4 Reasons Why You Should Teach Your Children about Santa

[@thistles]

My parents told me Santa wasn't real because they didn't want to lie to me. I was also raised Christian. How sneaky is that?

[@Sebastian_Gecko]

you are lying when you tell something you THINK is not true.

[@thistles]

I'm sure they meant well. I still resent their attempted brainwashing.

[@Sebastian_Gecko]

whisperingmists don't resent it, changes nothing. love is always better than hate

[@thistles]

That's very true.

[@cruxruber7054]

not very sneaky

[@rebeccahartopp5122]

it's not santa the kids are excited about on xmas morning, it's the xbox you got them

[@Mrspiderman20014]

+Rebecca “becca” Hartopp an xbox for christmas? are you on mushrooms?

[@rebeccahartopp5122]

+DeadPool Junior. I knoe kids who have gotten an Xbox for Christmas. that was there only big present that year though.

[@themasterpotatoe1670]

+Rebecca “becca” Hartopp hi cutie

[@Alex-pg8zl]

The only thing that I gained from believing in Santa is the knowledge of how easily I would've been indoctrinated in a religious family.

[@erikabinroth5987]

As a kid, when my parent admitted the Easter Bunny wasn't real, the tooth fairy, and Santa Claus came with it. I was waiting for a couple weeks for God to come up in that conversation too. Was too scared to ask.

[@iowaisawsomehawkeyes2502]

God,the Lord Allah and Jahova is real

[@SpectacularName]

+Iowa is awsome Hawkeyes I disagree.

[@lavenderplace8591]

Prove it.

[@isaz2425]

I asked. those magic stories seemed fishy.

[@SportsFan-vq9kk]

@@isaz2425 What reasons are those

[@Zerkbern]

Tooth Fairy. Same thing. My dentist told me a story about a little girl in his office. After a checkup and removal of a loose tooth, he was reaffirming the Tooth Fairy mythology when something the girl said made it clear she knew what the Tooth Fairy looked like. "You've seen the Tooth Fairy?", he asked. "Oh yes," she replied. "Really?....well what does she look like?" The girl leaned into him and said, "Well, she looks a LOT like Mommy, only she's naked." -z

[@JAYJAY112565]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha------------classic

[@bjarne3521]

wtf xd

[@Skystarry75]

When I found out the truth about santa, you know what I did? I kept pretending I believed, because if my parents didn't know I knew he wasn't real, then I would get more presents. Plus, I still had a younger brother figuring it out, so I figured I'd go along with it. I think I was 14 when I last got a present from Santa...

[@genisystem1485]

Same here, only I got my last present from Santa when I was 9.

[@Skystarry75]

Solitude My younger brother is 2 and a half years younger than me, he was 12 when we actually told our parents.

[@SilverLovesPink]

Skystarry75 I still get christmas presents at 17 o-o

[@Skystarry75]

SilverLovesPink I still get Christmas presents... Just not gifts from Santa.

[@timtheenchanter5971]

How to respond if your child asks if Santa is real: 1. Can you prove he is not real? 2. Look at the Presents! Is that not proof enough that he is real? 3. What do you have to lose by believing in Santa as opposed to what you can gain by not believing in him. 4. When the child asks why Santa does not deliver to his friend Kenny (whose parents are struggling financially) or his other Jewish friend Kyle, you respond with "Santa works in mysterious ways." 5. If your child is still unsure, you finish with "You just have to BELIEVE!" This way, when your child realizes the truth that Santa is indeed just a myth, it will be that much harder for the child to fall for some false religion. Because there is only one TRUE god who loved the world so much that he boiled for our sins. All you need to do is accept the Flying Spaghetti Monster into your heart to find peace. I had a personal experience so I know this as truth -r'AMEN!

[@jonhoskins8737]

And you thought I wouldn't catch the South Park references.

[@MadMellon777]

+Tim The Enchanter Also "Oh you don't believe in santa, you think your parents do it, You Just WANT to be bad, because if santa isn't real there is no naughty list and then no matter what you do you'll still get presents." Another, Look at all These books about santa, isn't this proof of santa. if the kid says, but those are just myths. then u say, WERE YOU THERE, NO You Can't be 100% SURE they DIDN'T HAPPEN.

[@PaleGhost69]

Such Holy Wisdom. May he bless you with his Noodley Appendage, Brother. Ramen

[@EightThreeEight]

All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster: Parmesan be upon him.

[@bubblegum8845]

Flying Spaghetti Monster? I only know of one true god. ALL HAIL THE MAGIC CONCH!

[@BitcoinMotorist]

Actually kids are smarter than we give them credit for. You don't have to teach them about Santa one way or another. If they ask you, it would be a cool critical thinking exercise to just ask them what they think. You may be surprised by their answers.

[@zeeutuber1315]

+Patrick Dukemajian That's basically what I was thinking this entire video. Thank you, Patrick.

[@dardarbinx07]

For me, finding out that Santa wasn't real made me angry. I remember waking up in the night to see Santa, I ADORED the idea of him, and when I saw my parents putting the presents under the tree and all that, I was angry. I felt lied to, and from that point on, I didn't believe anything they told me as a child to begin with.

[@lilyt99]

HEAR, HEAR! Though I was on the other end of that starting point. I hated Santa so much. He would watch me all the time, even when I was going potty? He snuck into my house!? Who else was sneaking into my house, eating my food? He wants me to sit on his lap so he can offer me toys and candy? uhh, did anyone else see that stranger danger PSA? I was so confused and scared. And my mom lied to me. My own mother! I forever have trust issues. People are liars, and even when people love you, they will purposefully will take you down a notch for their own benefit. I try not to expect the worse of people, but it's hard not to be pessimistic when no one gives you reason to trust anyone is better. At least there are you people out there that see what I see, and I trust that you have integrity. Thank you. :)

[@ckonec5123]

for real you two i agree, i dont have trust issues its only that people lie to me for real lily

[@paden1683]

My parents told me quite the santa claus story. They told me he was a burglar and being santa was his community service. Since my mom did the thing with the presents she once left me a note that said that next time leave cookies and coffee because she does not like milk.

[@MelissaHogwood]

only bad thing about letting them figure it out for themselves is when other kids spread the news that santa doesn't exist, which takes away that powerful feeling you are talking about. makes it more of a let down when they didn't figure it out for themselves. perhaps they feel stupid after, as well as betrayed by their parents.

[@philipebersole6304]

I saw my parents loading up my Easter basket so I knew there was no Easter bunny. I told my mom that I knew there was no Santa. I didn't know. I was just testing. I expected to hear that of course there was a Santa, but she confessed to the truth that it is a fantasy. I was not mad. It was a right of passage. I figured it out on my own and I grew a little that day. If I told the other kids who still believed in Santa that there was no Santa, they would call me a liar. I would ask them how could reindeer fly, how could Santa deliver all those presents in one night. I was told to just believe. It's magic. Since I have come to a realization that they have not yet come to, I felt superior to them. I was raised in a Christian family, but I couldn't stop wondering how someone could rise from the dead or a flood cover the whole Earth. I would receive the same type of answer. Just have faith. Anything is possible with God. It was the same magic Santa uses I guess. Once again I have come to a realization that Christians have not, so Again I felt superior. This is wrong. I am not superior. Like the children, they are not inferior, they are just not ready to realize it's all just a fantasy. I can not convince them otherwise. They must come to the conclusion on their own just like Santa. Best I can do is to live a good life and show them that it is ok, even preferred to let go of your fantasies, and live as big boys and girls.

[@richthenative]

excellent response Phil

[@Raziel_Knight]

While I don't begrudge other parents that do, my friends do, I have chosen to never lie to my kids, so I won't tell them that something exists, especially something that I don't believe myself. I also think that number 4 is an extremely flawed reason to do so, because it assumes that children and families that don't are missing out on something important, when in reality there are plenty of ways to entice your children's sense of mystery and imagination using things within reality that actually are or even are just possible. If you want to make the case for Santa belief because of popularity and that it deprives them of inclusiveness, then you could make that argument with religion as well. They will deal with the exact same situation when it comes to religion, especially Christianity in America. I know my kids do and that's a bad reason to do something like that. You've now shown them that believing in things merely for the desire to be included is an acceptable reason, when it isn't.

[@dredoc1]

Excellent video. This is exactly how I feel about educating your kids on Santa and on many other issues. This whoIe war on Christmas is ridiculous. Call it christmas or whatever. it doesn't matter. Even an atheist like myself can say "bless you" when someone sneezes, or even Christmas; it's just a figure of speech. But as soon as a kid starts to question, then you must be honest and say it's just a character.

[@DenniWintyr]

All of these things you can do without actually telling your kids Santa is real. Simply present the character, don't say if he's real or not... let the kids work out the difference.

[@WearyWatcher]

I met a girl, an adult, where she seemed pretty traumatized about Santa. She couldnt believe her parents lied to her. She became an atheist. She kinda refused to have an imagination about anything at all though. She described it as "the horror" that Santa isn't real and your parents you trust more than anything lied. So yeah I think trauma from Santa does exist. People can have serious trauma from religion anyway.

[@matuballon]

kids are like .., am I still getting all those presents ? fine by me !

[@alyshadeshae]

I quite like the "training wheels for God" comment. As a child, I vaguely remember believing in Santa and then discovering he wasn't real. I don't remember believing in God after learning that Santa wasn't real, though. I thought that they were the same person - kind of like how God is also Jesus is also the Holy Spirit; I just added Santa to the list. However, I thought something was wrong with me for not believing and just kept it to myself for the longest time. I knew that there were other religions that believed in different gods, but I didn't know that there were people who simply didn't believe one existed at all. In fact, one of the priests at the church was quite open-minded and his thoughts on different religions were simply that we were all worshipping the same God in different ways. He didn't, however, tell me that some people just didn't believe. I tried to believe and I continued going to church, mostly because it wasn't an option - I'm actually a confirmed Catholic (bring on the god-children!) - and I read through the Bible several times over. Reading the Bible, of course, made me not want to believe at all because the God of the Bible is a horrible individual! I don't remember exactly when I discovered that "not believing" was a real thing and that I wasn't broken, but I was ridiculously happy about it. Luckily for me, I married my high school sweetheart (also a Catholic-raised atheist) and we have surrounded ourselves with like-minded and open-minded people - and in South Louisiana, this is quite a feat. I no longer think that I'm broken mentally and I think I've done a pretty decent job of throwing off all the taught prejudices - again, thanks to that open-minded priest. Not only did he encourage questions and different ways of thinking, he actually showed me that not only was it possible to not believe, but that it was also possible to leave the Church. One day I plan to track him down and thank him, but for now I'll let him enjoy his time away from parishioners. :-)

[@rudai123]

my 10 year old boy tells me believes in Santa and not a god. I think he just wants more presents.

[@TheBullemore]

I didn’t taught my children about Santa as if he were a real person, we celebrate Christmas; we put a Christmas tree but no nativity. When they ask me about it, I told them that in the 25 of December people celebrate a myth. Then they ask me if Santa is real, I told them the story of saint Nicholas and said to them, “I think that we can work this out together: can a person be in all the houses delivering presents at the same time?” they answered, “Santa must be a wizard.” Then added that they weren’t sure if wizards were real.

[@lilyt99]

That's cute. I respect that way of bringing up a child. Though someday they are going to figure out that other people don't believe it is a myth and it will always be a hard pill to swallow. I have no idea the best way to comfort a child through that. I had to comfort myself and I didn't do a great job, haha. Though maybe that's why I think the atheist movement is so important, because the world is full of BS, and navigating through it can be lonesome and discouraging.

[@Urahara1001]

I remember back when my sister, who is 12 years younger than me, first asked me about Santa (she asked me instead of our parents, still not 100% sure why). She was still very young, and aside from not wanting to ruin it for her so early, I didn't want to teach her to just take my word for it. Instead, I told her that it doesn't matter what I say, but what she believed was the answer. I told her to think about it, to ask herself the important questions and come up with the most logical answer (in simpler words, of course). I don't know for certain if she kept believing right after that, but I remember looking at her and just knowing that the wheels were turning in her head. Whether she grew out of it then or if it took her just a bit longer, I was proud that she was thinking independently and critically about it.

[@shoe245]

I am very glad you did both sides of it all. That is why I very much respect what you do. You aren't one sided and will look at all parts of an argument.

[@TriciaPooh01]

I've always been like that. I asked my mom questions about Santa, babies, and just life in general when I was little. I still do it and I'm almost 20. I question EVERYTHING. I will teach my kids to do so also.

[@NightHawk59]

My daughter is about 2 years older than my son. She figured out the whole Santa thing and immediately wanted to bring her bro "up to speed". We convinced her it was more fun to BE Santa than to break the myth for her brother. She was TOTALLY on board and we all had a great couple of years or so (probably less).

[@aderek79]

I never actually believed in Santa when I was a kid. I remember some of the Christmas when I was five. A present for me said it was from Santa on the tag. After reading it, I guessed right away that it must be from my Grandmother. It never occurred to me to think that it was actually from Santa. Santa was just a fun character from a story like elves or dragons.

[@DavidLeeLewisM]

I had a pipe chimney about 1 foot in diameter, and I remember asking my mom how Santa could fit down that... She told me that he doesn't, and that he actually enters from the attic door upstairs... Apparently when I was really little, this raised no question... I always doubted his existence to some extent [when I was really young], but it was such a great experience.

[@daved8161]

lol you just made me think of the movie "Santa Clause" starring Tim Allen. In that movie he travels down a pipe chimney

[@lilyt99]

and you weren't afraid that if Santa could get in through your attic, so could robbers and child molesters? I know I was terrified that some obese person could sneak into my house easily, and I would have no idea until the next morning, and everyone is cool with it except me.

[@dianeketterer5267]

I think I was 6 when I asked my mom one Christmas if Santa was real she said when you give a gift to someone and all you get is the enjoyment of them receiving that gift and likening it you become Santa.

[@TheTurinturumbar]

I'm not for teaching my daughter about santa but my wife is and I decided to go along with it, though I won't reinforce it, just for the opportunity to encourage critical thinking and questioning authority.

[@storyspren]

I remember when I had it figured out. I pretended to my parents that I believe in Santa because it was so fun to have Santa visit us and give presents and I didn't wanna let that go. The next Christmas my dad asked me if I still believe in Santa and I cautiously told him no. He was like "great, then you can help me carry all the presents to the hiding place" At that moment I didn't feel disappointed at all. I felt like an adult, like I got to get included in some thing grown-ups do because of what I knew.

[@setoman1]

I saw your other video before I saw this. My argument was in support of teaching about Santa, but I'm glad you already addressed this. You basically said all the same reasons I listed. I am glad to know that there are atheists who can see both sides of the argument. I think openness to new ideas is more important than hard knowledge.

[@xxluaxx6]

Also I’m an atheist and a social worker who specializes in early childhood. The stage of life of magical and fantastical thinking is almost directly overlapping the stage children believe in Santa and then outgrow it. We often look at it will an adult perspective but this type of thinking is a completely developmentally normal and expected part of childhood.

[@ImTabe]

7:47 You had such a good pun coming and you blew it... "Worst case scenario with Santa; You get a lump of coal. Worst case scenario with God; You become a lump of coal"

[@brookefrazier9229]

I really like that you have two videos looking at both sides of the issue. Good job!

[@Scarletcroft]

I went to a christian school (only school in town), and quickly made the connection between God and Sinterklaas . During prayer ( which we had to do every morning) I would keep my eyes open and mouth shut and looked around to the other kids with their eyes open and we would smile to each other knowingly or make funny faces. Most Dutch are atheist or agnostic ;) so we are very lucky in that regard. Even my Grandparents didn't really believe in God anymore (WWII cured them of that). A country doesn't go through a war with such sensless deaths based on religion, and then leaving belief in God intact.

[@StanBrooks]

No. It is wrong to lie to your kids.

[@clockworksatyr3954]

We do all the time. I cant tell you how many times parents come to my pet store to replace their kids dead hamster or fish because they are not ready to explain death to their kids. We do it to each other too. How many times have you covered up the fact your friend looked like they walked out of a laundry hamper? Or told a loved one they were not fat when they are? or we avoid informing someone their house smells like cats or their food isn't for your pallet? Sometimes such deceptions are in good judgement, sometimes we do it to much or over do it. Its always a challenge to strike that balance. If your worried about lying to kids about such fables and traditions, i think Santa is the least of your concerns.

[@StanBrooks]

Clockwork Satyr I am a father of four. You might lie to your kids but we don't,

[@clockworksatyr3954]

Then I must commend you if you are 100% truthful all the time to everyone. I use to have a similar opinion- but considering why people lie, and seeing what people lie about I've grown more tolerant if not accepting of it as a function in human behavior. To a point at least. When it spills into theft, cheating, infidelity and so on, That's when the real damage starts to take place and trust becomes difficult to develop and maintain (and for good reason). Where does one draw the line? I think when it starts to hinder trust and cause pain.

[@JeremyHolovacs]

Clockwork Satyr The "why" of deliberate deception is based upon cowardice, IMHO. Rather than face reality and the fact that it can be an ugly thing, we try to procrastinate by pretending it isn't, perhaps hoping we won't have to. Maybe that makes for a "happier" childhood, but I think creating an _artificially_ happy childhood does more damage than good in the long run. It enables unrealistic expectations about what the world is really like.

[@clockworksatyr3954]

Shoot you just made my whole argument against religion! But seriously I'm just being honest about lying. There is a beneficial function to it, and i agree it can go to far. If you cant figure out that balance then honesty is a good policy, but if you can- you probably will or do so already. One of my favorite examples is lying diads. Most often Parents do this for their kids. Parents lie about their kids behavior and action all the time. They may punish their kids themselves later but to avoid public humiliation and save face they work together to develop an more intrecit lie. Especially if they think it may threaten the lives of them and/or their children.

[@Damien231082]

i love your point 2.. its good to get fooled into believing and then figure out santa isnt real. cuz it actually made me more critical about other things as a kid.

[@josephl.315]

I hold that much resentment over the loss of santa. I was angry because my parents created an atmosphere that doubting santa was defiant and "bad", and I was angry about that. I didn't want my 7-year-old brother to go through the same thing, so I kindly explained to him why santa was not real. My parents told me that I was going to hell for that and told my brother that santa definitely exists. I am angry about that.

[@verdew8181]

My mother's childhood was deprived of Xmas because her fundamentalist church frowned on any Xmas celebrations at all because Scripture is silent on it. So she made sure us kids got as much Xmas as she could afford, even though we were poor and got only a few presents and had to reuse the same tree decorations such as tinsel that was falling apart and ornaments that were chipped or had most of their color rubbed off, for many years.

[@nicolettereagan6170]

I think it is just something kids should be able to enjoy while they can vs not getting that at all it's just a little Christmas spirit that makes the world a better place and allow children to have hope believe that there really is a Santa.

[@Markus9705]

It's NOT a harmless thing. It teaches kids to have faith and don't ask logical questions.

[@wpatterson82]

There's plenty of time for being boringly logical when they grow up. I see nothing wrong with letting them enjoy those magical years with santa clause. I have nothing but good memories from that time of my life.

[@Starnerdz]

William Patterson I agree with you up to a point, what if a rich kid for example gets a very expensive gift, and a poor family can only afford their kid some toy car or whatever, or only buys them clothes. The child will feel like he is bad even though he could be more behaved than the rich kid. It's not as harmless as people like to think it is, i know plenty of families that do not make their kids believe in santa for this exact reason and i agree with them.

[@flitsies]

William Patterson Here's the thing, if you have a rich kid that gets an expensive toy, great but don't dismiss the cheap toys as many kids have more fun with them. Before play station and xbox we had conkers cost nothing but the price of a bit of string, before lazer pistols we had carved blocks of wood that we used to make the sound of a pistol for and our imagination took us were we wanted to be. The rich kids lose out a lot simply because their imagination has been taken away from them by manufacturing giants that make the sounds for them and draw the pictures for them imagination not needed. What makes a scooter worth £150 if it's for a child, most kids would be happy with a scooter that looks similar to but is lots cheaper, it gives them scope to experiment with making it go faster. Adult scooters are different due to construction but for a child so long as it's safe why does it need to cost $200 go to the cheap store and buy the $20 scooter they will love it just as much. Can't afford Disney skates, buy ordinary skates and a packet of stickers, they will enjoy putting their own stickers on where they want them and it's a lot cheaper. So even the poorest of kids can get something they can enjoy at Christmas if the parents use their imagination to provoke their kids imagination, even if it's second hand clean it up polish it make it look new they probably won't care.

[@BoredErica]

I have a bad memory, but the earliest time I actively remember about Santa clause, I was thinking to myself, what utter bullshit. Obviously fake. They weren't magical, I was being lied to. I just wanted presents. It's kind of assuming that all kids love Santa because Santa is Santa, not because Santa gives gifts. I think many kids like the gift parts way more. They just want STUFF. Hardly magical, and there is plenty of magic in the real world. There's also plenty of ways to imagine a fake world without believing in Santa. I think we have an overly rosey memory of the past when we could spend that time to invent magic in our own lives today as adults.

[@blistified]

Replicators "The child will feel like he is bad even though he could be more behaved than the rich kid" kid is a fuckin idiot then and so are those families and so are you

[@AttaBek1422]

if i tell my dad 'daddy, i caught you coming down the stairs when you thought i was sleeping' he would say 'Why the heck were you still awake by then?!?'

[@SpectacularName]

I can't remember ever believing in Santa as a child. I knew he was in books and songs, and had never seen him, so I always thought that he was some kind of metaphor.

[@JeffersonBoulevard]

I didn't feel empowered when my parents found out that I knew. I just got no more Santa. That was it. Nothing on Christmas morning. That great joy was gone. I felt as if they didn't care that much about me anymore. It was a silent hurt.

[@Raziel_Knight]

It doesn't actually prepare them for religion, because that assumes that they won't be dealing with religion at the same as Santa and you will actually end up looking like a hypocrite or at the very least causing confusion, because while you were telling them your position on what you consider fictitious, you on the other hand encouraged them to believe in something you KNOW is fictitious. My kids dealt with the religion of their classmates and friends BEFORE they dealt with Santa belief from them.

[@PopsGribs]

I realized, too late, that playing Santa Claus with my kids would start conditioning them to think it is okay to believe something without evidence. I have a friend who just tells his kids "it is fun to pretend" (about Santa).

[@skellymom]

I remember really thinking that many of the things my mom told me about Santa didn't really make sense. Although, I really loved the idea that Santa helped people out at Christmas (as I was told from media and parents that Santa helps those that needed not just toys, but food, clothing, etc.-the whole Santa helps the poor thing). When I finally realized he didn't exist, I immediately thought 2 things: 1. what else did my mom lie to me about? 2. What happened to all those people who weren't getting any help from Santa? While it might have helped me empathize with the poor, it had me not even realizing for my childhood years the grim reality that many children and adults live with every holiday season (and all year) of being poor and being in need. I don't think it fosters (especially with the anger against the poor/disenfranchised in this country) empathy for those less fortunate and can make a real difference for each other...uh...I think also explains the God thing, too.

[@deathcat1016]

i stopped believing in Santa when i was three and god when i was 12

[@richthenative]

I questioned my Mom about Santa when I was 7. Too much didn't make logical sense. We had no fireplace, how can he eat and drink milk and cookies from each kids house, what if there is no snow, how can he land on such a short roof, etc. She asked like three times, "do you really want to know?" and told me, but also telling me not to tell my 3 year od sister though, so we keep the fun. I believed in God ( kinda, I questioned my Sunday school teachers when in High School, they were good in allowing me to wonder and question. I was Presbyterian, so no Catholic emphatic preaching. I also wondered if my friends had the same thoughts, but we were all too afraid to speak up. In the late 60's I realized I was agnostic. Finally after reading a lot of astrophysics, and then Carl Sagan's 'Pale Blue Dot' caused my 'epiphany' in realizing this was a preposterous and impossible 'idea'......I was now 51 years old, but still basically kept the realization to myself, you know, not wanting to 'offend' anyone. Just this past year at 65, I am out of the proverbial 'closet' and happy to have deep scientific discussions. Wish it happened sooner, and hope more young people see the 'light'

[@deathcat1016]

That is a good story thanks, i think it is never too late for someone to have an epiphany like that. I gave up on the idea of god so quickly in life because i have always loved science and hated what people will do to each other over something they read in a book that has a bunch of complete nonsense in it. I think the final straw for me was when i learned that biologically humans fear the unknown and will even make things up ( bible and all other holy books ) so that they cant see the unknown. All my life i have been fascinated by the unknown i don't want to put a big tarp over my window into the world that has one word on it "god" that is not my way and i hope the rest of the world will catch up. My mom feels sorry for me thinking that when i am alone i will feel alone because "god" is not there. And my dad thinks it is just a phase. When i hear people talking about god and his ways in my mind i just see a mime alone in a white expanse of emptiness banging his head against an invisible wall. Sorry about my rambling when you have A.D.D. that tends to happen often. thanks

[@DavidLeeLewisM]

I started just 'going along' with Santa in Kindergarten when I felt like he didn't exist... I just believed along because everyone else did and it was fun. I stopped believing in God only recently, but I left Religion all together 4 years ago.

[@Kammerliteratur]

You can tell them that santa isnt real, but that its like visiting a theater play, a game everyone is envolved in. And after you told it to them, your whole family can enjoy the game, you could even allow the child to play santa, give it the costume and so on. So the child can use its creativity and really enjoy christmas in a enlightened manner.

[@alessarose9319]

I found out the truth about Santa by finding where my parents stored the wrapping paper, stealing most of it, and documenting the patterns on what remained. When the presents were all wrapped with the remaining paper, I knew. Science!

[@meegy2]

I was devastated and cried when my brother told me Santa wasn't real, but that's probably because I wasn't able to figure it out on my own and I was 5. but yeah, I still got over it. I just don't think I would be comfortable lying to my future kids, but I probably won't even have to. I'll let them figure it out on their own.

[@NupaLittleOwl]

When I found out, I never had the feeling of betrayal towards my parents or disappointment. It was more like "Oh...well it was fun while it lasted, now I'm just looking forward for the presents every year" As a college student and a non-religious person. I am actually considering teaching my kids about Santa, but if they ask or figure it out themselves, then I will know they are thinking "This shit isn't right, A big fat white guy trespassing in the house at night flying all over the world?" But like any other kid, they get over it and move on. We all turned out just fine. Like he said, it's just fun holiday tradition. Both of my parents are Christians and they know I'm not religious, but the fact of coming home and putting up the tree, lights, seeing and being out in the snow, is good. Just love the great feeling of family and joy. That's all it is too me anyway.

[@LaurenScappy]

lol I remember when I found out about Santa, I cried for a long time and called my parents horrible for lying to me... I was slightly over dramatic as a child haha! But I knew it was all in good fun and got over it pretty quickly. I think I just loved being attached to my very active imagination.

[@TheSledgeer]

My five year old son told me he knows Santa isn't real, but he was afraid I wouldn't give him extra presents if I knew he knew... I just got hustled by a five year old.

[@ActiveAdvocate1]

PS: Can't remember how old I was but the thing that tipped me off was that "Santa's" writing on the tags (i.e. "To Lilly, Love Santa") looked remarkably like my mother's writing. I was a bit of a smartass as a kid though. Still am, thankfully. Makes life more fun.

[@Elipson52008]

My mom told me about Santa and I cried. I would've gotten over it quickly, but my dad yelled at me and told me to get over it or else I would be punished and never get presents again. I never really got the chance to process Santa's nonexistence for fear of getting punished for crying. I ended up holding resentment for a long time and my dad continues denying that he ever said that. :(

[@jean-luclarue5104]

I'm an atheist with semi-religious parents who taught me about Santa and it was a lot of fun when I was a kid so I'm glad I had that in my life.

[@HelMask]

I think of these points myself, and am happy to find that I've come to the same conclusions as you Hemant Mehta! Great vid! btw I just watched the 7 vids before this one and I think it's clever how you made the two vids interchangeable.

[@terribletrench]

I think you should tell your kids about Santa. I remember the happiness from christmas when I was younger. My kids should have the same experience.

[@rustile306]

I figured out santa at a very young age, although my mom had insisted on trying to make me believe it. And if it weren't for my dad who couldn't uphold a lie about anything and my older sister, I would have probably ended up convinced not to ask questions about such things. Instead it helped build distrust in my mom which really was a bad thing retrospectively.

[@QwertyCaesar]

You know, as a kid, I came up with the most elaborate hypothesis' about how Santa did what he did, and I only stopped believing around the time I was 8 or 9 when my mother told me Santa wasn't real. I, however, never really bought the whole "God" thing. Strange how things work out. Anyways, some of these hypothesis were things like how Santa probably got around getting around the world all in one night by either hiring multiple people to share his burden or cloning himself. The reason he and somebody in my family inevitably used the same wrapping paper was that he had his elves leave a note saying which kind somewhere where only they would find it, and where they would eventually find it - after all, logically Santa would know my parents' schedule and mannerisms too, right? So for me, it was kind of like amateur theology hour.

[@georgecataloni4720]

Ever since I found out about my dad being Santa, I vowed to never lie to my future kids. I learned at a young age to expect lying, misinformation, and lack of explanation from my mother, but not from my father; he was always the one who made sense. Tbh, it didn't hurt THAT much, but it wasn't nice.

[@yayap001]

I remember being the first kid in my class to say santa was not real, some kids thought it made sense but it upset several kid and the teacher had to say not to take about it anymore and it was up to the kid parents to talk about it with them. It was a religious school so they where probable sensitive to that sort of thing.

[@genotech117]

I think teaching children the story of Santa Clause is just fine AS LONG AS you also invite the eventual questions regarding the validity of Santa Clause. One of my friends asked for advice when her daughter started questioning because she wanted to "preserve her innocence," to which I advised her that promoting ignorance is not preserving innocence. Prompt them to think critically and when they reach the conclusion that Santa Clause is not real, reward their ability to use their mind. When they decide that Santa doesn't exist, but are still unsure how the presents got there, challenge them to investigate it.

[@dangernoodle8376]

I will probably try to raise a logical child somehow tell them about Santa and hope they burst in to laughter and say why would you believe that

[@SaunaFinland]

Yes, I agree that Santa is a great tool to use for encouraging critical thinking.

[@WackyJack322]

As someone who is not a parent but does have younger relatives, I see the whole santa thing as just a fun game to play with kids. It's like letting them pretend they're a superhero or a princess, yes it's a lie but it lets them have an imagination and eventually they get over it. My philosophy is that lying in and of itself isn't bad, it's the consequences of the lie that make it bad. Parents lie all the time to protect their kids from the harsher realities of life, so just let kids be kids. So long as no one is burning in a fiery hell pit, I don't think there's any harm in it.

[@dropspindle352]

I swore my kids wouldn't believe in Santa. My youngest decided that Santa is real and I'm crazy for saying daddy is Santa. I saw how happy it made her, so I won't press the issue. Like you said, it prepares her for learning about god, and I want to teach her to decide what she believes. Keeping my fingers crosses that she gets it right next time.

[@rainboweagle-o8b]

I enjoyed Santa stuff although I always knew it was just some guy in a weird outfit.

[@BriannasPlanet]

Ive always asked questions ever since I was a little kid. In fact, I was the one that went up to my dad when I was little and told him why santa claus to me didnt make any sense. It just seemed impossible. It gets you thinking about whats true or false and its the same way how I stopped beiliving in a God. I dont think telling your kids about santa is bad. It actually should encourage them to ask questions.

[@holguacamol8408]

As a kid it was simply fun to think about the concept that is Santa Claus. But I am quite sure everyone knows he doesn't exist, mainly because no one in my country owns a chimney. But everyone just plays along and have a good time doing it.

[@EightThreeEight]

I distinctly remember the exact time when I learnt that Santa doesn't exist. My Dad gave it away; my parents have split, and I was staying at his place on Christmas Eve, and I had to share a bedroom with him because there wasn't enough space. When we went home on Boxing Day, my Dad was telling my mother about how I wasn't being quiet in bed, so he didn't get enough sleep and had problems waking up to do the stockings. But both of my parents are atheists, and they only did it because it's a fun story for a kid.

[@JacobBurrell]

You've done both videos for both points, what would you do/do you do with your children?

[@leodailey5453]

confusing huh? We do the santa thing, its way fun :-)

[@leodailey5453]

You know, I grew up with the whole santa thing. And at no time did think ! Ahhh santa is fake and my parents are liers! I hate them so much 4 lying and I can never trust them again" So why do people think this will happen to them? ???

[@Kold2012]

Leo Dailey its more sub conscious and comes into play later in their life.

[@lilyt99]

Leo Dailey I did. It taught me that even people you love are probably going to lie and manipulate you. I learned that lying is acceptable as long as it's fun lying. Like convincing me to sit on some strangers' lap so I can get the Barbie dream house he promises me. Such a good life lesson mixed with the stranger danger PSAs. Not confusing at all. -_-

[@leodailey5453]

Lily T If a relative is talking u n2 'sit on some strangers' lap', ummm depending on your age (...is currently or was happening), you really should let other family members ( and/or a lawyer) know about this. eeek! But, if your an adult with at least a HS education and some good 'street smarts', by all means enjoy the excitement that come with sitting on strangers laps for material gains. :-) Now, about ur teaching. Yes people lie, it just how humans r. Its up to u, to be manipulate by it or not. Keep in mind we as people do not lie all the time. I think, IMHO people will lie as a defense to either protect themselves or others. some for just 4 fun to be silly. I think, (again IMHO) most people will be truthful most of the time :-) PS notice the disclaimers of 'I think' all data is my opinion.

[@JayDeath1]

I was absolutely devastated when I found out Santa was a lie. I remember feeling so deceived.

[@JackRSlade]

I was mad at my parents for like a month when I found out. It really hurt learning they lied.

[@harryz567]

Shared this amazing channel over on facebook

[@daniiiakasha1436]

I'm convinced my daughter doesn't believe anymore but leads me to believe she does so she can get the gifts. At least this is how it came across this past Christmas.

[@easilydistracted2090]

wait, I just saw your video about not teaching your kids about santa

[@Retorix303]

I think there is a huge difference between instilling the concept of santa clause being real in your children and simply allowing them to think for themselves. Answering questions about Santa is different from teaching the 'truth' of it. Showing and encouraging your children to think critically needs to be followed up by you standing on the sidelines being like their internet search engine. In that same way a math teacher might demonstrate the concept of rationalizing the denominator and then unbiasedly assist them in trying it for themselves, including making errors in their math, or in this case, their reasoning. Santa Claus being introduced as a concept is such a pivotal time where children can face a myth presented by society as truth and come to realize that it's a false assertion. This process can be difficult to learn without teaching and practice.

[@daved8161]

I remember discussing the existence of Santa in grade school with my friends. And I was the one who was adamant of his existence!

[@hauk119]

I'm 17 now so this might change, but I doubt that I will be teaching kids about Santa. I don't think lying is ok. I'm fine with being challenged, but I'd rather it be for the merit of my ideas (or lack there of) than for a lie I told.

[@Ofjelge]

A little known fact is that Santa Claus actually arose from Norse mythology. Before Scandinavia and Germany was cristianized, North Germanic people used to celebrate "Yule" or "Yuletide". This was basically a pagan feast in honor of the Norse gods, which took place around the time of the winter solstice. It was believed that Odin would reward faithful worshippers with gifts and good luck, if their offerings pleased him. He was said to ride around on his eight-legged steed Sleipnir and visit his most loyal supporters, offering them gifts and bringing luck to their homes. Odin was described as a hooded and red or blue caped figure with a long beard, riding atop the fastest steed in the world. After the Yule celebration was conglomerized with Christianity and connected to the birth of Christ, the myth of a hooded figure bringing gifts to pious people through the winter night later merged with the legend of Saint Nicholas and this in turn gave birth to the modern and highly commercialized version of Santa Claus we all know today.

[@MelikecakeYAY124]

When i was a little kid, i always tried to stay up, and bust them being the tooth fairy, but i always fell asleep

[@zeeutuber1315]

Well, my father basically wanted me to grow up hearing the truth, anything I asked he'd tell me truthfully except like Santa, but I figured that out at the age of like 6, after hearing all this truth and knowing how to think reasonably I became an atheist age the young age of 10! Afterwards I convinced more than a few of my friends to become atheists, I often have religious debates with friends, family and such. I actually enjoy debating with them, mainly because the points I make are historically and scientifically accurate; I'm 13 right now and it's hilarious at how much better my points hold up than theirs. Believe it or not, but pre-teens who don't have too much religious faith and who aren't suborn can extremely easily be convinced there isn't a higher power (Note that usually female pre-teens are more stubborn and often times more ignorant than male pre-teens.). Being an atheist will also make you better at philosophy because of better reasoning skills, it might even make you vote for a better president candidate.

[@johnfortner357]

Same

[@SpectacularName]

It might be that female kiddos are less willing to rebel against their parents' religion at that age.

[@drnekodr]

Good points.. You have changed my mind on this.

[@insectboy28]

its funny because christmas or Yuletide which was the original name, is actually a Pagan holiday

[@AnsonJew]

This is exactly how I came to atheism as a kid! I noticed the similarities between Santa and God, and very early on figured out that it was all about control.

[@Belarius890]

This is vital information for every atheist parent, good job Hemant!

[@lilmermer10]

Thank you for making me feel better when you said that kids are usually in the kindergarten when I find out about Santa Claus (sarcasm). I was in 4th grade and 9 years old when I found out and my mother had to tell me. When I was younger I had figured that maybe God empowered him to travel all over the world. I am now an atheist and I feel silly that it took me that long

[@doneidson-ix2qn]

When I was small, I could not believe that Santa Claus flew through the air and landed on rooftops. I thought he was on the ground like everyone else. I was also thinking that his sleigh must have made a hell of a lot of racket sliding along the pavement.

[@drkstr7]

awesome advice, I swear I can teach some adults with this.

[@HDLuff4Eva]

Santa scared the crap out of me. "He sees you when you're sleeping..." I was 5 when I noticed the writing on the presents from Santa looked like my mom's... Oooohhhhh.....

[@subbasslines]

Mr Mehta you made a good point the joy of writing a list, you learn what they like. why not develop on what they wrote explain which is better in the long run, teach them value, purpose get them to question their own thought help them learn.

[@MrInsaneMixer]

I think he is right. But even though some parents do teach their children about Santa, when the kids ask if they are right they will just simply sugarcoat more and more lies or straight up tell them. When some kid asks: "Mom/Dad, I was thinking and this shit makes no sense. Is that true?" the best way to go around it is to ask "Why do you think it's not true?" or "What makes you say that?" so the kid can tell you. Some parents just go with "Yeah. It's not true" and most parents go with "No, it's true because [add bullshit here so I can force you to be a good kid]."

[@aprylrivera1501]

Thanks for your commentary. I am a liberated female agnostic Santa and my daughter is an atheist Santa (we're in the entertaining biz)

[@RaveScratch]

Santa scared the shit out of me when I was a kid.

[@DarthKaujas]

me too!

[@annietrinity1833]

Four reasons NOT to teach your child about Santa Claus: 1. It's lying to them. Obviously! Having good intentions does not nullify the reality that this is a form of fucking with them. A person is a person no matter how small and it is evil to deprive another human being the right to live in reality. There will be plenty of other opportunities to make your child incredibly happy. The permanent damage you will do to the trust in your relationship with that child by showing that there ARE circumstances under which you would lie to them for years on end is not worth it. 2. IT. FUCKING. HURTS. In so many things adults seem to forget the bullshit that engulfed their childhood, in exchange for this romanticized time of innocence. Well I don't remember many Christmases where I was thrilled about Santa but I do remember very vividly the pain of finding out I was lied to. If I could do it all over again I wish my mother had been smart enough not to give into parental peer pressure. As an atheist, you should realize that truth is more important than a happy delusion, and your child is not an outlet for you to choose happy delusion vicariously. Again, even if you want to make them happy, this is a form of playing with another persons' emotions. Knock it off! 3. The primary argument that always comes up is that it teaches them skepticism or how to deal with finding out your worldview is wrong or whatever. Maybe so, but it is not your job as a parent to create these fabricated scenarios to teach your child your values. The facts of life will come naturally; that's why they're called the facts of LIFE. Telling them this fairy tale is conflicting with an essential element of openness you need to keep with your child. Because that's what you really need, a relationship where when your child naturally encounters something shaking that makes them feel confused, they can come to you knowing that you will be honest about your personal experiences on this matter. And this is an act that flies in the face of the intellectual humility you are trying to impart anyway. Because maybe if your child goes their entire life without learning the lesson of "Santa", what you should take away from that is that you were wrong, that the set of values you would have tried to impose isn't as important as you thought it was. 4. It's easier on you. Every year, no outlandish requests, no mile long list way outside your budget, no disappointment when the impractical thing they wanted so bad isn't there, and if it is there, no watching your kid be grateful to someone else for the hard work that YOU did. And no lying about the physics of Santa to cover up the original one. Plenty of people all over the world did and do grow up perfectly fine without this bullshit "rite of passage". Be a real skeptic; admit that you were wrong and apologize to those who got hurt; don't keep doing it and coming up with these flimsy justifications to make yourself feel better about what you did and what was done to you. People do the same thing with circumcising their kids because it's a way to get out of feeling angry about the fact that they were circumcised and it's just not alright.

[@TheLazyKey]

"God is Santa Claus for adults" I like that one. Granted, I probably won't be saying that one in front of my Christian friends.

[@Dramon0412]

I never really believed in Santa but never shared my doubts because I was afraid when my parents know I dont believe in Santa anymore they would stop giving me gifts... :)

[@KalinTheZola]

I was traumatized about Santa, but that's because at the age of 5 my dad just up and told me he wasn't real. I think for ME personally that was a good thing. My parents are Christian, and because he told me that this belief he stuck in my head was a lie, it made me question other things, such as god. it's a case by case basis though.

[@lewdie]

Really well done video mate. Keep it up.