Lies Are for the Lazy

Parenting: it’s such a hard job. When you don’t know the right things to do to make sure your kids are happy and behaving, it is challenging. So you turn to the one tool you have: LIES, a technique that has been passed down through generations, but maybe shouldn’t be anymore.

Lying to children is a natural response for a parent these days. They lie about the Boogeyman to get them to sleep, they tell them that the Easter Bunny is real and they tell them how a big man in a red suit is coming down the chimney at 12 o’clock at night and watching them to make sure they’re sleeping. Why the heck would you do that to your kid?! I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t sleeping well at night knowing any of this. Sure, my parents got me to behave with this technique, but as I got older, they decided to tell me everything all at once! As a kid, I was traumatized. I remember sitting in my living room after my friend told me Santa wasn’t real and asking my parents if that was true. I was praying to God that my friends were just saying it to mess with me. I hoped my parents were not lying to me about something I loved. But no. My parents straight up lied to my face.

Yes, believing in Santa is fantastic, making kids so happy and full of joy, but I can assure you, you can tell them the truth and still, keep that joy. Don’t bluntly lie to your kids face and tell them Santa is a real man flying in the sky with reindeers. In reality, he was a Bishop named St. Nicolas. He was rich and gave money to a family so the dad didn’t have to sell his three daughters. His story teaches us to be kind and give to those who need help. Don’t fall for the consumerist propaganda crap. If your uncle is in need of a fancy watch to impress someone, get him that watch, but don’t tell your kid that Santa did it. Your kids can handle that Santa is just a character of Christmas. It’s a way to get parents to spend more money on extra presents that have the effect of making your kids feel loved by someone else. Your child deserves to be told the truth, and know that you love them enough to seek out that perfect gift for them. Tell them Santa is not real! He’s a man in history that teaches us to love, be giving, be kind and spend a cold day huddled by the fire with family.