What are your views on the Santa Claus tale? Is it really a good thing or not?

I think it's great. It generates so much excitement for the little kids.

I've never considered it a good thing to lie to children, it generally leads to other lies, and eventual exposure as a lie, even resentment. I leave such unscrupulousness to religions and politicians.

My children came to understand Santa as the embodiment of the giving spirit, a fictional character of great kindness and charity.

We had the children decide for themselves. If they asked, we told the truth. If they didnt, and wanted to believe, we left it alone. We never lied, but never dashed their Christmas wonderment. Both of my children never believed. My niece did, and we went along. Her parents went as far as jingling sleigh bells, eating the cookie, taking the carrot, leaving foot prints by the fireplace. When asked how she felt about it, after she'd grown up, she loved the idea that her parents went to so much trouble. In her case she wasn't negatively affected by being "lied" to.

For me it was a fine line, to never lie, but to always support their innocence.

Yes, it is. Even when the reality of it is told and understood, it is the meaning, the joy, and the overall season is carried on throughout one's life. Santa Claus isn't a real person, but a personification of the season.

My grandson likes it......

Best tell the truth.

There're billions of children and people they get nothing from Santa Claus.

Best tell the truth.

Personally as a child I never liked the idea of Father Christmas, some fat bloke in fancy dress trying to get down our chimney uninvited, worried me what else he'd do. I use to say to my mum, "He won't come up the stairs will he?"  I never wanted to sit on his lap either, I wouldn't want to sit on any strangers lap let alone one who had a sanitary pad as a beard.

I use to ask my mum how he'd get in when we had electric fires blocking the chimney? We still left a carrot, milk and cookies for him, but soon my sister who was born with the art of Houdini squeezed into the wardrobes and found the presents and so I rested safely in the fact that MUM AND DAD were FATHER CHRISTMAS!

So if it scares your children, then no I don't think it's a good idea. I was brought up in an era when talking to strangers was a big No, No.

I look at the American Santa Claus as a unique cultural tradition and a tradition I can use and have used (and will as the grandchildren continue to come along) to great effect.

The Z said that "(his) children came to understand Santa as the embodiment of the giving spirit, a fictional character of great kindness and charity"---and that is precisely what children should come to realize.

I have been able to use the Santa Claus myth to achieve the same result---and arguably, my method may have both positives and negatives that I simply tweaked as the kids grew.

When children learn about gravity, it is usually said to be a force of attraction---and that is a great way to get the concept across.

But in reality, gravity waves push rather than pull.  At the very least, that lie simply puts them at one level of understanding which can easily be upgraded at a later age.

There are times when it is not the best idea to simply tell the truth. (Specifically, there are times in a close relationship that containing one's self with regard to telling the truth is quite appropriate---avoid telling the truth when appropriate.)

Good parents have a large amount of discretion and many tools to achieve development of their children in what they judge to be the best or better of the various ways.

To children, magic is quite reasonable---I use it a lot with young children.

Any idea that brings that much pleasure to so many little kids can't be bad. It doesn't take them long to realise that it was only a fairy story then they join in the fun with smaller kids.

I find the magic of Christmas a good thing .. Especially to a child.  Their innocence is something that is highly fragile and is to be cherrished and appreciated Because it alll comes crashing in far too soon. Reality of the real world is cruel and awakening. Protecting our children and allowing them to keep their innocence for as long as possible is a gift .. At least that is how I look at it. They will have to come to terms with the cold hard truth soon enough. I would far prefer children be allowed to be children for as long as realistically possible. 

You have to beleive in something why not santa