cleaning between 8 and 9?

Socci · 08/11/2006 22:19

Message withdrawn

Tinkerboo · 08/11/2006 22:31

Hatwomen if your husband ever leaves you can I have him???

hatwoman · 08/11/2006 22:38

he's so not romantic but every now and then he says wonderful things. and he's ALL MINE.

Tinkerboo · 08/11/2006 22:50

Fair enough I'll stick with what I've got, he's not so bad occasionally either.

JoolsToo · 08/11/2006 22:53

lovely hatwoman but you do realise that we pinch some of those stars at Christmas to put on top of the tree?

chipmonkey · 08/11/2006 23:11

What Jools, no fibre-optic fairy?

JoolsToo · 08/11/2006 23:12
CorrieDale · 09/11/2006 08:58

I was thinking about this thread overnight, and I'm not sure I'd like to live in a world where everybody told the truth all of the time. Imagine the kind of thing: "I'm so fat and ugly!" "Yes, and you could do with dyeing those greys away, as well!" I'd like DS to learn that some lies aren't really proper lies, and I think that living with the myth of FC and then learning the truth can be part of learning how you can tell a lie in order to avoid hurting somebody's feelings. (I know some people believe that you should tell the truth no matter how much it may hurt - like my sister for example! - but I think there's a lot to be said for being nice at the expense of being honest.)

nogoes · 09/11/2006 09:10

Father Christmas is real.

robin3 · 09/11/2006 09:33

Fantasy fuels creativity not a sinister desire to hide from the truth.

Most childrens stories aren't true...nor are films...nor is the fact that kids pretend their toys can talk and move! Fantasy is an essential part of growing up IMO and he'll have his entire teenage and adulthood to deal with the reality of life!

FillyjonkTheFireEater · 09/11/2006 09:41

hmmm

the thing with fantasy though is that everyone is doing it on the same terms.

My god, if my kids choose to believe in Father Christmas I will not be sitting them down for a little "talk"

I just won't be the one instigating the belief.

Ds and I spend many a happy hour flying to the moon, making 17 course dinners and eating them in the jungle, and so forth. But we have jointly created these fantasies and so we are kind of on equal terms.

That is what I aim for with Father Christmas. Here is a fun custom that also reminds us about importance of giving and blah. Lets do all this stuff cos it is fun and we can do it together.

Not cos there's a strange man out there waiting to come down your chinmey.

sandcastles · 09/11/2006 10:01

It's magical & make believe..what's wrong with that?

Mummymonster · 09/11/2006 10:03

Hello way down There Lazy.

DS is 3 and I never pushed the 'Santa' issue at all, I was goin for the view of your DH but MIL begged me not to.

This year DS has picked up on the Santa issue on his own accord. I've decided to approach the whole issue as 'Christmas is a time of year when we let the people we know that they are special to us by giving cards and presents. Some people think that presents are brought by Santa and it's OK to believe that. Some people think he doesn't exsist and it's OK to believe that too. Then he can make the choice himself.

Thing is when your up against mass marketing and the like (and DH's constant 'we'll have to see what Santa brings' line) Kids are going to plump for the I believe in Santa' option.