So, many years ago my husband said to me "I don't want to follow the whole Santa myth/lie thing with our children". I was mildly devastated. My memories of christmas as a child were so wrapped up in the magic of Santa's-midnight-dash-across-the-Pacific-to-struggle-down-non-existent-chimneys-in-his-fur-lined-suit-in-40-degree-temps-just-to-give-me-presents. *pant, puff...breathe* I felt in that moment that i had been a little ripped off, that i wouldn't get to share and re-live my Christmas memories with my children.
Fast forward nearly 4 years later and here i am pondering how i can get rid of this ridiculous Santa idea from my 3 year old's head. Here's how it went....
Mummy- "Remember when we talked about Christmas last week with Nonny, Harry?"
Harry- "Huh?"
Mummy- "We said Christmas is someone's birthday? Whose birthday is it? "
Harry- "Ummmm.....It's Santa's!"
Mummy- "aarrgh, NOOOO! It's not Santa's birthday, it's someone very special, do you know who?"
Harry- "Umm......mummy's birthday?"
Mummy- "Well, yes it actually is mummy's birthday but that's beside the point. It's Jesus' birthday! Hooray there will be cake and a party just for Jesus."
Harry- "What about Mary?"
Mummy- " Mary was Jesus' mummy but it's not her birthday. Mary is a good mummy but she's just a mummy not special like Jesus (Please don't repeat this to your quasi-Catholic Nonny)."
Harry- "well...what about Elmo?"
Mummy- "sweetie Elmo doesn't really have anything to do with Christmas"
Harry- "He does mummy he does! And soon Santa is coming!"
Mummy- "Darling Santa isn't coming, mummy and daddy give you presents so that we can celebrate Jesus' birthday!"
Harry- " No you don't mummy, no you don't. Santa and Elmo bring all the presents mummy.
Mummy can i something to eat?"
And that was the end of our Christmas conversation. So my fear initially was that Harry would miss out on something special but now i realise that I'm actually going to have a hard time convincing him that the great and powerful media circus is feeding him a big fat Christmas lie. So i continue to tell him about Jesus and we play with our nativity scene and i keep answering questions about Elmo, Santa and Mary. I am now going out of my way to avoid big fat shopping centre Santas, NO ONE is taking the glory for my present buying.
Happy Birthday Jesus. xx
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| Harry playing with our home made nativity scene |
LOL Beas! I felt the same with Geo, because when I was a kid and found out the truth - and I can still remember the first thought that ran through my head now - is, 'Why did Mum and Dad lie to me?' So I was determined to do the Jesus thing and not the Santa thing. However, they still get influence from school, other kids and the media. Even now at 8, I have told Geo several times that there is no such thing as Santa, and yet a kid told him other day that 'our parents put the presents out and there is no such thing as Santa' and Geo was looking at me in disbelief as I nodded to him and he said 'I know Santa is real; I've seen him'. So, it's difficult to explain even when you don't actively encourage it!! And believe it or not, even at 8 my conversations with Geo are similar to the one you had with Harry!
ReplyDeleteI love your home-made nativity scene! And I love that first picture of Harry too- it's great!
ReplyDeleteI'm finding it a real challenge too. I feel so ticked off that before Cass has even really grasped the message of Jesus, she has already grasped: 'Present? For me? That's MINE Eli!' and all the greed of the season. I too am avoiding stores, and Cass doesn't know who Santa is yet, thank goodness, but I'm already preparing for next year when she undoubtedly will understand more!