

One mother said she was greatly disappointed when she realized who Santa was, but was more upset that her parents "forced" her to perpetuate the "lie." Her parents had said children who do not believe in Santa Claus do not get any presents. Yet there are also various anecdotal reports on Internet chat boards about how the truth has disillusioned or even traumatized people. Half of them said that although the jolly guy was not real, they liked the idea of him. Two out of three kids said they felt a sense of pride in figuring out the truth about Santa Claus. When they did find out the truth, most of them reacted in a positive manner. Only half of kids aged 8 to 11 reported believing in Santa. A significant percentage of believers discovered the truth behind the tale around age 7. Small studies from the United States and Canada suggest that virtually all children know about Santa Claus, even if they do not view him as a real person. Who's right and who's wrong? Could the Santa Claus tale actually hurt kids? Or is it harmless fun? WebMD placed Santa on the naughty or nice checklist and asked child psychology and development experts what they thought about the twinkle-eyed gent. There are those who declare that Christmas wouldn't be the same without good ole St. Like-minded mothers and fathers say they would never deny their kids the joy brought on by belief in Kris Kringle. "Let children be children for as long as possible!" says another parent. "Why on earth are we in such a hurry to take away the innocence and magic that exists in childhood?" says one parent in an online message board. Instead of focusing on Santa Claus during the holidays, he says he will encourage his daughter to cherish family time.Īny thought of hooking Santa Claus away from the holiday stage is enough to make some parents roll their eyes or throw up their hands in outrage.

The 32-year-old father says he won't stop his daughter from believing in Santa Claus if she chooses to, but he wants her to know that holidays can be engineered to encourage spending. "To have Abraham Lincoln be responsible for a President's Day sale is ludicrous." "When Christmas or Fourth of July comes around, these figures symbolize that holiday, but they also propagate sales," he says.

Yet he does not plan to further promote the story because the consumerism produced by the holidays bothers him. Roberto, a San Francisco Bay-area father, says family and friends have already told his 2-year-old daughter about Santa Claus.
