Christmas is just a few weeks away, and families will celebrate in many different ways. For lots of kids, that means visiting Santa and giving him their Christmas wishes so they can have the best Christmas ever. But the guy in the red suit is not for everyone.
Many parents have decided to ditch the idea and start taking back the credit for providing their kids with Christmas gifts, claiming the idea of Santa can actually cause trauma. Now, there's a whole debate with lots of strong opinions.
Gen Z parents are out here asserting themselves.
Today’s parents of young kids look at things differently than their parents and grandparents, and even their older brothers and sisters. They evidently aren’t relying on the magic of Santa Claus for Christmas morning anymore. Instead, some are very bluntly telling their kids the truth.
TikTok mom @the.sierramckenzie shared a video in December 2021 that was controversial. The video has texts that announces several things she will not do for Christmas, including “Lying to them about Santa, Santa/Grinch pictures, No presents from Santa..All from mom & Dad,” she said.
TikTokers had thoughts.
It is no surprise that the video caught the eyes of many people. Some agreed with McKenzie, and some thought she was ruining Christmas.
Someone warned: “Why not Santa its fun. The kids enjoy it. My brother did this to his kids and regrets it now.”
“Same never lied to them about Santa they know he ain’t real and they still have a great magical day,” a person agreed.
Others want kids to be kids. “I’m going to just let my children grow out of it just like I did,” someone commented. "It’s the magic of Christmas, baking cookies, elf on the shelf, polar express ride."
“McKenzie allows her little ones festive pursuits such as making wish lists, baking cookies and watching Christmas movies," the New York Post explained. "But, she teaches her tots that Santa, rather than being an omniscient demigod who 'sees you when your sleeping' and 'knows if you’ve been bad or good,' is merely a make-believe character with no bearing on their holiday.”
McKenzie isn’t the only one.
Head over to TikTok and type in #santaisntreal, and there are plenty of stories about people whose parents never let them believe in Santa.
“My parents never told me that Santa Claus was real," one user wrote. "From the get go, they told me we buy you this stuff. We don’t want you to belive in this. I always respected Santa as a character, but I never belived it.”
Another TikToker explained that she tells her kids when they start to question how Santa gets down the chimney and why the wrapping paper that Santa used was still in the basement.
Is it harmful to let kids believe in Santa?
Sure, there are some illogical things about making it all around the world in one night and eating all those cookies, but is it hurting anyone? Perhaps. According to Sarah Ockwell-Smith, author of The Gentle Parenting Book, parents need to be careful. She told the New York Post that the whole song about pouting and crying and Santa watching isn’t a good idea.
“Threatening kids with ‘I’ll tell Santa on you!’ is just going to kill festive joy and make both parents and children stressed,” the author noted. “The threats keep escalating until parents are left with the decision of whether to ruin Christmas and follow through on them or to go back on what they’ve said and seem like an inconsistent pushover.”
Are we canceling Santa?
No, the magic of Santa doesn’t have to go away. Every family is entitled to make their own choices about the magic of Christmas. It may be about "Ho, Ho, Ho," and reindeer for some. Others however, want to split things between mom and dad, while some want to take all the credit.
And let’s not forget that for many, it is a deeply religious holiday. We should respect the traditions of others and let them enjoy their Christmas, Santa or no Santa. But do your best not to spoil it for the believers.
