Father Christmas: should you tell your children the truth or encourage them to believe in Santa Claus?
Opinions are divided about whether perpetuating the Santa Claus story brings joy to their children or whether it encourages them to lie and crushes their trust in their parents’ honesty. We talk to psychologists and parents
Do you encourage your children to believe in Father Christmas? Do you promote the elaborate myth of a man with a full white beard and red hat, a string of reindeer and a sledge of presents?
Do you, as I did, leave out a nip of whiskey for him, a mince pie, a carrot and dish of water for his reindeer? I did: I tipped back the booze, ate the mince pie, leaving satisfyingly incriminating crumbs on the plate and scattered carrot tops as evidence of grazing.
Other parents go even further to prove Santa is real: leaving lanterns as landing lights on the lawn, then track to and fro, late at night, heavy booted to attest to midnight, gift bearing visitors.
But some parents don’t do any of that. One online poll suggests that 64 per cent of parents believe the rest of us are perpetuating a lie, undermining the true meaning of Christmas. They don’t do the Easter bunny or the Tooth Fairy, either.
Some parents resist the whole Santa thing because peddling make believe will – at best – when they find out the truth, crush them and, at worst, encourage them to lie.