epiphany Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Utter nonsense. Let the children enjoy their childhood, there will be time enough for the cynicism once they have grown up. I do agree with you about not indoctrinating them with religion (of any kind) though. There's a difference between letting children enjoy their childhood (which I agree with, but I just call it "enjoying life") and adults actively filling their mind with stuff that they think should embody childhood experience. Let kids be kids, but don't go out of your way to try and fluff things up for them. They have imaginations they don't need us to create their world for them. If anything we patronise and limit the imaginations of kids by selling out to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I don't think five or six years of believing in a fat bloke with reindeers is going to do much harm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epiphany Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Never said it would necessarily do any harm, fred. But kids might be best left to their own, already perfect imaginations rather than adults trying to create these magical, phony worlds for them. I think we as adults dumb kids down unnecessarily. Adults tend to project their own regressive childhood desires on their kids, especially around Christmas time, and it's a bit pathetic when you think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 With the majority of the ones I interact with, I do so out of necessity, not choice. So are you a normal adult that they are interacting with or not? What part of "She quit" don't you understand? I understood it. That doesn't alter that she was a teacher. No. I married (and divorced) one. I also married an ex-teacher. Don't be so fatuous. Is that code for "I can't answer that without looking silly"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Adults tend to project their own regressive childhood desires on their kids, especially around Christmas time, and it's a bit pathetic when you think about it. I don't think I, or anyone I know, have ever done that. We have all just tried to give our children a nice time at Christmas. In any case, it is the parents choice when to explode the Santa myth, not the teachers, or anyone elses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epiphany Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 In any case, it is the parents choice when to explode the Santa myth, not the teachers, or anyone elses. Is it just the established myths we mustn't explode or must we support every belief a child expresses as if it is true? If a child asks me if something is true or not I will tell them the truth because I owe it to them to answer their question to the best of my knowledge. And that goes for "where do babies come from?" as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Sorry, I just think you are over complicating it. My son believed it up until the point that he figured out for himself that it wasn't true. No upset, no trauma, just a shrug of the shoulders and move on. Had he come home from school in tears because a teacher had taken upon themselves to tell him it would have been a totally different matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epiphany Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 How am I the one overcomplicating it!? I'm not the one who tells kids (because they learn it off someone at some point, right?) that there is a man who is able to visit millions of households, deliver millions presents and eat millions of mince pies in the space of a few hours. I'm offering kids the simple, beautiful truth - your family love you and buy you presents at Christmas to celebrate that love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blues1 Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 I think if 9-10 year old children have still to work out that there is no Father Christmas then their teachers have failed drastically to teach them any critical thinking skills. jb what about being16 and still believing in god( another drastic failure)Ive let my 5yr old know i dont believe in jesus but i would never do the judas on dear old santa as he never has a guilty negative effect throughout life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barleycorn Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 what about being16 and still believing in god( another drastic failure)Ive let my 5yr old know i dont believe in jesus but i would never do the judas on dear old santa as he never has a guilty negative effect throughout life. Well, coming to the conclusion that one mythical being (FC) doesn't exist is one small step to the realisation that other mythical beings also don't exist. At the end of the day there is just as much reason to believe in FC as their is in God. jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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