Editorial: The truth about Santa Claus
Monday, 19 December 2011 00:23
At what point do you tell your child that Santa doesn’t exist?
Frankly, it’s getting too challenging to explain Santa’s magic abilities in navigating rooftops and chimneys. And trying to explain how Santa can be in the mall and on the street at the same time is ludicrous.
Although lying is wrong, it’s convenient to use Santa as a tool to get your child to behave. “If you tease your sister one more time, I’m telling Santa not to come to our house this year.”
That usually does the trick, but the effect doesn’t last long.
We could be brutally honest and tell our children that mommy and daddy buy all the gifts, and that Santa is just some old guy being paid to say “Ho, ho, ho!”
Most kids figure this out on their own when they: find presents hidden underneath mom and dad’s bed in November; recognize the voice of grandpa in the red suit; and remove Santa’s fake beard at the mall.
We hate to sound like Scrooge, but the Santa thing has gone too far. If you want to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas, sit them down in front of “A Christmas Carol,” or have them fill a bag with food and deliver it to a needy family.
I used to scoff at my dad when he told me that all he got for Christmas was a knitted pair of mittens. But like the “Coat of Many Colours,” he cherished those mittens on the farm, where the winters didn’t leave your bones until March.
Perhaps the greatest gift you could give at Christmas time is love and compassion, which is what our children need to understand at a young age. And judging from the answers to our Christmas question this year, it looks like local youngsters are well on their way.
We asked them what would be the best gift to give other than a toy.
Grade 3 student Samantha said she would teach others how to love, while Emily, in Grade 4, said she would give respect, forgiveness and hope.
Delaney said the best gift she would give is a picture of herself and her friend having fun together. This would prompt memories of the good times.
Micah, in Grade 6, said the best gift would be homemade cookies for police and firefighters because they keep the community safe.
Kindergarten student Avery said the best gift would be a blanket to keep someone warm.
Layla said she would give the gift of flowers, while Carter said he would make a paper airplane for someone. Straight from the heart.
Lyonel Doherty, Editor
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