Santa

[CJay]

What's our views on Santa? I never believed as a child, nor did my parents want me to believe. Apparently, teachers now get their children to write santa letters in school, and send them off to Royal Mail who will then send a reply from 'Santa'. Basically, I don't like the whole idea. It's just a big lie. My fiancée loves the idea of having Santa if we ever have kids, but I'm not sold. If I had kids I'd rather they appreciate the fact that I'm the one buying them presents, as opposed to thinking a strange man comes into the house at night and leaves stuff for them.

[Giggles]

It's a bit of fun for kids so I've no objection to it. In this age of access to all information from an early age I'm just surprised that it's still a thing.

[Baz]

Well first of all his name is Father Christmas.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I think I believed in Father Christmas for longer than I did in 'God'.

I think it's nice for children to believe in it all.

[Yevrah]

It's a fun things kids enjoy, so I'm all for it.

I suppose we could introduce them to the evil that exists in the world at the age of three, but I'd sooner stick with pretending a fat old man comes down the chimney.

[Ian]

It's just a big lie.

Unless you plan to be totally and brutally honest with them at all times I don't see what damage something really harmless like telling them Santa brings presents is going to do.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I take it you also won't be letting them watch films or read books, which are also a big lie.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I take it you also won't be letting them watch films or read books, which are also a big lie.

Non-fiction will be alright, but they'll be made aware of the writers bias.

[CJay]

I don't think you can compare books or television, it's obvious those aren't 'real'. You'll go along with this story every year until your child is smart enough to realise it's all just made up. I dunno, I just think I'm not going to be able to go along with the whole story when it comes to it. I'll crack and blurt it out.

[Mike]

Its a nice little lie that parents tell their children. Some of the kids at work are super excited. There's this new thing too, Elf on the Shelf, and all the infants where telling me on Friday what their elves had been up to. It was great to hear.

[Boydy]

Did your parents not want you to believe in it because they're very religious?

[Boydy]

Also that royal mail reply thing has been going on for years. I'm pretty sure I remember getting a reply when I was a kid.

[Mike]

I can also confirm no children at the school I work with have been made to write to Father Christmas for a lesson.

[CJay]

Its a nice little lie that parents tell their children. Some of the kids at work are super excited. There's this new thing too, Elf on the Shelf, and all the infants where telling me on Friday what their elves had been up to. It was great to hear.

Yeah I heard about that too.

@Boydy possibly, but I don't think so. They never told us he wasn't real, they just didn't make a thing of Santa in our house. I still loved Christmas as a child, though.

Maybe I'm just a grinch, though?

[Giggles]

I can also confirm no children at the school I work with have been made to write to Father Christmas for a lesson.

Please tell me you're a janitor or something and not a teacher.

[Giggles]

Yeah I heard about that too.

@Boydy possibly, but I don't think so. They never told us he wasn't real, they just didn't make a thing of Santa in our house. I still loved Christmas as a child, though.

Maybe I'm just a grinch, though?

Certainly saves a lot of hassle anyway. Christmas eve when you've kids is brutal.

[Lewis]

Well first of all his name is Father Christmas.

Right again. I correct it every time I hear it, because I'm just that interesting and likeable.

[igor_balis]

Someone I worked with at a previous place told me would probably have to let his kid know Santa wasn't real because he was 'going to big school next year'. 11 and still believed Santa. The fuck? Tantamount to negligence.

[ScousePig]

What's our views on Santa? I never believed as a child, nor did my parents want me to believe. Apparently, teachers now get their children to write santa letters in school, and send them off to Royal Mail who will then send a reply from 'Santa'. Basically, I don't like the whole idea. It's just a big lie. My fiancée loves the idea of having Santa if we ever have kids, but I'm not sold. If I had kids I'd rather they appreciate the fact that I'm the one buying them presents, as opposed to thinking a strange man comes into the house at night and leaves stuff for them.

Assuming any of the kids in my class still believe in Father Christmas or are unsure, I'd definitely not be telling them otherwise.

That said, I work in a Catholic school so we probably have bigger issues to worry about on that front.

[ScousePig]

Its a nice little lie that parents tell their children. Some of the kids at work are super excited. There's this new thing too, Elf on the Shelf, and all the infants where telling me on Friday what their elves had been up to. It was great to hear.

We've been given two toy elves. We've decided to make it look like they're working together to steal our chocolates* - one of them is sat on the interactive whiteboard projector and he's holding a piece of string and the string is attached to the other who is dangling down. It kind of looks like he's been hung.

*It might also be perceived as them bringing their own chocolates down a chimney to us as a gift.

[niko_cee]

I echo the sentiments of Baz and Lewis.

[Ian]

I still loved Christmas as a child, though.

You loved a day of getting overfed and a load of presents? How strange.

[mo]

The thing I'm most looking forward to doing as a parent is lying to my child.

[Lewis]

'...and if you tell anybody they'll take you away from your mummy.'

[Spoonsky]

I don't think you can compare books or television, it's obvious those aren't 'real'. You'll go along with this story every year until your child is smart enough to realise it's all just made up. I dunno, I just think I'm not going to be able to go along with the whole story when it comes to it. I'll crack and blurt it out.

Obvious to a three year old? I doubt it.

My hardline atheist grandparents never let my mom have Christmas growing up, which strikes me as a fundamental misunderstanding of what it actually is. On the one hand the consumerism does nauseate me a bit but it's hard to complain too much about Christmas itself.

[CJay]

The only books and tv a three year old is reading / watching is Spot or Barney (or whatever the equivalent is nowadays).

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The only books and tv a three year old is reading / watching is Spot or Barney (or whatever the equivalent is nowadays).

Most of them these days read about Biff, Chip and Kipper.

They are massive cunts and books these days are so much worse.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I read about Biff, Chip and Kipper when I was 5/6 to be fair. So early to mid 90s. All their friends are black iirc.

[Samadini]

The magic key

[Giggles]

This elf on the shelf thing just seems to be more a 'look at me' facebook thing than an actual thing for their kids.

[Baz]

This elf on the shelf thing just seems to be more a 'look at me' facebook thing than an actual thing for their kids.

Yup.







She's dead fit and all, but is on the brink of being hidden.

[Giggles]

Jesus Christ. Do the right thing and shower her with abuse before hiding her.

[Baz]

Haha. Thankfully I look at Facebook so infrequently that it doesn't grate too much.

[Lewis]

Isn't that elf shit an American thing (as in exclusively American)? I had never heard of it until the internet.

[Baz]

It's been a thing over here for a few years now. I'd only heard of it because of friends (of friends) with kids though.

[John]

There's an unsettling amount of that 'Elf on the Shelf' drivel on my timeline too. Nothing as elaborate or pathetic as that Baz post, but plenty of bubblebaths in a tub of marshmallows and shitting into a shot glass.

[Samadini]

What the fuck is the elf on a shelf thing? I still don't have a clue after the photos and comments.

[Baz]

It's a toy elf that supposedly gets up to mischief overnight in the run up to Christmas, while the kids are in bed. I don't fully understand how it's meant to work though.

I knew someone who's 4/5 year old daughter was terrified of it and wouldn't go to bed so they threw it away.

[CJay]

Isn't the idea that elf is sent by 'Father Christmas' to keep an eye on the children and make sure they're good?

[Giggles]

It's wankery. All you need to know.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://laughingsquid.com/creative-pa...of-dinovember/

That can't be beat.