Teacher tells 7 year-olds Santa's Fake.

I just find it sad people have to make up an imaginary person because its the only way they can manage to prove a point to their children/instill any sort of "magic" in their lives. Kind of sad.

reply to post by Jkd Up


Haven't read through all the replies, but was just glad to see your take on it. I feel the EXACT same way. I CAN NOT bring myself to tell my children there is a santa.. because.... it IS a lie.

1. How do you punish a child for lying when you are doing it yourself?
2. How can you expect your children to take you seriously and heed your words when you are lying to them about ANYTHING?
3. They are our children and if they can't trust us, who can they trust?

People see it as innocent and yet, it is a lie to the most precious people in our lives. I see it as the very opposite of innocent to lie TO the innocent.

Originally posted by SantaClaus
I can't believe I'm reading this on ATS of all places. Most of you believe in magical reptilians, secret underground bases, the illuminati, space aliens, secret societies and planet x, and yet you all still place shame on the parents for letting their kids believe in santa claus? Give me a freakin break. Most of what you believe on this site is nothing more than "MAGIC."

By the way, I'm real.

THIS. Haha this, definitely. We can sit and talk doom and gloom about things that may or may not exist, get told to run and preach them to our neighbors, but it's a bad thing to let children believe in something as harmless as santa claus? Seems a little odd to me!

reply to post by justamomma


So then I surely hope you don't inundate your children with your religious, political, and moral beliefs, because they are just as much a lie.

I don't remember much from my childhood, but I remember the exact moment when I was nine and my dad told me Santa didn't exist. I had figured it out by then, but it still stung to hear my dad say it.

What of innocence? Do you really trust your children's emotions if you told them all the truths of the world?

Sad, sad, sad.

reply to post by justamomma


If that was the case, why do we allow fictional books to exist? That goes for little childrens books that are fictional. They are nothing but made up stories, are they not?

Originally posted by Jkd Up

Originally posted by Lee_K
Personally I would be upset at this! Christmas is a magical time for kids believing in santa! Especially when you see all the bad things on the news everyday! Its nice to have something nice going on elsewhere. Even if it is just imagination. And it doesnt do much for the bond between kid and parent when they turn round and say 'my teacher said santa isnt real.' What do you say to that!? 'Ah yes I lied to you... Sorry!' They'll never believe a thing you say again!

[edit on 11-12-2008 by Lee_K]

How does that change any other way? If the teacher says it, you say it, the bus driver sas it, your pastor says it... It's still going to tear at the imagination you helped to build.

Because i'd rather explain it to my kids myself when I feel the time is right! Not by some teacher that does it to shut them up!

Im glad the teacher told the truth

The whole santa thing is hurting the futures of our children...

Early on they believe in magic, they imagine themselves as potential magical beings and or being able to do magical things and they cant and wont. Not only that what point does santa really serve? I saw my mom and dad eating santas cookies when I was like a teenager, it broke my heart and it really started making me question the reality of Jesus and other people.... also it takes away from humanity if you imagine people as perfect and cant find anyone of anything... only more problems result

IM GLAD THE TEACHER TOLD THE TRUTH

The truth is always important no matter what... anyone who disagrees is keeping a secret or a few lies that they shouldn't... The End.

(White lies... People shouldn't be asking if they are ugly if they already know it, they set themselves up for failure, but the soul is more important than the body... all the hot girls i've dated were *******.... so...there ya have it)

Originally posted by grimreaper797
I just find it sad people have to make up an imaginary person because its the only way they can manage to prove a point to their children/instill any sort of "magic" in their lives. Kind of sad.

That's not why people tell the story.


1. People don't make this up every year it's something they've learned to tell.
2. People pass it on because THEY enjoyed it as a child.
3. In some instances, it is very sad. My stepfather has been santa claus for over 50 years. He actually spends most of his time in sad situations, like the childrens cancer ward, or on Christmas eve when he goes around to all of the underpriviledged childrens houses bringing the family food and the children toys.


I can't believe that there are so many people on this thread that simply see santa as a lie. He's a legend, a childrens legend at that. There is nothing wrong with a legend which brings joy, no matter how untruthful it might be.


Anyone who says that Santa is a Lie should also look at what we tell children. Anytime you tell a children that something SHOULD be a certain way, or that they SHOULD act a certain way, its a lie too. Santa is nothing compared to the real lies that parents tell their children everyday.. the sad thing is parents believe those lies.





[edit on 11-12-2008 by HunkaHunka]

Great, so as soon as my kid can speak, I'm going to tell him/her about Darfur, Rwanda, AIDS, Hitler, rape, etc.

But I'll also have no problem forcing them to believe whatever religion I am part of, whatever political stance I hold, and whatever I think about the people around me.

But Santa Claus!?!?! Why would I ever want to give my kids some excitement during the holidays!?!? FOR SHAME!

Did I read this right?

The parents told their 7 year old this in response to the uncontrollable blurting
out of the teacher?

'We told him that she did not believe in Father Christmas because of her religion and he's fine now.'

Fine now? Yea - until the next time you have to tell him yet AGAIN that there is no Santa.
Oh my.

What if the teacher said there was no God? There is such thing as cultural sensibilities regardless of what one might see as truth.

That's different. Not to start any kind of religious war (that was in the middle ages ) but there's a difference between God and Santa. Despite what certain people believe, Santa is definitely made up. (Okay, the Santa we all know. Yes, there probably was a St. Nicholas but I don't feel like Googling anything right now.) Anyway, God is a grey area and one cannot say "God is not real" and have it taken the same way as "Santa is not real." Santa is not real, religion is a different story. They are not mutually exclusive.

Anyway, I kind of agree with the people who think the teacher was right. Now, they may not have done it in the best way, but could perpetuating a lie for that long only to have the child (probably) discover it themselves really be worth it? I mean, how many of you all here discovered on your own that Santa was not real and felt more horrible than if your parents had told you? I kind of expected it once I saw that the wrapping paper matched the one in the parents' room, but some parents might be good at hiding things.

And, how embarrassing must it be when a child's in school and nearly everyone knows the truth but that child doesn't? This is a sort of double-whammy, because the child finds out at school AND they are made fun of for still believing in Santa.

I think teaching kindness and selflessness is a great thing, but I don't think that Santa is the best way to do it. It would be nice if someone had done a study on the lives of kids who did believe in Santa versus the ones who knew right off the bat. I mean think about it. If you never tell your child that Santa is real they won't be disappointed.

You can still teach the values Santa teaches and not have to perpetuate the lie.

reply to post by FiatLux



True true! Makes me think of the velveteen rabbit. When I read that as a young'un, I wanted so badly for my stuffed animals to become real. Is that not also a cruel lie to a child?

reply to post by SantaClaus


I still believe in Santa!
Why would anyone want to take away innocence?It will be gone soon enough! Let the children play!

I cannot believe the responses this thread is getting...

All the positive Santa crap.

You set your kids up for failure in so many ways by doing this to them. It teaches kids to beleive in fake things that will never occur... defying physics

This sort of BS is whats kept our Race in the Universe so primative. Maybe Santa Clause is good at some point like up until the age of 3... but whats the point in that? All it does is coverup motivated buying so kids dont feel bad when they get crap and the other gets greatness. Not to mention the kids that dont get a Christmas who live in a bad situation now thinking they are low low scum of the earth, so Santa didn't even bother visiting them.

Originally posted by Totakeke

What if the teacher said there was no God? There is such thing as cultural sensibilities regardless of what one might see as truth.

That's different.

HAH! How?

I don't see any difference in children who believe in Santa Claus and Adults who believe in God. Same thing. The Children don't realize Santa is a made up legend, and the Adults don't realize that God is a made up legend.

Personally I don't see any harm in either of the legends. As they should hopefully inspire people to be good to their fellow man, and to bring peace to those who need it most.


As for lies about religion how about this...

God created the world in 7 days (that's 24 hours)

The world is only 6k years old

Jonah was in the belly of the whale

Moses parted the red sea

You'll go to heaven if you are good

God will punish you if you are bad

Oh and this is the best one of all... to orphans "Your mother and father really loved you but couldnt take care of you....so they LEFT YOU!"







[edit on 11-12-2008 by HunkaHunka]

Yea lets all be wicked and tell the children they are bankrupt so why live?
You had no mystery in your childhood?
I say it's ok to let children dream,the facts I can take care for them till there ready.

reply to post by Heatburger


That`s my point. This whole arguement is foolish. If we are to stop with the Santa Claus story, then let`s do it with all fictional stories. Isn`t that what this is all about? We are not to enjoy fictional stories, are we? Those that have a good imagination, and come up with the fictional stories that we may enjoy, are not to do this anymore? Wow, how any child that gets to the age where they figure out Santa is not real, and then hates or dislikes their parents for it, has more of a problem then what this is showing.

Originally posted by rjmelter
I cannot believe the responses this thread is getting...

All the positive Santa crap.

You set your kids up for failure in so many ways by doing this to them. It teaches kids to beleive in fake things that will never occur... defying physics

You set your kids up for failure the day you tell them they have to get a job.


And what you obviously don't understand is that Children need to learn to believe in things that won't possibly occur.

It's because the ability to believe in the impossible is the only thing that makes us as humans keep moving forward. It's programmed into our genes to believe in the impossible.

As for the kids who don't get anything... as I mentioned my StepFather plays santa in our home town and he himself makes sure that no children go without on Christams Morning.

He is a chubby old guy with a white beard to leaves presents every Christmas to all the boys and girls in town and he has for over 50 years. Not exactly a lie there is it.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Your ignorance has just been revealed... The God of the diff religions doing this and say this or that is made up... yes. There was and is a creator though. the deeper you look into your cells the more eternity you will find, this wonderful creation is just proof of something.

reply to post by FiatLux


Yes. Part of the joy of being a child is being able to let your imagination run wild. Children grow out of their imaginative stages fast enough as it is, so I don't understand why it's such a huge deal that santa claus is a "lie." So are all the kids shows, books and movies children enjoy, but no one is slamming them for being lies.

You only get the imagination of a child once. That will mature, and as such it will not scar a kid for life to believe in santa.