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perth · 08-19-2004, 11:02 AM

Admittedly, I've only got 3 Christmases and Easters under my belt with my son, so my experience is limited. But I can't really imagine how thinking that the presents were dropped down the chimney by an elf with a gland problem or that the eggs were hidden by a monstrous rabbit would add to the fun. The kid already gets spoiled rotten on these days with more toys than he could play with in a year and more candy than a grown adult should be able to manage. I just don't understand where along the line someone decided we, as adults, should treat a make-believe character as honest-to-goodness fact. It doesn't add to the fantasy any more than if I actually believed Gandalf and Frodo and all those other guys actually took an actual evil ring to an actual Mount Doom and threw it in (apologies to anyone who believed that was real).

So. My kid has books about Santa Claus, and even books about the Easter Bunny. It's not like I'm denying him the fantasy, because I'm not. But it's deception to treat Santa as anything more than a fantasy.

And I've been thinking about it. There are certain things I will never bring up with my son, and if asked about it, I will lie. This situation is pretty much exclusively reserved for questions regarding my and Case's divorce. There are things he *never* needs to know, and will only prove to be detrimental to him to know. But there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to tell your child a make-believe character exists in the real world.

08-19-2004, 11:02 AM	#50
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	Admittedly, I've only got 3 Christmases and Easters under my belt with my son, so my experience is limited. But I can't really imagine how thinking that the presents were dropped down the chimney by an elf with a gland problem or that the eggs were hidden by a monstrous rabbit would add to the fun. The kid already gets spoiled rotten on these days with more toys than he could play with in a year and more candy than a grown adult should be able to manage. I just don't understand where along the line someone decided we, as adults, should treat a make-believe character as honest-to-goodness fact. It doesn't add to the fantasy any more than if I actually believed Gandalf and Frodo and all those other guys actually took an actual evil ring to an actual Mount Doom and threw it in (apologies to anyone who believed that was real). So. My kid has books about Santa Claus, and even books about the Easter Bunny. It's not like I'm denying him the fantasy, because I'm not. But it's deception to treat Santa as anything more than a fantasy. And I've been thinking about it. There are certain things I will never bring up with my son, and if asked about it, I will lie. This situation is pretty much exclusively reserved for questions regarding my and Case's divorce. There are things he never needs to know, and will only prove to be detrimental to him to know. But there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to tell your child a make-believe character exists in the real world.