To Santa or Not to Santa?
More than once I've been asked my thoughts on Santa.
Should you or shouldn't you?
Did you or didn't you?
Oh for the days before we had so much time to think.
They days when we could tell fact from fiction, real from pretend.
Days when we expected our children to grow into men and women who would be able to tell the difference too.
About the time our children came along is the time the idea that Santa was wrong came along.
I being a young parent was confused.
Was I teaching my children to lie by pretending Santa with them? Was I taking away from Christ by talking about Santa?
What was I to do? I wanted to be a good parent. I wanted to bring my children up to trust me and to love God.
Then one day I got the answer.
Christmas is about Christ, my kids knew that. They knew we had the manger scene, they knew the Christmas carols, the star, the wisemen the shepherds and the angels. They knew Christ was the greatest gift.
We also told them the gifts under the tree were there because God had blessed their daddy with a way to make a living and buy things for them. We gave God glory for everything about Christmas.
Our kids also wrote letters to Santa, they left cookies, milk and carrots.
The went to see him at his little house up on the square.
They talked of what he might bring.
We played along.
Someone told me once that if I told my children of Santa one day they would find out it had been pretend, then they would question all they had ever been taught, would they still believe in Jesus or decide He was pretend too?
That was when down in my spirit, I knew truth.
The truth was if my children grew and turned away from God it would be for something a lot more than the fact I had told them about Santa.
Generations of children have played Santa and yet their faith never wavered.
There is also another truth I learned.
If you truly feel convicted not to do Santa with your children, that's great too. They won't be deprived or miss anything.
Christmas is every bit as amazing and magical for a child with or without Santa.
They'll love the tree, the lights, the birth of Christ, the gifts all the things that make Christmas they will love. They will love their traditions.
It really is true, we can sometimes over think and over analyze.
So whatever you do, Santa or no Santa don't be worried.
Don't stress over it.
You know what they say, kids are resilient, believe me, they'll be alright which ever way you decide to handle Santa.
Should you or shouldn't you?
Did you or didn't you?
Oh for the days before we had so much time to think.
They days when we could tell fact from fiction, real from pretend.
Days when we expected our children to grow into men and women who would be able to tell the difference too.
About the time our children came along is the time the idea that Santa was wrong came along.
I being a young parent was confused.
Was I teaching my children to lie by pretending Santa with them? Was I taking away from Christ by talking about Santa?
What was I to do? I wanted to be a good parent. I wanted to bring my children up to trust me and to love God.
Then one day I got the answer.
Christmas is about Christ, my kids knew that. They knew we had the manger scene, they knew the Christmas carols, the star, the wisemen the shepherds and the angels. They knew Christ was the greatest gift.
We also told them the gifts under the tree were there because God had blessed their daddy with a way to make a living and buy things for them. We gave God glory for everything about Christmas.
Our kids also wrote letters to Santa, they left cookies, milk and carrots.
The went to see him at his little house up on the square.
They talked of what he might bring.
We played along.
Someone told me once that if I told my children of Santa one day they would find out it had been pretend, then they would question all they had ever been taught, would they still believe in Jesus or decide He was pretend too?
That was when down in my spirit, I knew truth.
The truth was if my children grew and turned away from God it would be for something a lot more than the fact I had told them about Santa.
Generations of children have played Santa and yet their faith never wavered.
There is also another truth I learned.
If you truly feel convicted not to do Santa with your children, that's great too. They won't be deprived or miss anything.
Christmas is every bit as amazing and magical for a child with or without Santa.
They'll love the tree, the lights, the birth of Christ, the gifts all the things that make Christmas they will love. They will love their traditions.
It really is true, we can sometimes over think and over analyze.
So whatever you do, Santa or no Santa don't be worried.
Don't stress over it.
You know what they say, kids are resilient, believe me, they'll be alright which ever way you decide to handle Santa.
Love this post. Sonshine Acres and Simple But True :)
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