Public Outrage

I can now say that I had my first public outrage on the internet. If this post offends you, I'm sorry, but it is something I feel passionate about. This is first year that we are really dealing with this, so it just makes me feel better to get it out. So I am.

This morning I was greeted with an email in my inbox from a reputable family/parenting organization (it's NOT Focus on the Family...another one that will remain unnamed) titled, "Christmas: A Time for Make Believe?". It proceeded to go on about the secular traditions of Christmas and how we shouldn't incorporate the tradition of Santa Claus because it would cause our children to question their faith when they find out Santa isn't real. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

Here is a quote:
"If you choose to make Santa a part of your Christmas tradition, be sure to teach children the difference between make-believe and reality. You might say, 'Santa isn't real but we like to play the Santa game at Christmas.'"

REALLY??? REALLY???? I can TOTALLY respect each family's traditions and beliefs, yes, but don't go criticizing my parenting and making the assumption that my children will question their belief in God because there is no Santa. I was outraged. I posted a comment on the blog and told them that I was unsubscribing from their emails and returning their books. It just made me downright mad.

In today's world, our children are exposed to SO MANY "truths" so much earlier than even we were, and what is the harm in protecting their innocence and letting them believe in Santa for a few years. They will have many, many years of knowing the "truth" ahead of them. Why not let kids be kids and enjoy the magic and awe of Christmas?

Do you remember as a kid being SO EXCITED about Santa coming? I do! I promise you, even to this day, I heard jingle bells on one Christmas Eve night. I remember it like it was yesterday! However, I never, ever questioned my faith in Jesus or whether or not He was real. Santa and the birth of Jesus were just two different parts of Christmas that never overlapped and I accepted that. Our job as parents is to instill values early on in our childrens' lives so that they won't question later. Faith like a child, right? I pray that my children have true, intimate, one-on-one experiences with the Lord that will cause them to stand even firmer in their faith.

While our focus remains Christ-centered at Christmastime (and I pray ALL the time), in our home, we do Santa. And we do it up big. Sam, our Elf on the Shelf, is welcomed into our home when we get home from Thanksgiving. We put up the baby gate in the hallway Christmas morning so that they can't come out before we do (!) and they are bouncing up and down waiting to go see what Santa left under the tree. We get SO MUCH JOY out of seeing our kids excited on Christmas morning. There is nothing like that feeling!!

But first, on Christmas Eve, before any gifts are exchanged, we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, read the Christmas story out of the book of Luke, and emphasize the fact that Jesus is the ultimate gift, who came from heaven to save us from our sins and give us eternal life.

Right before we set out the milk and cookies.