No there is no difference. Telling someone something that you know is not true is a LIE! There is no way to get around that. I honestly wish I had never learned about Santa clause. It's like if I woke up from the matrix and everyone said that they didn't want to "ruin the magic for me". It's bullshit no matter how you look at it. >:(

You believe in God, a magical, bearded man who answers people's prayers and brings them good tidings. That is very similar to the idea of Santa, who can be everywhere at once and know when you have been bad and good. So, how do you think your child is going to feel about God when you lied about Santa? I only say this, because I have seen this happen to my cousins. Growing up, my parents told me not to "break people's holiday spirit" if they were told Santa was real. So my cousins believed in Santa, Jesus, and all the other holiday mascots. Then, when they were eight, they found out the truth. They had their whole world crash down around them. They didn't want to go to church because they felt it was a lie. They didn't believe what their parents said about God, because "you lied about Santa." The lies hurt kids, because you let them believe there is magic then take it away.

Yes, there is a difference between lying and pretending. Pretending is when you make stuff up, and everyone knows its fiction but they act like its real, just for fun. Like when you make your stuffed animals go on adventures, or you pretend you're a tv chef while you make a sandwich from home. Lying is similar but you fool others into thinking something is true when it really isn't. Santa could be either. But if you make your kid believe he's real, and they fall for it, that IS a lie. Pretending would be making sure they knew the truth, but then going on as if it were true, after making sure they knew what's real and what isn't. That way, they can enjoy the fun of Santa without you lying to them. Because its not fair to be lied to. Who likes being lied to? Its a bad thing!

There are ways for people to be both honest and supportive for their kids. My parents were always in the yard with me, playing pirates, building fake cities, taking me to the moon in a cardboard rocket. However, they were honest with me from the start. They told me that zombies and ghosts were not real, that Santa (and his friends) represented the spirit of the season. I was able to go visit the Santa in the mall and talk to him about what I would like, but my parents told me that he was there to make people happy. I turned out just fine. I didn't have mental break downs or call my parents liars. They let me live my life, but they also made sure I grew up knowing the truths about the world.

Point well made, however I grew up believing in Santa and I loved it! There was no breaking point when i knew he wasn't real, it was just something I figured out for myself when old enough. I also did not think my parents were liars for letting me believe in him. I believed Michael Jackson was magic too at one point too and i still remember how wonderful it was to believe in such things. Pretending is different from a lie. Our children will not resent us and if there are people that do resent their parents for this then they must have other issues going on.