She wasn't *trying* to tell parents what to do, she just thinks she knows how to raise kids. I'll bet that 95% of all people who see a parenting decision they wouldn't have made will at least *think,* "This is what they should be doing, not that." She wasn't *trying* to impose her ideas on other parents, she just did. I guess I might be more wont to agree with you if I didn't agree with her, though. :-)

That was an epic FML yesterday. It was sad that the kid was eleven years old.

I thought I was the only one who caught that. My hope in human kind has been slightly restored.

#75 Many parents don't want critical thinking children, but rather obedient ones. They don't want to be questioned by them, especially when the children have the better arguments. Also, the Santa Claus for the children is the preparation for accepting the Santa Claus for adults. Deceiving children, attacking their natural rationality and undermining their common sense is important, because otherwise they might later ask questions like "How do you know that your god is more real than fictitious ghosts or imaginary friends?". So you see, the lie of Santa Claus does not only save many many families, it's also important for our society.

"They don't need to scared into being "good"" what do you religion is

I don't understand it. When kids learn the truth they learn that it's okay to lie, for one thing, since we'd lied to them. The disappointment on that day is ridiculous, and when that happens, part of the moral framework that we had developed within them also collapses. They start questioning other things - perhaps things that they should have questioned from day one, but their questions are now tinged with bitterness. But hey, Santa Claus is FUN, right? Just like teaching your kid the colors incorrectly :-P

Critical thought is why most kids eventually question the myth. You're obviously smart BUT YOUNG. Not young enough to still believe in Santa, but too young to have a family of your own. When the wretched cynicism of teen/early 20's is washed off - that period of time where you think you know better, you'll understand. Tradition is important, much more important than a guy on a sled with some magic reindeer. And I guarantee that one day, if you have kids, you'll be peddling Santa too!

Well, I won't deny that I'm young, in my mid-twenties, and I thank you for calling me smart. May I ask you to explain the value of tradition to me? As I perceive it, the value of tradition is simply whatever is imparted by that tradition, you imply that there is value intrinsic to tradition that I don't understand.

Tradition brings people together. I'll give just one example: US Thanksgiving. It's a tradition. And most people eat turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce as well as a bunch of other stuff they don't eat the other 364 days of the year because it's what we do - and it brings family and friends together in a way that our daily lives don't always permit. And when "Grandma" is dead, and "Grandpa" is too feeble to leave the nursing home, these are the memories that people cherish. Like I said, time is cruel. I miss Santa (where is my Red Rider B-B gun you fat bastard!)

74, 88 rock 127 - you don't have to lie to children to do that. You could tell them from the start that santa is just a play, a little make-believe for fun. or you can strip santa fully but still give presents and all. Kids stand up early for the presents, not for santa anyway. In my family, we never did all that bullshit. Sure, there's no santa in my country anyway, but let's take easter as an exaple (it's the same here as in the usa). My parents just told us the story of the eye painting bunny as a fairy tale, something to activate the imagination. But they never told us or even implied that the bunny was real. We children knew that it wasn't real, but we still had much fun searching the eggs our parents hid arount the house and garden, even if we knew that it was hid by them, not some anthropomorphic hare. I'm thankful for their openness, by the way.

*egg painting an eye painting bunny would've been awesome, though