I went to grab a couple of things from the shops the other day and discovered Christmas has arrived in retail land. It led me to think yet again about the whole Santa concept. Thankfully, I don’t have to do the whole ‘Santa’s coming’ thing just yet with my daughter, but it will definitely be the last time.
I’m wondering if I’m the only person in the western world who isn’t so keen on Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas …. whatever you like to call that bearded bloke who delivers pressies.
I don’t know why I can’t shake my lack of desire to tell the whole made up story of Santa coming and giving you presents, but only if you’ve been a good little girl or boy. I don’t like the whole concept of lying about the existence of Santa. I don’t like the idea of encouraging my children to want, want, want and demand, demand, demand, whether it be in the form of a letter, list or lap sitting request to Santa personally. I certainly don’t like the material reward for good behaviour idea.
Yet Santa is an accepted concept in our culture and it probably can’t be avoided. I’m not suggesting children shouldn’t have ‘magic’ in their lives, or excitement at Christmas, or be deprived of toys. But I just can’t help hating the mere thought of the Santa phenomenon.
This year, with ‘stranger danger’ having just come into my daughter’s life, will I try and force her to like jolly old Santa and try and convince her she should sit on his lap for a photo or two? I am wracking my brains for a way to avoid the whole Santa thing for the extent of my daughter’s childhood. Okay, that’s a little impossible given he’s at every shopping centre, not to mention in books, at work Christmas parties, and talked about in great detail among children and adults alike.
I can’t bring myself to ‘spoil’ the idea of Santa and cause problems for my daughter in the playground but can someone please, oh please, tell me why he still exists?