Can you believe it? It’s that time of year already. It feels like we just had Christmas and now it’s on our heels again.
Now really, I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of the year. I enjoy all the beautiful lights and decorations. I appreciate all the festive things that come with this time of year.
It just has a different feeling during Christmas.
Most of all I enjoy the time that we set aside to celebrate our savior’s birth.
While we really don’t know the exact time of his birth, the Christmas Story is a beautiful one and it gets our hearts in tune with the wonderful love that Jesus comes to bring as a baby in a manager.
In this blog post, I thought I would talk about 10 reasons why not to teach your kids about Santa.
Now when I was a kid, Santa always came to our house. Well, that is what I was told, and he came when my mom could afford to buy me something.
My mom was a single mom and raising a child on her own, sometimes having money to afford Christmas presents was a luxury.
I can remember someone coming over and giving us a tree one year when I was a kid.
What happens If a family doesn’t have the extra funds to do all these things, or maybe can’t get a special doll or expensive toy that a child wants?
Then what do they tell their children when Santa doesn’t fulfill all the desires of that child?
So, when my husband and I started our family. I didn’t start the Santa thing with them.
Now, I had friends that did and you have to be careful that your kids don’t tell them the truth.
That can be kind of tricky. However, when Santa showed up at the malls, I just told our kids that he was some jolly guy or happy guy that came out around this time of year.
I even have pictures of some of my kids with Santa.
Yet, they always knew what the true meaning of Christmas was and that it didn’t have anything to do with the Jolly ho-ho guy showing up with presents under the tree each year.
Santa takes away the focus of Christmas being about Jesus’ birth.
Teaching kids Santa is real is dishonest
When you think about teaching kids that Santa is real, it seems fun and innocent. However, the fact is, that it’s kind of dishonest to the children.
If they hear or find out he isn’t real, it could cause them to not believe the grown-ups, who tell them that he is. They may also start to feel like their parents are trying to deceive them or trick them.
It takes away from the true meaning of Christmas
Every year, when Christmas rolls around and kids start hearing about Santa, it takes away from the true meaning of this special holiday, which is to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
It causes kids to focus too much on receiving gifts
When kids hear all about Santa and the presents he gives, it causes them to focus too much on receiving gifts. Instead of being thankful for what they have, they start wanting more and more. This can cause a sense of entitlement that is hard to break once it’s been instilled in them.
It encourages materialism
The fictional character of Santa encourages children and adults alike to focus on material things. This can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction with what they have and an unhealthy fixation on consumerism.
If not taught the true meaning behind the season, it can be an unhealthy trait that can be carried into adult life.
I knew a young man around 16 that declared to his mom that he wanted an expensive item such as a vehicle or that he was basically not celebrating Christmas.
Of course, he didn’t get his wish list.
It can cause anxiety for younger children
When kids are taught about Santa, it can be a bit overwhelming for them. First of all, many times we give small children to sit with a stranger we call Santa, to take their picture. This can be scary to children, however, then we teach our children not to talk with strangers or not to take gifts from people they don’t know.
This can give a wrong message to children when it comes to safety. Like I said before, I have done this with my kids before, however, today it is getting so dangerous for young people. So we need to be careful of the message we send to our children.
It creates an unrealistic expectation of happiness
The idea of Santa is linked with the idea of joy and happiness. While Christmas can be a fun time of the year, for many children it isn’t. Sometimes families are going through hard times and Santa showing up with a toy that is going to bring delight to a child does not always happen.
Instead of teaching Santa brings happiness, we should be teaching children where their joy and strength truly come from. This will help that child during the hard time they are in now, and throughout the rest of their life.
Nehemiah 8:10
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength
Santa creates unrealistic expectations for gifts
You don’t want your child just to expect a present from Santa and neglect the fact that it is their family who is the one providing the gifts.
For children, understanding that the family is the one that gives the gifts is also a way to teach children to want to give to others.
Santa can make kids feel left out if they don’t get a certain gift they want
You don’t want your children to feel left out if Santa doesn’t show up with the gift that they wrote Santa about. This can be confusing to the child and put the parents in undo stress.
If a child doesn’t get the gift that they think Santa is going to bring them, they may feel like there is something wrong with them or that Santa doesn’t like them for some reason.
I had a friend that had forgotten about a rope that her child had asked for. She had to scramble to make that happen.
What would have happened if she didn’t remember that item he ask Santa for? Children expect us to tell them the truth and this child would have been disappointed if they didn’t get this rope.
Now while it is true sometimes that we do have disappointments in life and children need to learn this. Yet, it doesn’t need to be us, parents, creating the scenarios that bring disappointment.
It’s can lead to parents feeling guilty and stressed out during Christmas. (What if you can’t afford or forget to get that special present little Johnny asks for)?
Do you really want to feel like you have to live up to your child’s expectations of Santa and cause you more stress and guilt during Christmas?
If parents’ budget is already tight, the last thing they need is more stress. They don’t need the concern about how to pay for an item that a child wants that isn’t in the budget.
Parents should be able to enjoy Christmas just as much as their children, and not have to worry about living up to the idea of Santa.
Santa can take the focus off of a relationship with Christ Jesus
You might think well how can Santa take the focus off of Jesus?
I think the world of commercialism is already a problem out there and has to be reeled in at times, for us all.
However, if a child is so focused on being good for Santa and waiting for all those presents he is going to bring them, then the focus can be off of Jesus.
We want our children to focus their hearts and minds on Jesus. We want them to understand the value of what they have and that all those things come from God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Santa and all the Black Fridays so to speak all ready try to compete for our attention.
Let’s teach our children about the true reason we celebrate Christmas and its value that can be carried throughout all our lives.
Now there are various reasons why some families may or may not celebrate Santa along with Christmas.
For our family, the biggest reason is we want our children to believe in and trust Jesus for salvation.
Santa is make believe-Jesus is real
At Christmas time we tell kids that Santa is real and he is bringing them gifts. However, Santa is make-believe.
Jesus is real and we tell them that he brings salvation.
What happens when children find out Santa isn’t real when we told them he was?
What will they think about Jesus?
Will they think he is make-believe too?
There are a number of reasons why teaching kids about Santa isn’t the best idea.
Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas and it should be the focus of our conversations at this time of year.
The truth is that Jesus loves us all and God sent Jesus to earth to bring us the greatest gift there is. That gift is eternal life through Jesus his son.
Have a wonderful and meaningful holiday season!
Merry Christmas!
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