Spoiler alert; young readers who still believe should not read on.
I don't know about you, but I am struggling a bit differentiating these two to my kids.
Watching you all of the time? Check.
Sees everything you do? Check.
Knows things without you telling them? Check.
Invisible to our eye but always present? Check.
I love the naivety of children, and the wonder of magical things like Santa. I support the myth for now.
However... I understand those who choose not to propigate the whole Santa thing to their kids. Because—I really don't like lying to them now. I find myself giving vague answers and then changing the subject. As reasoning skills improve with age, naturally questions become a bit more complex. And, because my kid is coming home on almost a regular basis lately teaching me things he's learned that I either didn't know or already forgot, my idiot meter is on full alert, so my ability to give sound reasons for how these things are possible is getting weaker by the minute.
{Did you know there were five oceans? And one of them is called Southern Ocean? WTF? Why have I never heard of that?}
And, once we tell them, and then continue down the list with all the other fakes that we've been propigating, it's natural that they'd wonder if we've been making up the whole God thing too.
So, in preparation for that, I have changed some of my answers lately. So, when I'm asked, "Can Santa hear everything we are saying and see us now?", I say, "No. Only God can do that. Santa isn't as powerful as God." Where before, of course, the answer was always yes, to elicit the best behavior possible prior to Christmas.
It truly is a slippery slope. Does anyone else find this difficult as your kids age? What tricks/tips/advice do you have in dealing with this?
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In our house God knows it all: He sees us, hears us and knows our hearts and minds inside and out, all of the time.
ReplyDeleteWe (the parents) have direct contact with Santa via phone, mail, and secret signals we use when we see him at any of the million places he's at during the month of December. We're the ones who actually report on the kids' behavior, conduct, attitude, etc.
I do love the magic of it all, but I don't want it to be about Santa. That's why we read the Christmas story on Christmas eve and sing happy birthday to Jesus before we dig into the gifts on Christmas morning. That way, regardless of whether or not they believe in Santa, there will always be a reason to celebrate.
We're trying, but it's not always easy.
And DUH, like yeah, of course I knew there five oceans. I mean seriously, who doesn't know that? It's Southern, Northern, Eastern, Western and Central. Geez, girl!!! How's that IU degree treating ya?