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Believe it or not, some people think it's wrong to tell your kids about
Santa Claus. They say it could cause permanent mistrust. As if
your kids will one day hit you with, "Why should we believe you? You lied to us about
Santa Claus?" I think this cold-hearted fixation with reality is unrealistic. What's
worse, it's unfair.
Very young people just aren't as good as we adults are at forming or expressing concepts like generosity. So what's wrong with
giving them a symbol of global good will, like Santa Claus, that they can easily imagine,
express, and play with.
I don't think we have to worry about losing Santa Claus. Merchants will keep him alive.
But what about the tooth fairy? According to one survey he's actually growing in
popularity. That's good news for those of us who believe that the imagination is not
strictly reserved for increasing productivity.
So I say let your kids think that tinsel is angel hair. That reindeer land on the roof.
That an angel hovers by their bed at night. The more ridiculous the better. They'll learn
how to distinguish truth from fiction on their own and soon enough, if you let them. Like
the girl who told her parents, "I don't want anything to do with a man who comes
around peeking in my window."
Holiday fantasies make gentle the cruel world. And kids who believe now, may be better
prepared later to appreciate the most universal meaning of these timeless mythologies. To
applaud the passing of the darkest days of winter and to rejoice at the invincibility of
the sun.
Merry Xmas!
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