Other Post Christmas thoughts...
**Edited - this post was started a looooong time ago***
Okay, so this has been rolling around in my head since early December when we first started talking about Santa Claus and presents and Christmas. This was the first year that N. was old enough to have any comprehension about this aspect of Christmas. And it was with amazing fortitude that she grasped the idea and tightly held to the belief that a stranger in a red suit was going to come break into her house on Christmas Eve and bring her toys. A baby doll to be more precise. As the month wore on and we started using the idea of Santa only brings presents to the "good kids," as a disciplinary strategy, I just started getting really uncomfortable with this whole concept. Why is it exactly that we introduce the idea of materialism for good behavior to our kids? Who came up with this idea? Particularly, as Christians, who are also celebrating Christ's birth at this time, why do we bring in a completely contradictory idea about being "good" in order to gain possesions? It really makes no sense. Aren't we supposed to be motivated to do good out of our love for God, not for what we can get out of it? Am I over-thinking this?
Okay, so this has been rolling around in my head since early December when we first started talking about Santa Claus and presents and Christmas. This was the first year that N. was old enough to have any comprehension about this aspect of Christmas. And it was with amazing fortitude that she grasped the idea and tightly held to the belief that a stranger in a red suit was going to come break into her house on Christmas Eve and bring her toys. A baby doll to be more precise. As the month wore on and we started using the idea of Santa only brings presents to the "good kids," as a disciplinary strategy, I just started getting really uncomfortable with this whole concept. Why is it exactly that we introduce the idea of materialism for good behavior to our kids? Who came up with this idea? Particularly, as Christians, who are also celebrating Christ's birth at this time, why do we bring in a completely contradictory idea about being "good" in order to gain possesions? It really makes no sense. Aren't we supposed to be motivated to do good out of our love for God, not for what we can get out of it? Am I over-thinking this?
posted by Erin at 5:50 AM
2 Comments:
i don't think you're overthinking it. m. and i just talked about this and about santa in general. i'm not sure i want to tell our kids aboutsanta. as christians, we already have the Giver of Good Gifts as our personal Savior. do we need fantasy AND the virgin birth?
Lins,
Maybe we should discuss a no santa policy in the family. i'm not sure if M. would go for it, but i think it may be worth the effort of persuasion.
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