Santa Claus, why all the pressure?

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Parents say that they want their kids to have a lot of fun with Santa and not spoil it for other kids, but I have noticed since I am a father of “the weaponization of Santa” by my wife and undoubtedly other parents. Through December, when your kid is being bad, a parent just has to bring up Santa to get their kid to fall into line. Parents say they want their kids to really enjoy Santa and not spoil it for the other little ones, but I suspect that many of them secretly enjoy the leverage Santa gives them over their children.
 
Christianity is sure a religion where many have disagreements. One big issue is whether lying is always a sin. I have read about what the Catholic church teaches, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. And they make it clear that lying is always a sin, no exception. But many people realize that this is wrong, in the present discussion we see many parents lie to their little children that there is a Santa, who lives on the North Pole and on Christmas he enters all homes through the chimneys and leaves the people there presents. Sure it is a lie, but most Catholic parents do it, and they don’t believe that they need to confess it to their priest.They believe, and it makes sense, that this is not a sin and so the Catechism is wrong. But we can also think of powerful examples where lying is the only moral thing to do, not to lie would be a grave sin. Like if you live under Nazi occupation, and you are hiding a Jew in your house. And a policeman goes around, comes to your house, and asks if you know of any Jew hiding around here. So you answer you don’t.Of course it is a lie. But logically it would be sinful not to lie. By lying, you saved the Jew’s life.Yet, the Catechism allows no exception. And if you go through the Bible, again, no exception. Well, bad doctrines need to be fixed.
 
My mother-in-law raised her kids without Santa. When my wife and I had our first child, my wife was insistent that our kids not be deprived of Santa Claus.

It was a big deal for her, and she was absolutely determined that her mother not ruin it for us. My M-I-L only very grudgingly agreed to not spill the beans. My wife basically told her mom that she’d be banned from Christmas if ever she told our kids.

It all worked out.
 
I don’t know why but I never bought it and always wished I had. But yet I believed in God all my life despite a non religious background. I don’t even remember this but apparently I said to my mother, it’s you and dad that buys the presents isn’t it? I had to be stopped from blurting it out at kindergarten !!! 😂 . When I have a kid I will make sure they know about St Nicholas and try not to make too big a focus on Santa as just a gift giver and let them work it out themselves over time . have never liked the idea of telling them he gets into the house whilst they’re asleep don’t ask me why.
 
Our ‘Santa ‘ in the school where I work was very thin and the Chaplain said ‘don’t worry kids Santa has had a gastric bypass this year’
 
I have an interesting article on St Nicholas a great miracle worker and adventurous, even resurrected people from the dead, in which the secular Santa Claus is used to replace and veer of the sainthood and the legacy of this saint. I can post links. You find it ‘The real Santa Claus - Regina Magazine’ I think he had the gift of bilocation like Padre Pio. Merry Christmas to you and your family. December 24, 2018.
 
Teach as well that if you behave badly he won’t simply give you a piece of coal.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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I sort of wanted to not do Santa before I had kids. Maybe just St. Nick on his day. The feeling never changed but not santa-ing in a predominantly Santa culture became tricky and impractical. It’s hard enough not doing elf on the shelf. We have kings that search for the baby Jesus but my kids insist they are elves spying for Santa and get mad they don’t leave notes. Anti elf on the shelf is the metaphoric ditch I’ve decided to die in.
 
Palatinus said:
My question is why all the pressure from even fellow Catholics to join in? When I tell people, they act like I just sacrificed my children’s childhood. Had I lived in germany or in any other time in history, the kids would have been fine without ilthis particular myth. I even enjoy myths (e.g. Tolkien), it’s just that I am surprised at how people act when you don’t buy in. I don’t care if they want to do it with their children, but I just prefer to wait for the coming of Baby Jesus and to celebrate his birth and incarnation. Thoughts?
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Welcome to trying to be a devout Catholic. When your kids are teenagers, a LOT of fellow Catholics will think by you not giving yoru kids condom you are putting them at risk for disease or pregancy. Just because others sit in the church with you and send your kids to the same school does NOT mean they will share your views. We need to follow our faith to the best of our ability and not judge others since only God knows what is in their heart

Personally I never had kids but I do agree with not telling them about Santa. I saw one to many Christmas specials where a kid asks Santa to bring back a dead parent. But that is my opinion.

As for your kids not ruining it for other kids, that would be a hard one to teach. I woul probably encourage your kids to agree to disagree. This is NOT the first time they will heat different views than otthers and they need to learn how to live in harmony with their peers

Lastly, I do agree that if your kids get nothing on Christmas, it will be hard. Try and find some way to get them a little something
 
I don’t agree. I never believed in Santa as a child. I always thought it was kind of creepy to have to sit on some guy’s lap and tell him your secrets. It is much more meaningful to receive gifts from people that know and love you, not some strange man.

Never resented my parents for this.
 
We never did elf either. As a ploy by people to get their children to behave, it is pretty crappy parenting when you think of it.
 
Wow, I don’t get that. Is the elf tattling or something? I find the Elf thing to be pretty funny, the mischief they get into. I just know it from Pinterest. And if it was around when my kids were little, I know I would have enjoyed coming up with silly things he would do.
 
Yeah he is supposed to spy for Santa. I think the hijinks they get up to seem fun, but I have a hard enough time just remembering to move our kings. They often make camp due to fatigue or weather conditions. Also even if they do something crazy its not as crazy as the elf they saw on tv or their friends’ elf etc.
 
Is it really bad that I want to get a fluffy krampus outfit and chase my future kids round the house with them all screaming with excitement ? I’d rather that than an old man that gets into the house whilst they sleep lol but I’ll prolly go along with it anyway on some level.
 
Ohhhh he’s a German Christmas tradition he’s st nicks side kick and he chases naughty and greedy kids and throws them in his sack they have fab krampus days in Germany just looks so much more fun than Santa
 
Uhhh, that sounds weird actually. Much weirder than an elf reporting to Santa. ☺️
 
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