5 Reasons I Plan to Be Honest With My Kids About Santa

First of all, I realize this is a controversial topic and many people will say I'm a Grinch or Scrooge for having this opinion, but that's okay.  My goal isn't to make anyone feel bad for their Christmas traditions.  I simply want to throw out some ideas you may not have previously considered.

I do not have kids yet, but when they come along, I plan on telling them the truth about Santa.  I don't want them to believe in someone who isn't real, not because I'm trying to prevent them from having fun, but because I want to give them the respect and honesty they deserve.  I will encourage them to pretend if they want and of course to not say anything to other kids, but in our home, they will know the truth.  Below are the main reasons my children will know Santa isn't real.  

1. It Takes the Focus Off What's Important About Christmas

When I was growing up, it was all about the presents.  I was a selfish child and all I cared about was what I got.  I don't want that same mentality for my children.  I want them to know the true meaning of Christmas.  I want them to look forward to spending quality time with family and understand that we celebrate the birth of our savior on this day (even though Jesus' birthday isn't really Christmas).  We don't need to focus on a fictional character bringing us gifts.  Instead, I want it to be a celebration of love, joy, and togetherness.

2. Confusion and Disappointment are Inevitable When Kids Discover the Truth

Of course disappointment is a normal part of life, and I'd even say it's a necessary aspect of a healthy childhood.  But why create unnecessary confusion and disappointment?  I remember when I found my teeth in the kitchen cupboard when I was about six years old.  I brought them to my mom and asked her why they were still here.  "Why didn't the Tooth Fairy take them?"  It was then that she told me the truth about all the holiday characters.  I was okay with it after a while, but I was confused as to why I was lied to all those years, which leads me to my next point.

3. It Teaches Them Dishonesty Is Okay

When kids find out their parents have been lying to them all this time, they might start to question what else they've lied about.  Can they even trust their own parents?  This usually doesn't ruin relationships, but I don't think it's a risk worth taking.  I want my kids to be able to trust me with anything and that can only happen if they can rely on me and my husband to tell them the truth.  I want to strive to be a strong role model for my kids and a major aspect of that will be honesty.  

4. Santa Isn't a Good Role Model

In my home, my husband and I plan to give our kids unconditional love.  Even when they make mistakes, we will love them because our foundation is in Jesus.  Jesus loves everyone with an unconditional love we can't even fathom.  He is who I want my kids to focus on all year long.  I also plan on teaching my children healthy eating habits.  One of the main problems I have with Santa is his "naughty and nice list", which tells kids they better be good or they'll get coal in their stockings.  This depicts conditional love, which I feel is unhealthy.  Santa is also overweight and his eating habits are no where near what I'd consider healthy.  He also represents commercialism, which feels out of control these days.

5. Someone Who Doesn't Exist Gets Credit for Gifts

I admit, I'm not a big fan of gifts.  According to the love language test, gift receiving is second to last on my list.  I'm also a minimalist, so I don't want my home filled with clutter.  But I will get my kids presents, I just want them to know they're from me and their father.  Why would I want to give the credit to a fictional character?  I remember enjoying opening presents at home a lot more once I knew they were given with love from my parents.

Of course there are those of you reading this thinking I should just let all of this go and let my kids be kids and enjoy Santa.  But I want them to have a foundation of truth.  They can still use their imaginations and pretend if they want to, but they will have that choice.  I'm thankful my husband and I agree about all the points above and we plan to give our kids awesome Christmas memories.  They may not be super traditional, but we're not really traditional people for the most part, so that's okay.  Hopefully, this didn't upset anyone and maybe I've given you something to think about as we get closer to the long awaited Christmas day.