Santa is Messing Up Christmas
Every year, my kids would light up at the mention of Santa. Their eyes would twinkle and they would squeal with excitement just pondering all the things he’d bring them. He’s the “man with all the toys”, so what do you expect? But I refuse to have Santa be the Christmas victor in our house.
Santa is Messing Up Christmas
Whether on TV, through music, at school, or in practically every encounter during the holiday season, our kids are fed “Santa”. The story of Santa, his gifts and his rules, but Christmas isn’t supposed to be about the gifts. First and foremost, it’s supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and then a time of family, love, selflessness and gratitude. Christmas shouldn’t be exciting to our kids because some guy is bringing them gifts. “Santa” messing up Christmas and distracting our children from what’s really important.
He Knows if You’ve Been Bad or Good…
As parents, we’ve built up (in our kids’ minds) an unmatched level of respect for this jolly fellow. We’ve taught our kids that this magical guy named Santa knows them well and loves them unconditionally. He knows what they like, what they want, and what means the world to them. He wants to make them happy by furnishing their material requests under the tree each year and in return, they just need to stay on his good side (or list) by behaving well.
This drives me nuts because in reality, I’m the one who loves them unconditionally and knows them well. I’m the one fighting the holiday crowds to get them things I know they really want and I’m the one they should be behaving for. My kids need to know that all the thoughtful gifts under the Christmas Tree are from the real people who know and love them the most- not some fictional character. They should understand that I do these things out of love and they should have an “unmatched respect” for me!
Yes, they’ll figure it out eventually- that it’s been us all along, but what until then? Santa should come in second to the parents/family that loves them. For this reason, my husband and I decided that all the most thoughtful or most valuable gifts to our kids would be from us, not Santa Claus.
Let’s be “Real”…
Because of tradition, Santa will bring them a few small things they need, but we are going to be the ones who bring them the thoughtful gifts that show we love and listen to them. We will be the thoughtful hearts behind these gifts and we will be the ones they need to behave for- all year long. No middle man (or elf) needed.
So Santa, while you’re a great way to exemplify Christmas spirit, I will not come in as a close second to you. You’ll be an added “bonus” in my house, but my kids will know the true spirit of Christmas through love and joy given to them by their parents.
Santa is messing up #Christmas! Here's why and what you can do about it... Share on XIf you enjoyed this post, check out my posts on Are You Raising Fearful Children and Listening to Your Kids.
What are your thoughts? What does “Santa” mean in your house?