Dwight Frye wrote:John Larsen wrote:I believe so. It is hard to go around chastising people for pushing myth as truth and then do the same yourself when you think it is fun to do so. My children have never believe Santa was real, but it has not diminished their joy or wonderment at the holiday season on bit.
I don't have kids yet, but, if I have it my way, I don't think I will teach them Santa is real. I would worry, though, about my kids letting the cat out of the bag and ruining it for other people's children, which I would make me feel horrible. John, have your kids been able to keep it a secret from other kids?
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Sometime between the age when a child first begins to think coherently at all, and about the age of what, nine(?), they all seem to figure out that Santa wasn't real. If your kid didn't let the cat out of the bag, someone else would, so I wouldn't feel too bad about it.
Personally, I don't see the harm in talking about Santa, and pretending that he's real. But I do see the harm in parents getting mad because someone told their kid that Santa wasn't real. It's like they think if nobody lets the cat out of the bag, their child will believe in Santa forever. There's nothing wrong with the collective decision to act (knowingly) as if Santa were real. If anything, being in on the big secret can make a kid feel more grown up, and then they can pretend on with gusto, like any of us.
