How to handle the legend of Santa Claus
By Kevin McClintock Specialty Publications

We all know about Santa, whether you believe in him or not. He's often portrayed as a kindly, round-bellied and merry man, bespectacled and sporting a red suit trimmed with white fur which is often covered with his flowing white beard.

And we know what he does - on the night before Christmas, he rides atop a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer and gives presents to all the good children worldwide.

And we also have downpat his mode of operation - he lands on a roof, floats down the chimney, delivers toys from a never-emptying bag, eats cookies offered to him, tweaks his nose and back up the chimney he goes.

Among virtually all adults the nonexistence of Santa Claus is a given, but many young children believe strongly in his existence. In fact, of all the major holiday symbols -such as the Easter bunny or the Tooth Fairy.

A majority of parents either actively attempt to convince their children of Santa's existence, or at least keep the source of their children's presents a secret from them.

Children who believe in the existence of Santa often tend to lose such beliefs by early primary school, as their ability to distinguish fantasy from reality improves and older children disillusion them.

There is an occasional controversy in parenting as to whether it's appropriate to perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus to children. Some parents are concerned that it's wrong to lie to children and that it can be traumatic for them to learn there's no Santa Claus.

J.T. MacLeod, a poster at the Web site kuro5hin.org said he would not lie to his child about Santa. "People react terribly when I explain that I won't raise my children to believe in Santa Claus. I felt horribly betrayed when I was told the truth about Santa Claus. I grew up believing that my parents would teach me what was right and good, to the best of their ability. So why would they spend so much effort giving (me) doctrine if it wasn't true?"

Other parents believe Santa is no more harmful than any other folk tale, and that it can help children gain confidence in themselves upon discovering the "secret" of his existence.

"Children have a sense of wonder. Actually we all do, but for children, most of what they see, they are seeing the first time," wrote another mother. "Up to a point they'll believe pretty much anything you tell them. So why tell them lies? Well, the obvious reason is because it's the cultural norm. And while "everybody's doing it" is not necessarily a good reason to do something, there is a certain price to pay for breaking with cultural norms.

"Maybe we've forgotten our own sense of wonder?" she wrote.

Many children will, upon being disillusioned, often maintain the pretense for younger siblings so they can enjoy the belief themselves for a bit longer.

What it all boils down to is this - it's really up to you. This should be a your decision, as a parent and as a family, and nothing more. The maturity of a child and the strength of their beliefs in fairy tale and fancy should also be factors taken under consideration before a decision should be reached.

And remember, with the Santa myth played heavily during the holiday season on the television and radio, not to mention a dozen Internet sites, it may do more harm than good in trying to convince a child that Santa is just a myth, when those words are contradicted on an almost daily basis by the national media.

A recent poll on a popular parent forum asked how parents handle the subject of Santa with kids.

Twenty percent of the 200 polled said Santa and the North Pole myth was "harmless childhood fun." A combined 7 percent said they are not teaching their children about Santa, whether they have support from their family or not. And 62 percent of married couples without children said they would want their children to believe in Santa if/when they have them.