Will/do you celebrate Santa with LOs?

NewbieMomie · July 2014

MH and I had a long convo today- my SIL does not celebrate Santa with her 3 year old child and won't. (My ILs can't celebrate Santa either). She feels that Santa is the biggest scheme and lie you could tell your kid. Now our LO is a year old and we will be doing the Santa thing. We are very curious how this will go when we are all at my ILs together and my SIL has to explain to her child that "Santa doesn't visit our house, but visits your cousins house." So now I'm curious- do or will you ladies be celebrating Santa with your babes?

new2011mommy · July 2014

We do Santa. Now that DS is 3 and really gets it, he is so excited for Christmas. He keeps talking about Santa and the Christmas tree. I loved Santa and when I found out the truth, it was not a big deal. I never felt that my parents lied. It was fun and it brings magic to Christmas. I was so excited for Christmas morning last year to see DS's face.

MRads · July 2014

I loooove Christmas! And I love all the traditions. We will do pics with Santa, definitely. And probably a gift from Santa. Or maybe stockings will be from Santa. Not sure on that yet.

My sisters don't do Santa, so that will be interesting to navigate with their kids.

Edit: we didn't really do Santa growing up, so I don't have a tradition with that. H did, but all of his gifts were from Santa. I want credit for the expensive gifts, lol.

KikiCohen · July 2014

We are Pro Santa haha.

NewbieMomie · July 2014

@vikingsfan711‌ our tradition as far as family goes is Christmas Eve at my parents (very much Santa people lol), Christmas morning just the three of us at out house and Christmas Day at ILs. Very easy to keep our Santa gifts apart from ILs, but I just wonder how it will go down when LO says "look what Santa got me!" Or "how come Santa visits G&Gs but not Meem and Pops?"

@Mamasighs‌ omg reindeer food! I love it!

NewbieMomie · July 2014

I meant OUR house... We dont celebrate in an out house ha!

@new2011mommy‌ I felt the same way as you did!

jennipalmer · July 2014

We celebrate because love the concept of Santa. I discuss with my kids the idea of what he represents and we put out cookies, milk and a carrot even though my older kids know he is a belief.

NewbieMomie · July 2014

@MRads‌ I agree! I want credit for those gift!s I also like your stocking thought... I may steal it. Thank you!

MRads · July 2014

@ramy3695‌ I like making Santa more about the traditions you have as a family rather than Santa himself. I hope B is like your DS.

PrimRoseMama · July 2014

Team Santa! No elf on a shelf tho.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

Santa for sure

it's fun.

gutsymama · July 2014

We will do Santa. It's a fun, harmless tradition (except the year my dad f*cked with my middle sister - not the "helpful" one - by putting a bear trap in the fireplace to "catch" Santa, and then leaving a red and green striped sock in it in the morning. She didn't talk to him for a few days after that. But, mostly harmless....)

I can mostly understand not wanting to do it. But to say that it's "the biggest scheme and lie you could tell your kid" is pretty outlandish. There are so many worse things.... I would be seriously side-eyeing if she actually said that.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

Nope...not here. I don't need DD growing up believing in something that is not real her whole life.

I am with @somerandomchick‌

emmanemm · July 2014

We do Santa, and I love everything associated with the Christmas holiday. The songs, lights, decorations, all of it. I agree with pp's about doing your thing and letting your sil deal with it if your nieces/nephews ask.

WifeyLovesHubs · July 2014

I grew up with no Santa, tooth fairy, Easter bunny etc. and I don't feel "robbed" of a childhood or anything... But I wanted dd to experience the joy and wonder of Santa so we will do it in our house. It's strange to call it a big lie. It's something so harmless and kids eventually figure it out. Most people don't feel "lied to." But I don't think there's anything wrong with skipping it if it's not your thing either. SIL just sounds dramatic about it.

hollandmama · July 2014

DH thinks it's not a good thing to 'lie' about it but I kind of convinced him that it's not lying but it's like 'playing believe'. I did it during childhood and I loved the fantasy and the feeling of December 25th morning. So yes, we will do it. It will be weird because Santa doesn't visit Holland, it's Sinterklaas and it happens on December 5th instead. So LO will probably realize Santa doesn't exist very early when all his friends tell him there's no Santa for them lol but let's see how long we can keep the magic for.

We will be celebrating Sinterklaas too because I love the tradition myself!

Stacey099 · July 2014

When I think of Santa, I now think or the Finnish movie Rare Exports..... Creepy santas that want to eat kids.

mrshudson618 · July 2014

We will do Santa, but will not put in a huge effort to keep it a secret as they get older. It just isn't a huge deal to me one way or another.

NewbieMomie · July 2014

@Stacey099‌ X_X

danigirl7181 · July 2014

Yes we do Santa. We leave out cookies, milk, and carrots, and go sit on Santa's lap. Only one gift is from Santa, the rest are from us.

TheLittleRedM · July 2014

We do and will continue to

WanderingA · July 2014

We are atheists who LOVE Santa and all things Christmas!

I grew up in an athiest household but we still celebrated all of the major Christian holidays. We learned that they were about spending time with family, eating good food and appreciating each other. As we got older my parents taught us about the Christian meaning behind the holidays as well as their Pagan origins. But when my sisters and I were little it was all about food, gifts and family!

I never understood the "Santa is the biggest lie" thing...was it really that traumatizing for people to find out he didn't exist? I remember finding out but still playing along just because I liked the story!

[Deleted User] · July 2014

I will say that I never felt lied to but my sister was pissed when she found out. I guess it depends on the person. She's over it now and I'm sure it didn't have any lasting effects. This will be the second year her family celebrates Christmas and Santa with their LO

babyk1228 · July 2014

Santa Santa Santa all over in this house! Christmas begins the day after Thanksgiving and goes until New Year's Day for us. DH and I both LOVE Christmas and everything about it, including Santa. DH may possibly already have a Santa suit on standby, we aren't taking any chances of DS seeing him and ending the magic early.

Honestly, I get not being into Santa for religious reasons or similar, but skipping Santa just because you want your kids to know you got the gifts makes me a little sad. We spend so much of our lives in this tough real world, good lord let them believe that there are magical wonderful things such as Santa, Easter bunny, tooth fairy, etc. for the little time they can. FFS.

Or at least. so help me god, don't let your kid fuck it up for my kid by spilling the beans because then I will really be ragey.

FFMC: one of my ears is slightly pointy because of extra cartilage and I totally plan to use that as evidence that I can talk to Santa/elves(;

valstulas · July 2014

Team I Prefer Not To Suck The Fun Out Of Childhood aka Team Santa.

Sorry for the rigidity, but I stand on my garland-laden laurels.

I still love you, @somerandomchick‌ :x

Unknown · July 2014

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queenbone · July 2014

I have to make everything complicated. We don't do Santa for Christmas, but we do celebrate St. Nicholas Day, at the beginning of December, and do stockings then.