This Christmas we had Grandma here for two whole weeks! It was so nice, except that she got sick and we missed a few days of Grandma time. Jeff was able to take off two whole weeks so we have been enjoying having him home. Each year, Christmas becomes more and more fun for the kids. They understand it a little bit more each year. They are beginning to understand the significance of Christmas, and also the joy of giving. (More on that next time)
Next year, I think I am going to make myself a shirt with "We do not do Santa!!!" written across the front in flashing lights. It is amazing how many people ask the kids 'What is Santa bringing you?' or 'Is Santa coming to your house?' or 'You better be good so Santa will come.' We chose NOT to do Santa because we want to focus on celebrating the birth of Christ. We feel like Santa can easily become a distraction from the real reason we are celebrating. Also, if we spend the first eight years of our kids lives telling them about Santa, only to confess that he is not real, how are they going to feel about God? If Santa is fake, is Jesus fake too? Should they believe us? Those are a few of the reasons we have decided that Santa is not for us. I have to laugh when people ask my kids the Santa questions, and the kids give them the blank stare. If I say 'We don't do Santa,' I usually get a look that says something like this: 'What are you, communists?! Freaks?! You are denying your children the basic human right of believing that some rotund and jolly man who squeezes down the chimney with presents!! How evil of you!!!' I really need to come up with some witty answer that I can just spout off whenever I get 'the look'.
3 comments:
You know I definitely understand where you're coming from. At this point, my usual response is, "We don't do Santa, but try to focus more on Jesus." I'm usually met with a stunned, slightly glazed stare, but haven't been stabbed {yet!} I try to say it in a very neutral but friendly way, and have actually had a couple good conversations as a result.
It gets tricky with school, though. Our kids obviously know the truth, but we've told them OVER and OVER that many families like to pretend that Santa is real as part of their celebration, and they should let their friends have fun with it. A couple weeks ago, our son came home and announced that *everyone* in his class still believes in Santa. Somewhat fearfully, I asked if he'd said anything. His reponse: "Don't worry, Mom, I didn't tell them he wasn't real - I just told them he died a long time ago!" Thanks for clarifying, kiddo, cuz that's much better :)
You and your Grandma have the same smile and the eyes and the same look out your eyes!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/
So glad to know that we are not the only "communists" - bahahaha :). It is so hard to make people understand why we choose not to do Santa either. To be honest, even some of our "Christian" family members have given us the hardest time which makes me sad. We have never said to them that it is wrong to "do Santa" but for us it is more important for our kids to know what Christmas is about. After all, it is named CHRISTmas :)
With us going into full-time missions work and realizing how many in this world have still never heard the name of Jesus, and truly have no idea what Christmas is about, then I think a small (dare I say...) sacrifice for our family to focus on the true meaning is really not that big of a deal especially knowing what our Savior endured for us!!
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