Posted on 09/24/2008 5:57:23 PM PDT by incredulous joe
My son is in forth grade and his class has been assigned a book by children's author Judy Blume.
The teacher, who is has several years teaching experience, but is in her first year at our school (a private Christian School), has prefaced her overview of the book and project to follow by stating that their is a 'spoiler' in the novel; essentially the book reveals the true nature of Santa Claus.
His teacher has gone to some pains to express to parents that the children wil not have an opportunity to find this out? I'm not exactly certain how she intends to cover this.
My son still believes in Santa and my wife and I would like to see if we can get another year of this for our boy. It all goes by so fast!
Our boy also devours books like bon-bons. He reads several grades over his head. If the book is put in front of him he will read it all the way through. I am not certain what the teacher's plan for avoiding the disclosure is, but if it were me in the class I would play it safe by making certain that they simply DO NOT read such a book.
I'd like to be loaded for bear when I discuss the issue with the teacher. From what I have heard about Judy Blume, I can tell you that I am not a particular fan, but I do not know that much and have only skimmed some of the author's work. It seems to me that there is so much great children's literature out there ~ why get caught up with a problem like this?
I have not got a copy of this book. Can somebody tell me about "Super Fudge" by Judy Blume and the Santa Claus disclosure?
Maybe I'm making something more of it than I should, nut I'd rather be certain.
Hmm, I’m not a tremendous sci-fi fan, but it looks interesting. I always try to stretch myself. I’ll give it a go.
Papa Noel in de cajun!
I don’t doubt that peopel from the south have difficulty accepting the premise.
Similarly, people in Maryland freak out when snow is reported ~ and we see it pretty frequently. These days schools are canceled if snow is simply in the forecast.
My son still believes in Santa and my wife and I would like to see if we can get another year of this for our boy.
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Fourth grade is entirely too old to still be believing in Santa Claus.
When he does find out, on some level, he will feel that his parents tricked him, lied to him, and **used** his innocence to further their own emotional needs.
no he won't...
My kids were homeschooled, and from the time they were infants we never promoted the Santa Claus myth. Our children though still believed in him. One day after telling my daughter that Santa was pretend she **insisted**, “Yes! He is real!” When I asked her how she knew this she said, “Allen told me!” ( Allen was also 4.)
The following Christmas season my daughter found wrapped presents in our bedroom closet. She stood in the hall, arms akimbo, and declared, “Mom, you are **right**! There is no Santa Claus! You have **never** lied to me!”
This sentence, “You have never lied to me!” , became a family motto. When my husband and I seriously wanted to impress on them that we were giving them our best advice, with a wink of the eye, we would remind them that we never lied to them about Santa Claus or anything else.
If he’s smart, in the fourth grade, and a good reader—I’d bet that he already knows about Santa Claus. Now, it’s always possible that he’s trying to shelter you from that truth....
“This sentence, “You have never lied to me!” , became a family motto. When my husband and I seriously wanted to impress on them that we were giving them our best advice, with a wink of the eye, we would remind them that we never lied to them about Santa Claus or anything else.”
I’ve heard this attitude promoted before. I think that’s fine if some folks choose to raise their children this way. Personally, I think it’s ridiculous that anyone would consider Santa Claus to be a “lie”. That is just so to X-power for me!!
I’ve found that parents that are overly strident in this area of their childrens’ lives are often overly strident in others, as well, and I don’t believe that it’s particularly healthy.
Of course, the same could probably, and has probably been said about my wife and I. I’m certain that people think that we are weird because we either send our children to a religious school, or because we do not have TV or because our kids don’t have gameboys and DSs, as other children their age do. They don’t know it and they don’t miss it.
I’ve had this debate before ~ it goes in a circle and never meets in the middle. I’m sure the path you have chosen for your children is fine. As I am as certain that my children will not begin to question my honesty when they are older because I have “lied” to them and promoted the “myth” of Santa Claus.
If he knows, I suspect that it has less to do with “protecting” me and more to do with the fact that he gets the same kick out of putting on the show for his little sister that I do.
I also expect that we will have a talk on the subject after this Christmas.
“When he does find out, on some level, he will feel that his parents tricked him, lied to him, and **used** his innocence to further their own emotional needs.”
All things in moderation, I say. I’m afraid that you and I are on completely different wavelengths.
You are so very, very right.
My kids are 11, 9 and 6--like most boys at those ages, they get "the squirms" at Mass, even though it's only an hour long--EXCEPT for the 3+ hour Easter Vigil. They love it!!! The tension, the excitement, all building toward the church being flooded with light...they could sit through six hours of that anticipation.
I also think that anticipation is something to be enjoyed, whether young or old. Adequately anticipating something makes it something that much more to be enjoyed. and possibly ~ outside the spiritual realm ~ the magic of Christmas.
As for “the squirms” at Mass, like so many things in this life; you will miss those days when they are gone. It all goes by too fast!
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