You fulfill parts of my prediction as to responses exactly. Your point is always made in defending the Santa-lie, and is so easily answered that one wonders as well at its tenacity.
So what, in anything that I actually suggested, hinted that I think that children should always be told all possible details about every area of life in the first conversation?
And is it really true that, in your thinking, you only have two options -- lie to children, or tell them everything that can be told about everything in your first conversation on the topic?
And, finally, to answer your question: I never lie to my children. Never. And they have an exceptionally rich fantasy life. I just teach them that some things are fun make-believe, some things are true, and there is a crucial difference.
Dan
...and I have a slightly different approach. You can say yours is the more valuable or correct, and I can argue that mine is.
My point is this: we can argue. As soon as you circumvent me, I'll have a problem with you.
You can argue that by perpetuating the myth of Santa in the classroom, I'm imposing my view on your kid. The truth of the matter is this: you can easily tell your children that Santa is a myth and that it is pleasant for kids to believe the myth-- and that's why they see him in schools. You've thereby innoculated them. If they then tell my kid there is no Santa, it's no big deal-- they're just another kid.
Not so easy for me to do the opposite thing after someone has decided to dispell the myth. It's over. Done. Someone else has taken it upon themselves to be "the parent"-- someone in implicit authority.
THAT'S what this is about.