If a child asks their parent if Santa is real should they lie or tell them the truth?

[coachTanthony]

Lie until they are old enough

Tell them the truth always

Updates

+1 y

Would you lie to your child if they asked you about Santa?

[Hawkes_Lady]

TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT SANTA 🎅

Son: "Dad, I think I'm old enough now. Is there a Santa Claus?"
Dad: "Ok, I agree that you're old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the “truth” is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can't unknow it.
Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now.
So my question is: Are you sure you want to know?"
Brief pause...
Son: "Yes, I want to know"
Dad: "Ok, I'll tell you: Yes there is a Santa Claus"
Son: "Really?"
Dad: Yes, really, but he's not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That's just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand.
The truth about Santa Claus is that he's not a person at all; he's an idea.
Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years.
I actually bought those myself.
I watched you open them.
And did it bother me that you didn't thank me?
Of course not!
In fact, it gave me great pleasure.
Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgment.
When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she'd never know that it was me who summoned the ambulance.
I was being Santa Claus when I did that."
Son: "Oh."
Dad: "So now that you know, you're part of it. You have to be Santa Claus too now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most importantly, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?"

Help each other this Christmas🎄🎅 and... be kind ❤

[OlderAndWiser]

Excellent!

[Hawkes_Lady]

@OlderAndWiser Thanks!

[wolfcat87]

My dad lied that Santa was real, and it created a magical experience none of us will ever get the opportunity to have again later in life. It was worth it. My mom kept trying to ruin it because she's really religious, and I just resent her for trying to ruin the holiday for selfish reasons. Let kids have fun and enjoy something! I let my kids think Santa was real until they chose to grow out of it, and they loved the experience as well. Think of it as an immersive theme park type experience.

[NathanDavis]

we don't raise kids to believe Santa is a real person... but if kids were questioning, there would be a reason to do so, and they have found out about it... personally I would not lie to kids, I never do...

I still remember every lie I was told... lmao

[OlderAndWiser]

It is not a lie to say that Santa is real. For a little child, Mom and Dad ARE Santa!

[coachTanthony]

lol true

[OlderAndWiser]

Thanks for MHO!

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

My mom was always of the mindset that she would never lie to me, even when I was young and asking about Santa. She would usually deflect whenever I’d ask about him, but this was because she got sat down by her family at age 5 and was told that Santa wasn’t real, neither was the toothfairy, or the Easter bunny, or any other childhood legends that a 5 year old would have loved. She didn’t want to do that to me, she’d rather I find out on my own (which I did eventually) but even as a kid it struck me as odd how mom would never bring up Santa but my dad always would to get us to go to bed or behave in public. She never lied to us technically, but she let us be kids and enjoy the legend of Santa Claus for what it was, and it was nice.

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

That’s for parents of those children to decide for themselves… It’s not my place or anyone else’s to tell parents how they can/should raise their children..

[coachTanthony]

Would you lie to your child?

[BarryLiverstone]

Dude, all parents should protect their children and that means not telling them the whole truth

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

My kids believed in Santa… but how’s that a lie 🤷‍♀️ my hubby was their Santa 😁

[Apple1996]

Well santa is technically real he's just the parents lol

As a mom I want my kids to believe in Santa for as long as possible. It's part of the fun and magic of being a kid. That type of excitement only lives in kids for so long then they turn into adults and life sucks! It's best to let them believe in Santa even tho it's technically lying to them.

[AviatorTom]

You should never lie to your children, but you don't always have to retell the co Pete truth. If the child is young, you can explain that Santa has helpers.

[smahala1991]

That was the way I was explained the truth

[exitseven]

I told my youngest that there was no way his mother an me could afford to buy all those presents. He had to agree. He was too young to understand about credit cards.

[IslaTheWitch]

It's not a lie. It's part of the childhood. All beliefs related to fairies, Santa, unicorns, etc are part of magical childhood.

All my kids were Santa believers for a very long time

[electromagnetic]

I’d say ‘I wonder… what do you think?’ And let me them roll with it.

[coachTanthony]

Roll right on over to Google lol

[electromagnetic]

As did we all. 😆

[coachTanthony]

Not before 1999

[DubiousIntentions]

After this, kids may believe in Santa Claus, 9 months later.

[LazerBean]

I grew up knowing Santa wasn't real. My kids will be the same way. I wouldn't lie about something so stupid and unhelpful

[ThrillSeeker01]

I think when a child is very young, it's nice to believe in Santa Claus. Past a certain point the truth is better.

[strateguy632]

most kids will naturallly figure it out let them have fun

[ThrillSeeker01]

@strateguy632 Right

[strateguy632]

definitely tell the truth that... santa is real several websites said so and one has a picture too.

[aceleon]

truth.

yes i'm all about letting them live their childhood but being a child doesn't mean stupidity.

[BarryLiverstone]

Why would an innocent child even think to ask?

[coachTanthony]

A child at school told them Santa wasn't real.

[BarryLiverstone]

That’s why imagination is important as it allows us to be creative. in my opinion if their child is still too young then it’s easy to deflect and ask what stories other children are sharing at school. If they feel their child is mature enough, they can confirm Santa’s identity.

[BarryLiverstone]

But my guess from remembering childhood is kids at school share lots of made up stories. Do you remember when that would happen?

[coachTanthony]

No lol

[BarryLiverstone]

I feel sad you can’t remember school days of hearing stories about astronauts and cowboys and dragons. Fun times to play outside and pretend.

[coachTanthony]

Astronauts and Cowboys were real I thought... omg you saying they are not real like Santa? lol

[BarryLiverstone]

Nope. I’m actually in good faith asking if you remember a time when we were kids and would share creative stories. To demonstrate why a young child may hear about Santa and ask their parents not because that child believes the other kid but because they are parroting what they heard as kids may do.

You replied that you didn’t and I said that I felt sad.

Then you tried to gaslight me by grouping a made up person named Santa with the real life cowboys and astronauts. With the goal being to discredit my last reply.

[coachTanthony]

Would you lie to your child about Santa if they asked?

[BarryLiverstone]

I would first have a conversation with my wife so we have an agreement. But yes if my 6 year old child asked me about Santa and if he was real because another child claimed he was pretend I would lie

[coachTanthony]

ok cool thanks

[BarryLiverstone]

You are welcome. And try to take a bit of time to remember what it was like being a child.

[coachTanthony]

Most 6 year olds now have a computer on every desk at school. one google search and you are now the bad guy lol Much easier when I was young to stay in fantasy land.

[BarryLiverstone]

And computers also have blocking. If I lie to my child it’s because I love them. I’m not expected to treat a child with an underdeveloped mind as an adult. That’s not bad to love and protect our children.

[clampfan101]

I would tell them the truth about the real person he was based on.

[dolemite58]

depends how old they are, after 8 if a kid still believe in santa that’s just ridiculous little

[Pete671]

The truth being that Santa does exist?

[Kelly6]

tell truth

[jimmy2]

That hard to break the truth after many years