Poll: Santa Claus

tomandcourt

For those of you who celebrate Christmas:

1. do your LOs believe in Santa?
2. When did you start teaching them about it, and how? (Like, do you use it as a ploy to get them to behave? Or is it just part of the fun?)
3. And how does it play into the religious aspect of Christmas, if at all?

Just curious . . . J is two and I feel like he's still a little too young to get it (?) but maybe this is the year to start introducing the idea with some books or something. I'm sure it will come up at daycare and whatnot.

Hey Jellisy

1. Yes.  And I am not sure how, but she's seen and been exposed to him.

2. We didn't really teach her about him.  He's an icon so he's been mentioned, talked about.  We sing holiday songs, including Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and we have a few Christmas books, so perhaps from there?   But no real entree on my part.  I was shocked when we went to the pumpkin patch before Halloween, there was a man sporting a thick luxurious Santa beard and wearing red and DD asked me if that was Santa.  I said maybe.  I have no doubt that man was a mall Santa.  

3. We talk about Jesus all the time.  Weaving faith into daily life is important to me.  DD knows Christmas is his birthday.  I've told her we all get presents on Jesus's birthday, and I will tell her that Santa brings some of those presents.  She's really excited for Christmas, the lights and decorations at the stores thrill her.         

vtkgirl77

1. This is the first year where DD is old enough to start understanding Christmas. I'm a bit conflicted about Santa. When I was growing up, we knew who Santa was but we were always taught that he was make-believe. There was a part of me that wished when I was a child that I hadn't known that he was make-believe. So, I'm not sure what I'll do with my daughters. I'm thinking that I won't explicitely tell her that he's make-believe but I also won't try to make too big of a point about him being real if that makes any sense.

2. As far as teaching, we'll probably just read about it in books and also talk about it when she sees pictures of Santa or Santa's at the mall. I probably won't use it as a ploy.

3. We aren't really religious about Christmas.

victoria1212

we have started to read a few books and talk about Santa since she was terrified of him last year. We have been pointing him out in the stores and on decorations but I don't think she quite gets the whole concept.

we are not religious at all so we are going more for the consumer, bright lights, festive type of holiday 

MrsPhilDunphy

1. C knows who he is. I'm not really sure why. But he recently picked up a holiday catalog and pointed him out.

2. When he identified him, we mentioned that he brought gifts for good little boys and girls on Christmas. But we're not really going to push it more than that. 

3. N/A. We're totally not religious. We're all about the pagan form of Christmas.

Mama Angelina

Hey Jellisy:

1. Yes.  And I am not sure how, but she's seen and been exposed to him.

2. We didn't really teach her about him.  He's an icon so he's been mentioned, talked about.  We sing holiday songs, including Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and we have a few Christmas books, so perhaps from there?   But no real entree on my part.  I was shocked when we went to the pumpkin patch before Halloween, there was a man sporting a thick luxurious Santa beard and wearing red and DD asked me if that was Santa.  I said maybe.  I have no doubt that man was a mall Santa.  

3. We talk about Jesus all the time.  Weaving faith into daily life is important to me.  DD knows Christmas is his birthday.  I've told her we all get presents on Jesus's birthday, and I will tell her that Santa brings some of those presents.  She's really excited for Christmas, the lights and decorations at the stores thrill her.         

This sounds like our family.  He is equally as excited talking about Baby Jesus' birthday as he is about Santa. 

smacb

tomandcourt:

1. do your LOs believe in Santa? Yes (he's 3 years and 3 months)
2. When did you start teaching them about it, and how? (Like, do you use it as a ploy to get them to behave? Or is it just part of the fun?) We have taken him to see Santa every year.  His first two Christmas he didn't get it, but he loved Christmas trees, decorations, stories about Santa.  Last year was the first year he got it (2 years 4 months)  He was excited for Santa to come, told him what he wanted for Christmas, enjoyed singing Christmas carols, made cookies for Santa.  He insisted last year that we leave cookies and coffee for Santa. 
3. And how does it play into the religious aspect of Christmas, if at all?  We take him to church regularly. We try to emphasize the Christmas story/ THis year and last year I had him involved in picking out Christmas gifts and emphasize the giving part of Christmas.

SoonToBeMrsDTS

1. do your LOs believe in Santa? yes, they are 3 & 5
2. When did you start teaching them about it, and how? We don't play up Santa too much. I have them think of a few things to ask him for when they sit on his lap at the mall. I don't know that I had to really teach them, they picked it up from other places. 
3. And how does it play into the religious aspect of Christmas, if at all?  We try not to intertwine the two much. We try to focus on the reason for Christmas rather than Santa. Santa does bring three gifts like Jesus got three gifts. 

JKM416

(1) Yes.

(2) Started when DD was 18 months, but she didn't really seem to understand until she was 3.5 years old.  This year she's all about it.  I don't use it as a ploy to behave because I don't want to teach the message that Christmas spirit, and the motivation and joy of giving (and receiving...), is contingent on behavior.  It's something you do out of love.  However, DH introduced the "Elf on the Shelf" two years ago, which I wasn't very enthusiastic about.  In our family, I instituted the policy that Santa comes and fills your stocking, but anything under the tree is from Mom and Dad and other real people.

(3) I try to keep the commercial and the religious aspects separate.  Sort of like, "Here's the reason for Christmas and why it's a holiday to be celebrated with love and family and helping others" (basically, how it's an important season to honor and put into action the basic principles of Christianity).  And then there's "Here are the historical / cultural reasons fun stuff like Santa, cookies, decorations, trees, cheesy songs, etc. are included in the mix."  I don't think the two concepts / approaches are mutually exclusive.

LindseyJW

1. yes

2. we don't use as a behavior modification, but i'm not opposed to doing so if need be. it's mostly just part of the fun. when DS was 2, we gave him gifts "from santa" and we left santa cookies. santa wrote a thank you note and said he hoped DS liked xyz toys. at 3+ we have done this plus left out food for the reindeer, a special "santa key" since we have no chimney and DS writes a note to leave with the cookies.

3. it doesn't. we aren't very religious and we have not talked about Christmas as a religious occasion yet. 

kastle

we're atheists, but since we grew up with christian parents, xmas is a bit of a "cultural" not religious holiday for us.

1. Sprout does not believe in Santa thus far.  I don't think he's ever seen him! 

2.  While I don't doubt that in a moment of frustration I may eventually say "If you're not good Santa won't come!!!!" it's mostly going to be  about the fun.

3. I firmly believe it's possible for xmas to be celebrated w/out being the least bit religious.  Our take is that it's a holiday about giving to others and eating cookies.

kbalb

1.  At almost 2, I doubt she knows a difference between Mommy and Mickey Mouse, let alone Santa.

2.  Since she was born December 10, we received over a dozen Christmas books for her first Christmas.  So, she will pick them up and read them.  In addition, I think there was a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse where Santa came, so that's how she knows who he is. I think its like most things--just something she absorbed.  However, in a few years, when she gets it, I will probably bring out the "Santa gives presents to good girls" although, I wonder if she will really care since she will have just gotten presents for her birthday.

3.  We go to church regularly, so DD can pick out Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  We saw a manger the other day in a store and she said, "Baby Jesus" which is awesome to me!  Growing up, we always had to do something extra nice each week in advent (or say a special prayer) so I think we'll keep that tradition going.  However, one of my favorite presents someone gave her last Christmas was a Little People nativity.  I brought it off the shelf Monday and will start to let her play with it soon, so hopefully she will connect the two ideas (Christmas = Jesus' birthday).

membrn

1. LO is too small yet to completely understand Santa.  I anticipate next year will be the big year.

2. Haven't really started other than just mentioning Santa but I want to get "Elf on a Shelf."  I think that's a really cute idea.

3. We haven't really decided how we're going to incorporate the two when he's older. We are religious (and spiritual) and I would like to emphasize that more than the commercialized part (although, it is certainly fun and I often can't help myself!)