The Lies We Tell

I've been having this debate with myself ever since my daughter was born.  What do you say to your child about certain things?  I was raised with my eyes wide open to the truths of the world, but many kids believe in things that aren’t true. 

Santa is an amazing jolly man who brings our kids presents on Christmas Eve.  He flies his reindeer all around the world on a sled and delivers millions of toys to the good boys and girls.  If you’re bad he’ll give you a sack of coal instead.  He loves milk and cookies.

A magical woman called the Tooth Fairy sneaks into your room after you’ve lost a tooth and puts money under your pillow and takes your tooth away.

Don’t even get me started on some of the ones that I don’t know; Easter Bunny, The Stork and all the parents’ who tell their kids lies to keep them away from it.  Soda is icky.  TV will rot your brain.  If you keep making that face it will stay that way.  If you sit that close to the TV your eyes will go bad.  Monsters will eat you if you don’t go to bed on time.  There are so many more that are perpetuated by our society, feel free to add some of your own!

But how do I feel about it?  My daughter is reaching that age that she’s starting to understand the stuff we tell her.  If we tell her about Santa this year she’ll be prepared for next year.  Do I tell her the lie?  It’s all about the joy right?  I never knew the excitement and joy that other kids must get, waiting up for Santa, only to miss him when you fall asleep.  Writing him letters to tell him what you want for Christmas.  It all seems really sweet for kids.  Do I really want to deprive my daughter of all that?

What about the lie?  Is it really okay to lie to your child, even if it is all in good fun?  I could go into the psychological implications here, but I’ll spare you those gory details. 

Even though I am still lost on my own personal thoughts of this we’ve decided to go ahead and keep the lie of Christmas in our house.  I think I’d like her to understand the spirit of Christmas and that is what Santa is all about.  My parents raised me to know that Christmas is a time of family togetherness and love.  It’s not about the presents.  It’s about being with family.