Grinchy remark sends kids home in tears

Lebanon Daily News ^ | 12/23/05 | RORY SCHULER

[nmh]

Sad...there's hardly any innocence left and now they're trying to take away Santa. Let the kids have some clean fun for a change and use their imagination!

[nmh]

Bet ya she's got oodles of degrees in EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION!

Yeah, she's as sensitive and caring as a hungry viper.

[sarasmom]

"As for the 'grinch lady,' whatever your views on Santa, I think she was very unwise. It just wasn't her place to set a classroom full of younger kids straight on that issue. In the terms Texas Mom used, it wasn't her business"

I was bored, and read most of the annual anti-Santa thread.
Was not your above post exactly what Howlin was saying?

Or did I miss some salient point?

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Or did I miss some salient point?

Not sure about salient, but there was a long discussion on whether people who make it a practice not to lie to their children are liars [Howlin' claims, without presenting evidence, a definitive yes]; and on whether those who tell their kids that there's actually not a literal person called Santa Claus living at the north pole thereby make their children to become liars if they ask them not to take it upon themselves to correct the views of other parents' kids.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

whether people who make it a practice not to lie to their children are liars

Don't see this as necessarily corresponding to Santa Claus practices; it's an offshoot discussion.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I agree. Santa Claus is a simple myth we tell children because in the simplistic , childish way it conveys the feelings of the holiday and its a fairy tale.

These holier than thou Christians or the PC crowd are on this one , bizzarly together! ha. Pagan lies? An untrue story?Ok all you Maroons who are going to tell your 4 year old and all other 4yr olds "the truth"...I guess you don't tell your children any Mother Goose stories and of course Barney is just a guy in a suit!

Beyond stupid!

[Luke Skyfreeper]

I'm done, by the way. Far be it from me to argue with a woman (I've just figured out that you're female) on the edge of Christmas Eve.

Instead, allow me to wish you and yours a happy Christmas; and also a very happy 2006.

[Almondjoy]

Perhaps you forgot that they are his children and he can tell them what he wishes... if you think that "ruins" it for your children.... Oh nevermind I hear the whanbulance coming for you already.

[Full Court]

I gotta say, when I found out my parents had been lying to me about the santa deal, I lost all respect for them. Especially after they had taught me not to lie and how very important not lying was.

[Full Court]

Actually, a modern Christian should really consider not raising their childern on the reality of myths. How much can a little child distinguish from Santa Claus and Jesus Christ anyway? When they get informed Santa is bogus what will they think about Jesus? You have already lied to them once.

Excellent post and amen.

[Falconspeed]

Thanks. Just send her a card.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Interesting.

[Texas Mom]

We didn't have secrets at our house; we had "family talk," wherein things inside our family weren't shared with outsiders. And I do mean day to day personal stuff.

I agree with that but the older child who just figured out there wasn't a Santa better not share it with a younger sibling or any other younger child who still believed. When our oldest figured it out, and usually they don't have to be told. They just figure it out on their own, we just asked him if he would like to help is play Santa for his little brother and he was thrilled and it helped him hang on to the thrill for a few more years.

By the way, Both of my grown sons still believe in Jesus.

That teacher should be tared and feathered.

Have a Merry Christmas Howlin

[sten]

Theresa Farrisi, Skidmore College Class of 2001
Send her a letter: 616 Brown Road, Frystown, PA 17067

I would hope that if anyoen sent her anything, it would be a politely, even warmly, worded Christmas card. Anything else would be hateful and counter to the purpose of the holiday.

Of course, the thought of this obvious liberal getting bombarded with thousands of Christmas cards full of warm wishes is just so appealing.

Its the same thing I recommeded to do with those people putting up anti-Christmas displays... instead of knocking them down, make sure to have a non-stop flow of Christmas carollers parading passed their house.

To these people, it would just drive them crazy. hehehehe

[naturalized]

Actually, a modern Christian should really consider not raising their childern on the reality of myths. How much can a little child distinguish from Santa Claus and Jesus Christ anyway? When they get informed Santa is bogus what will they think about Jesus? You have already lied to them once.

Excellent post and amen.

Is it really that close a call in your homes between Jesus and Santa? I pray fervently that our Lord God send your children the power to discern the presence of the Holy Spirit when they invoke the name of Jesus and give their hearts totally over to Him.

Folks, just remember, Santa ain't got no Holy Spirit, and Rudolph didn't climb up on the cross. Donner and Blitzen didn't start the Church, and the Penetecost didn't happen to the elves.

If your kids are in danger of confusing Santa and God, you might want to rethink what and how often you are teaching them from the Bible.

God bless.

[Maven]

“I did not tell the students Santa Claus was dead,” she explained. “I said there was a man named Nickolas of Myrna who died in 343 A.D., upon whom the Santa Claus myth (is based).”

This chick doesn't even have her facts right. St. Nicholas was the Bishop of MYRA, which is why he's pictured in a long robe wearing a Bishop's Mitre (cap).

My real name happens to be Myra, but I often get called Myrna by mistake.

I hate that.

Maven

[safisoft]

How you parent is up to you, not up to some know it all bent on destroying the magic of Santa Claus and the innocence of childhood.

My comments on this thread would not indicate any support for this teacher, which I thought were ironic considering the fact that teachers do this kind of thing every day by tearing down innumerable other things that parents tell their children. I am not a spoiler of other people's traditions, except when they self-righteously proclaim them to be required for the rest of us.

My comments were directed at the idea that several of the women on this thread have promoted, which is that if you do not perpetuate the myth of "Santa" you are teaching your children to lie, the opposite of course is true.

As for "Santa" being pagan, do a little research. An "all-knowing", rewarder/punisher, who magically appears on the eve of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti...? ah, yeah - pretty pagan. The reading of "Santa Claus" back into St. Nicholas of Myra is a modern anacrhomistic twist that cannot be found historically prior to the 1800s. As for the origins of many of the elements the story, the myth is very old - even prior to the First Century. You can believe what you will, it is not only pagan in origin, it is a clear syncretic and pagan practice and teaching to this day. Most believers I know will have nothing to do with it because it detracts from, rather than supports, the reality Messiah. Which supposedly has everyone all upset this year (e.g. "It's called "CHRIST-mas")

The reality of Messiah is that He is indeed the Rewarder and Judge - but does not reward children with toys, nor does He punish them with lumps of coal. What an amazing thought that people are promoting here, that somehow it is good to teach children the cause and effect of gifts coming from being "naughty or nice".

I am thankful that my parents expressed their love for me regardless of whether I deserved it or not. Now that is the message of grace.

Want an eye opener? Look up Dies Natalis Solis Invicti in an encyclopedia. There is a reason that many early settlers in Americans did not participate in the European "Christmas" customs - they understood the message was exactly the opposite of what they saw the Bible taught.

[nina0113]

Right down to their presents being wrapped in tissue paper because that's what Santa uses. :-)

The REAL Santa doesn't wrap presents at all - he leaves them out unwrapped so you have something small to play with before it's time to open the real presents. Yours must be a fake Santa.

[Howlin]

You forgot about the part where he leaves MY presents on one side of the couch and my sister's on the other. :-)

[Bernard]

Which one is worse: a teacher telling little kids that there is no Santa Claus, or the superintendent saying that he can't do anything because the school does not have a Santa Claus policy?

"You can't fool me, there is no Sanity Clause!"