First Grade Teacher denounces Santa

[Guest]

Our six-year-old son came home from school yesterday and asked us if Santa was real.

Carefully, I asked him why.

He said because his teacher told him that Santa wasn't real and parents were the ones who give presents.

Hmmm.

First - we love his teacher. Though she is a first-year teacher she's about thirty, has a young son herself, and is well-experienced and well-organized in handling children.

And our son loves her. She is warm and caring.

But we plan to email her about our concerns. When faced with a question such as that from inquisitive kids she probably needs to find a graceful exit if she doesn't want to lie.

At any rate, when our son asked us, he also said that his teacher must be wrong. His teacher must not know what our family knows, she must be missing something because of course there is a Santa.

We told him Santa was part of the spirit of Christmas, and we still believe.

And we do.

Any other way to handle this situation?


http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/xmas/k040.gif

 

[dr_mabeuse]

This was never much of a problem for me. I was entirely able to believe in Santa Claus and not believe in him at the same time. Looking back at it now, I realize that I just considered it to be one of those adult oddities that I didn't understand, like understanding how my grandfather could be buried and in heaven at the same time. I just didn't worry about it much.

I even remember having to patronize adults who really wanted me to believe in Santa. I'd just play along and humor them. Whatever it took to get those presents.

But then I grew up in a Jewish household that celebrated Christmas too, so what the hell...

---dr.M.

 

[Guest]

This was never much of a problem for me. I was entirely able to believe in Santa Claus and not believe in him at the same time. Looking back at it now, I realize that I just considered it to be one of those adult oddities that I didn't understand, like understanding how my grandfather could be buried and in heaven at the same time. I just didn't worry about it much.

I even remember having to patronize adults who really wanted me to believe in Santa. I'd just play along and humor them. Whatever it took to get those presents.

But then I grew up in a Jewish household that celebrated Christmas too, so what the hell...

---dr.M.

Thanks for your insight, Doc.

(We're probably more concerned about this than he is.)

 

[cantdog]

We put Santa's name on the ones with the socks and underwear, and only took credit for the good stuff.

Everyone can entertain two or more entirely conflicting ideas. We just think we oughtn't, so we get in the habit of censoring ourselves.

I do not remember, personally, buying into it. The adults had that teasing and patronizing tone when the subject came up. I resisted duping my daughter, and I didn't help with it. I still would snake out of providing an answer to any kid today, because I dislike the practice. Making the presents appear magically, when she "knew" we weren't there, that I could do. But I wasn't doing the other bit.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Easy.


Smack the bitch.

 

[doormouse]

My eldest daughter caught me last year wrapping presents... I told her they were ones I'd forgotten to send to Santa.

Grade one? OMG that's too young to have the fantasy shattered!!!

I'm reliving my childhood through my kids and the magic of Christmas. I'm dreading the day they find out the truth, *sigh*

Edit: especially about his dungeon lol

 

[R. Richard]

There was a famous editorial, published in the now defunct New York Sun newspaper. A young girl wrote to the Sun and asked if there were really a Santa Clause. The resulting editorial may be of some use to you. It is the most famous editorial ever published in an America newspaper. Search the 'Net with "Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa"

The teacher is a fascist pig, pay no attention to her.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Let's face it: believing or not believing in Santa is an adult issue. The kids just don't think of it in that way.

Young kids aren't much on abstract concepts like the ontological idea of existence or non-existence. They pretty much accept what they can see and leave the abstracts to the adults.

My daughter, who's now 13, told me that she really didn't give it much thought. The one thing she did remember is her certainty that the Santa in the mall wasn't real, and she was terrified of sitting in his lap. She knew he wasn't real because she'd seen other Santas in other malls, including an Asian and a Black Santa. Logic like that they can handle.

---dr.M.

 

[SummerMorning]

But... err... Sweet, Santa isn't real. And like the others said - it doesn't matter what the teacher says. The kid will play along with it all - Santa IS secondary to prezzies after all.

 

[Guest]

Mab. is so right. Christmas is magic enough for children. I mean, really, you put a tree in your living room and decorate it!

I never did the Santa thing with my sons as it never meant anything to me and I just couldn't lie to them (and I hated going to a store Santaman). My father used to read us "The Night before Christmas" and I loved it for the story and imagery only.

Chill, Sarahh.

Perdita

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Ofcourse Santa's real. I've seen him. AND my dad was in the room at the time!



Seriously, the whole Santa-thing was never a problem in our house, since we always wrote on the presents whom they were from. I believed in Santa the same way I believed in the mailman, but I knew all along who was REALLY giving me gifts!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Grade one? OMG that's too young to have the fantasy shattered!!!

I'd say it's about time to have the fantasy shattered. It's only natural for kids to get over romantic notions, and not very good to try to delay the process. That's when you get people likle Barbara Cartland.

 

[Guest]

Swede, whatever became of your mailman? P.

 

[Just-Legal]

I'm not going to post the first thing that came into my head there because Svenska will kill me.

((Maybe))

 

[Svenskaflicka]

The Swedish Post Office has been closed down. That's why I buy stamps at / get my packages delivered to the local petrol station.

J-Le... what dirty thoughts are going through your head? Share! Share!

 

[Just-Legal]

The Swedish Post Office has been closed down. That's why I buy stamps at / get my packages delivered to the local petrol station.

J-Le... what dirty thoughts are going through your head? Share! Share!

Actually it wasn't a dirty thought, LOL. It was just a comment, along the lines of "She married him" but I decided it could do more damage than jest.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

I, more or less, haven't been able to figure out what the best policy is toward something like that.

On the one hand, yes, its a lie. On the other, what can it do for the comfort or development of the child?

No idea how to best judge it. I suppose if we accept that it is perfectly alright to lie in some situations, we can accept its alright to say "Santa Claus exists". Should we, though, harrass the teacher for being honest?

No. I can't say we ought. The question of what is and what isn't alright to lie to kids about is really tough. Santa is ok, Jesus loves you may not be ok, Easter Bunnies are fine, boogey men aren't (there was a court case about a teacher telling a child how to deal with the "boogey man" because the child was talking about how she was scared of the dark, the parents sued because the teacher was "reinfocing belief in lies")...

...more power to the teacher, in this case.

 

[Lisa Denton]

Our six-year-old son came home from school yesterday and asked us if Santa was real.

Carefully, I asked him why.

He said because his teacher told him that Santa wasn't real and parents were the ones who give presents.

Hmmm.

First - we love his teacher. Though she is a first-year teacher she's about thirty, has a young son herself, and is well-experienced and well-organized in handling children.

And our son loves her. She is warm and caring.

But we plan to email her about our concerns. When faced with a question such as that from inquisitive kids she probably needs to find a graceful exit if she doesn't want to lie.

At any rate, when our son asked us, he also said that his teacher must be wrong. His teacher must not know what our family knows, she must be missing something because of course there is a Santa.

We told him Santa was part of the spirit of Christmas, and we still believe.

And we do.

Any other way to handle this situation?


http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/xmas/k040.gif

Quit being so reasonable. E-mail her? She fuckin slammed santy claus.

The Bitch!!!

 

[she_is_my_addiction]

There was a famous editorial, published in the now defunct New York Sun newspaper. A young girl wrote to the Sun and asked if there were really a Santa Clause. The resulting editorial may be of some use to you. It is the most famous editorial ever published in an America newspaper. Search the 'Net with "Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa"

The teacher is a fascist pig, pay no attention to her.

Just in case you couldn't find the article......

Dear Editor---

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

Mostly it depends upon how the subject came up.

If the teacher brought it up out of the blue, she deserves a kick in the arse for not following the curriculum.

If it was in response to a question from one of the students, she would have done better if she had used it as an opportunity to foster research and writing skills.

Had I been that teacher, I should have answered, “Hmm, good question.”

Then I would suggest that as an additional project for Christmas, the students should look up the Editorial “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” on the internet or in the Library.

Once they read it, they were to write a 200-word essay upon what the author meant, whether they agree, and why.

It would not be compulsory, but as a special holiday project for those who wished to take part in it.

The assignment, for those who participated, would be due on the last day before the holidays.

80% would take it no further, because they weren’t that interested, and it isn’t mandatory.
10% would fail to find the article, nor would their parents help them.
10% would be motivated and/or involved with classes enough to fulfil the assignment.

But then, I was never cut out to be a teacher.

 

[TheEarl]

Sarahh: When my family all come home for Christmas, we still leave a mince pie and sherry out for Father Christmas (Santa to Americans). We 'kids' know that he doesn't exist, but it's never been directly acknowledged - this is one of our traditions. We hang out the pillowcases for him and leave sherry and a mince pie under the tree.

I don't really remember when I realised, but it's nice that we still keep the traditions up.

I'm sure I had a point when I started typing.

The Earl

 

[Liar]

I can't recall that I have ever believed in that some fat guy climbed down the chimney we didn't have and delivered presents every Christmans Eve.

But I always knew there was a Santa, and that it was Santa that made my parents give me presents. (And likewise, made me put my best effort into making presents to my family, before I was old enough to buy any.) He was...like...the protective saint of Christmas, or something.

Of course I didn't believe that the guy under the mask, that looked liked Dad, sounded like Dad and smelled like Dad, was anyone else than Dad. If they wanted to role-play, then fine, I could play along. It got me presents, and it was Tradition, which is nice to have.

#L

 

[TheEarl]

SIMA: That's a beautiful editorial. Whoever wrote that dealt with the unpinned hand-grenade well.

Remember reading in the paper last year about a vicar who used the non-existence of Father Christmas to illustrate one of his points in Sunday School to a group of 8-9 y/os. He was certain that they'd already know and was horrified when he realised that he'd just killed Father Christmas. Made the front page of the Telegraph (albiet as an 'interest' article).

The Earl

 

[Evil Alpaca]

Santa IS real! He's just running late do to airport security. Rudolph was smuggling catnip in balloons in his . . . nose, and Dasher and Dancer wanted to stop off in Massachusets to get married . . . the whole thing is a big mess.

 

[Lisa Denton]

Anti-santaclausism is a scourge on our society.

Well, maybe not but whether first grade is when you are told that from an adult you trust is not the teachers decision to make. If it was a direct question she should have told the kids to talk to their parents, then gotten back to her freakin job, which ain't the fuckin easter bunny either.

Every normal person over the age of 16 who gets some enjoyment out of christmas probably gets caught up in christmas through the eyes of a child. The innocence, the wonder, the cookies left out for santy claus.

Santy claus is not a lie, its a fairy tale, its a soothing kiss for the child you love. Its the same as telling your child everthing is allright, when you are worried and scared.

When children are told the they are not the little princess's and prince's in the stories, and that santa claus is just a story too is up to the parents, and absolutely none of the teachers concern. What could these first graders have been learning during this discussion, perhaps at that age there may have been one or two things having to do with education they hadn't got to yet.

The teachers rightfully say they have too many students and not enough time, I really believe this witch could have managed the little time she had to teach something having to do with what does concern her instead of making decisions which parents thought they had the right to make.