Santa is Real. Problem?
by coramdeo on Dec.24, 2008, under Holidays, Life Philosophy
So does anyone else see the problem in this commonly held belief?
“I’m going to teach my kids that Santa is real, don’t you or your kids tell my kids the truth, I want them believing a lie, its betters their childhood. Besides everyone else is doing it, my parents did it and I turned out fine, see it’s ok to lie to your kids, it makes them happier.”
Anyone?
December 24th, 2008 on 4:22 pm
http://scatterwave.blogspot.com/
I responded to your blog on my blog…
Merry Christmas
December 25th, 2008 on 12:08 pm
Cool, I feel honored! However, you didnt directly address my question. You just stated that it was fun for you, and fun for your kids, you turned out ok, and so did they, thus its ok. Which is exactly what my question stated (so at least i got it right!). But the question is, philosophically is it ok to lie to your kids about Santa, and is this a case where the ends justify the means?
I have a problem with lying to your kids blatantly and directly, and encouraging them in the lie, philosophically. Please help me understand why philosophically it is ok to lie to your children, even if it makes them have fun. But is it really more fun that they believe in Santa than not? How do you know, you never did not as a child and i never did. It was plenty fun for me not believing how do you know yours was more fun?
And i would argue that not believing inherently has less problems psychologically for the child than believing, if anything theoretically.
Anyways i am curious as to why people think its ok to lie to their children, and how they think “because it makes them happier” is an ok argument? Am I really that uptight and picky, or is there really some problem somewhere with this?