We saw Santa Claus at a Christmas tree stand. I was a little surprised when Jersey #3 asked if he could go sit on Santa's lap. He even posed for a picture.
First it is rather odd that Jersey #3 would sit with a stranger. He normally keeps very firm boundaries with his personal space, and does not like to be touched. He will block other children from hugging him or wrestling with him, and he refuses to hold hands with others (with the exception being his parents because we require him to hold our hand while crossing the street and such things).
Second, this is the child who runs from Chuck E Cheese! He is not a fan of adults dressed up in kid-friendly character outfits. They tend to make him nervous. Except Santa, apparently.
Third, we do not give Santa much attention in our family. I was not taught to believe in Santa when I was growing up. As a result of her very broken family environment, my Mom made a decision to never lie to her children, and she stood true to that promise. My sisters and I knew that our parents provided the presents under the tree, and that the birth of Jesus was the true focus on Christmas. My Mom researched the history of Christmas traditions around the world, and taught us about the many celebrations. Living on a military base, we knew folks from many cultures, so we were able to see a variety of Christmas traditions amongst our neighbors. We were taught to be respectful of the traditions of other families and to not tell our friends the truth about Santa Claus.....as that was the responsibility of parents, not peers.
My husband received a "Santa Gift" each Christmas, even during college. This was the biggest (most expensive) gift under the tree. He could not recall any memories about believing in Santa or when he knew the truth. He was not set on any traditions....except 1: he liked receiving candy in his stocking.
We set out to create our own family traditions. We left out Santa Claus and kept stockings full of candy. For a few years, our children thought Santa Claus showed up at the company Christmas party where they had to pose for a picture in order to receive a gift. As toddlers, they were scared of him. As they got older, they heard stories about Santa in the cartoons and kid movies they watched. That was where I took the opportunity to explain to the children about the story of Santa Claus and the traditions around him. They understand Santa to be a character, much like Cinderella, Barbie, or Thomas the train. They have even met some of these characters in person, so seeing someone dressed up as Santa does not surprise them.
Our kids have been able to understand from a rather young age, that Christmas is not about receiving presents. It is about giving and loving, just like God loved us when he gave the gift of His own son to take the punishment for our sins, so that we could have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in heaven. The children go around the house singing a song from Veggie Tales that includes the lines.....
Imagine my surprise, after thinking I've been doing well teaching the children the true meaning of Christmas, to see Jersey #3 taking such an interest in Santa. I let the scenario play out so that I could see what I was missing. Jersey #3 waved hello to Santa, and climbed up into his lap. Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Jersey #3 leaned forward, reached around, and pointed to a bowl sitting on the bench next to them and said, "Can I have a candy cane?"
He observed other children receiving a candy cane from Santa, after they took their turn sitting on his lap and posing for a picture. Jersey #3 did not want to miss an opportunity to score some candy!
First it is rather odd that Jersey #3 would sit with a stranger. He normally keeps very firm boundaries with his personal space, and does not like to be touched. He will block other children from hugging him or wrestling with him, and he refuses to hold hands with others (with the exception being his parents because we require him to hold our hand while crossing the street and such things).
Second, this is the child who runs from Chuck E Cheese! He is not a fan of adults dressed up in kid-friendly character outfits. They tend to make him nervous. Except Santa, apparently.
Third, we do not give Santa much attention in our family. I was not taught to believe in Santa when I was growing up. As a result of her very broken family environment, my Mom made a decision to never lie to her children, and she stood true to that promise. My sisters and I knew that our parents provided the presents under the tree, and that the birth of Jesus was the true focus on Christmas. My Mom researched the history of Christmas traditions around the world, and taught us about the many celebrations. Living on a military base, we knew folks from many cultures, so we were able to see a variety of Christmas traditions amongst our neighbors. We were taught to be respectful of the traditions of other families and to not tell our friends the truth about Santa Claus.....as that was the responsibility of parents, not peers.
My husband received a "Santa Gift" each Christmas, even during college. This was the biggest (most expensive) gift under the tree. He could not recall any memories about believing in Santa or when he knew the truth. He was not set on any traditions....except 1: he liked receiving candy in his stocking.
We set out to create our own family traditions. We left out Santa Claus and kept stockings full of candy. For a few years, our children thought Santa Claus showed up at the company Christmas party where they had to pose for a picture in order to receive a gift. As toddlers, they were scared of him. As they got older, they heard stories about Santa in the cartoons and kid movies they watched. That was where I took the opportunity to explain to the children about the story of Santa Claus and the traditions around him. They understand Santa to be a character, much like Cinderella, Barbie, or Thomas the train. They have even met some of these characters in person, so seeing someone dressed up as Santa does not surprise them.
Our kids have been able to understand from a rather young age, that Christmas is not about receiving presents. It is about giving and loving, just like God loved us when he gave the gift of His own son to take the punishment for our sins, so that we could have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in heaven. The children go around the house singing a song from Veggie Tales that includes the lines.....
"I can love because God loved me; I can give because He gave...."
Imagine my surprise, after thinking I've been doing well teaching the children the true meaning of Christmas, to see Jersey #3 taking such an interest in Santa. I let the scenario play out so that I could see what I was missing. Jersey #3 waved hello to Santa, and climbed up into his lap. Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Jersey #3 leaned forward, reached around, and pointed to a bowl sitting on the bench next to them and said, "Can I have a candy cane?"
He observed other children receiving a candy cane from Santa, after they took their turn sitting on his lap and posing for a picture. Jersey #3 did not want to miss an opportunity to score some candy!
Candy - it all makes sense now!
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