CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.pbs.org:80/parents/special/article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html","20120108071939","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1326007179"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <title>Is It Okay to Lie About Santa? . Welcoming Winter . PBS Parents | PBS</title> <meta name="description" content="As parents, we know that Santa doesn't exist, but does that mean sharing this myth with our children is really lying?"/> <meta name="keywords" content="santa claus, christmas, parents, advice, lying, kids "/> <meta property="og:title" content="Is It Okay to Lie About Santa? . PBS Parents | PBS"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/images/fb-santareadingtogirls90x90.jpg"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="PBS Parents"/> <meta property="fb:admins" content="pbsparents"/> <meta property="og:description" content="As parents, we know that Santa doesn't exist, but does that mean sharing this myth with our children is really lying?"/> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20120108071939cs_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/css/pbsparents-global.css"/> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20120108071939cs_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/css/pbsparents-print-global.css" media="print"/> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/js/sitenav-menus.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://pbs.org/includes/javascript/lib/pbs/social_bookmarks/init.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20120108071939cs_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/css/special-generic.css"/> </head> <body> <script type="text/javascript"> var GA_env = { ua_list: "UA-4005067-1,UA-1996666-1,UA-3964855-1,UA-3978951-1,ET-3978951-2" }; GA_env.vars = { localized: 0 }; var GA_jshost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/https://ssl." : "https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + GA_jshost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/js/ga-4db5d466.js" type="text/javascript"></script>  <script> document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js' %3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script> COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:3005420, c3:"", c4:"www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html", c5:"", c6:"", c15:"" }); </script> <noscript> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939im_/http://b.scorecardresearch.com/b?c1=2&c2=3005420&c3=&c4=www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html&c5=&c6=&c15=&cv=1.3&cj=1" style="display:none" width="0" height="0" alt=""/> </noscript>  <div class="pbsparents-wrapper"> <div id="pbsparents-container"> <div class="pbsparents-header"> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.5.2/jquery.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/js/jcarousellite_1.0.1.pack.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/js/captify.tiny.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function() { $(".slider").jCarouselLite({ btnNext: ".next", btnPrev: ".prev", visible: 14 }); }); $(document).ready(function(){ $('img.captify').captify({ // all of these options are... optional // --- // speed of the mouseover effect speedOver: 'fast', // speed of the mouseout effect speedOut: 'normal', // how long to delay the hiding of the caption after mouseout (ms) hideDelay: 500, // 'fade', 'slide', 'always-on' animation: 'slide', // text/html to be placed at the beginning of every caption prefix: '', // opacity of the caption on mouse over opacity: '0.7', // the name of the CSS class to apply to the caption box className: 'caption-bottom', // position of the caption (top or bottom) position: 'bottom', // caption span % of the image spanWidth: '100%' }); }); </script> <div class="pbsparents-header-top"> <div class="pbsparents-logo"> <a id="item-logo" href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents"></a> <div class="pbsparents-print-logo"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/global/print/logo-pbsparents-print.gif" border="0" alt="PBS Parents"/></div> </div> <div class="pbsparents-header-sponsors"> <div class="adbanner-container"> <div class="adbanner"> <div class="adbanner-header"> <div class="support-message"> <p>Support for PBS Parents provided by:</p> </div> </div><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/n6735.PBS/parents_none;tile=1;sz=728x90;ord=2012010802193942625"></script></div></div> </div> <br class="clear"/> <div id="list"> <div class="prev"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/index/prev-arrow.png" alt="prev"/></div> <div class="slider"> <ul> <li class="first"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/catinthehat/" title="Cat in the Hat"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/2011/catinthehat/cith-face-75x50.jpg" alt="Cat in the Hat" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/curiousgeorge/" title="Curious George"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/curiousgeorge/small-curiousgeorge.gif" alt="Curious George" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/" title="Dinosaur Train"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/dinosaurtrain/small-dinosaurtrain.jpg" alt="Dinosaur Train" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/" title="Sid the Science Kid"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/sid/small-sid.jpg" alt="Sid the Science Kid" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/superwhy/" title="Super Why!"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/2011/superwhy/superwhy-75x50.jpg" alt="Super Why!" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/wildkratts/" title="Wild Kratts"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/2011/wildkratts/wildkratts-75x50.jpg" alt="Wild Kratts" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/martha/" title="Martha Speaks"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/marthaspeaks/small-marthaspeaks-martha.gif" alt="Martha Speaks" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/electriccompany" title="The Electric Company"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/electriccompany/small-electriccompany.gif" alt="The Electric Company" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/wordgirl/parentsandteachers.html" title="WordGirl"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/wordgirl/small-wordgirl.gif" alt="WordGirl" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/cyberchase/" title="Cyberchase"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/cyberchase/small-cyberchase.gif" alt="Cyberchase" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/arthur/" title="Arthur"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/2011/arthur/arthur-75x50.gif" alt="Arthur" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/lions/" title="Between the Lions"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/lions/small-lions-leona.gif" alt="Between the Lions" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/sesame/" title="Sesame Street"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/sesame/small-sesame-bigbird.jpg" alt="Sesame Street" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/mamamirabelle/parents_about_program.html" title="Mama Mirabelle"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/mamamirabelle/small-mamamirabelle.gif" alt="Mama Mirabelle" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/caillou/" title="Caillou"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/caillou/small-caillou.gif" alt="Caillou" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/chuck/" title="Chuck Vanderchuck"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/2011/chuck/Chuck60x40.jpg" alt="Chuck Vanderchuck" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/noah/" title="Noah Comprende"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/2011/noah/Noah60x40.jpg" alt="Noah Comprende" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/teletubbies/" title="Teletubbies"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/teletubbies/small-teletubbies.jpg" alt="Teletubbies" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/fetch/" title="Fetch!"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/fetch/small-fetch-ruff.gif" alt="Fetch!" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/lunchlab/" title="Fizzy's Lunch Lab"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/fizzyslunchlab/small-fizzyslunchlab.jpg" alt="Fizzy's Lunch Lab" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/mayaandmiguel/english/" title="Maya & Miguel"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/mayaandmiguel/small-mayaandmiguel-maya.gif" alt="Maya & Miguel" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/rogers/" title="Mister Rogers"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/rogers/small-rogers.jpg" alt="Mister Rogers" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/buster/" title="Postcards from Buster"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/buster/small-buster.gif" alt="Postcards from Buster" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/clifford/" title="Clifford"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/clifford/small-clifford.gif" alt="Clifford" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/scigirls/" title="SciGirls"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/scigirls/small-scigirls.jpg" alt="SciGirls" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/wilsonandditch/" title="Wilson & Ditch"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/wilsonandditch/small-wilsonandditch.jpg" alt="Wilson & Ditch" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/wordworld/" title="WordWorld"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/wordworld/small-wordworld-pig.jpg" alt="WordWorld" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/barney/" title="Barney"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/barney/small-barney.jpg" alt="Barney" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/program-berenstainbears.html" title="Berenstain Bears"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/berenstainbears/small-berenstainbears-papabear.gif" alt="Berenstain Bears" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/boohbah/" title="Boohbah"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/boohbah/small-boohbah.gif" alt="Boohbah" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/frannysfeet/" title="Franny's Feet"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/frannysfeet/small-frannysfeet-franny.jpg" alt="Franny's Feet" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/program-georgeshrinks.html" title="George Shrinks"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/georgeshrinks/small-georgeshrinks-george.gif" alt="George Shrinks" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/program-jayjay.html" title="Jay Jay the Jet Plane"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/jayjay/small-jayjay.jpg" alt="Jay Jay the Jet Plane" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/program-dragonflytv.html" title="DragonFly TV"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/dragonflytv/small-dragonflytv-castmembers.jpg" alt="DragonFly TV" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/program-sagwa.html" title="Sagwa"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/sagwa/small-sagwa.gif" alt="Sagwa" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/program-zoboo.html" title="Zoboomafoo"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/zoboo/small-zoboo.gif" alt="Zoboomafoo" class="captify"/></a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/zoom/" title="ZOOM"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/features/zoom/small-zoom-logo.gif" alt="ZOOM" class="captify"/></a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="next"><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/images/index/next-arrow.png" alt="next"/></div> </div> </div> <div class="pbsparents-sitenavcontainer">  <ul id="cssdropdown">  <li class="headlink no-drop"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/">Home</a> </li>  <li class="headlink"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties">Birthday Parties</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/arthur">Arthur Birthday Party</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/boohbah">Boohbah Birthday Party</a></li>  <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/clifford">Clifford Birthday Party</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/curiousgeorge">Curious George Birthday Party</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/cyberchase">Cyberchase Party</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/superwhy/">Super Why! Birthday Party</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdayparties/teletubbies/">Teletubbies Birthday Party</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/">Child Development</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/baby-and-toddler/">Baby & Toddler</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/preschool-kindergarten/">Preschool & Kindergarten</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/grade-school/">Grade School</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/preteen-and-teen/">Preteen & Teen</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/">Education</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/bookfinder">Bookfinder</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage">Reading & Language</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/earlymath">Early Math</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/exploringscience/">Exploring Science</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool/">Going to School</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/homeschooling/">Homeschooling</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/disabilities">Children with Disabilities</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink nav-item-on"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/fun-and-games/">Fun & Games</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/fun-and-games/pbs-kids-activity-search/">PBS KIDS Activity Search</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/fun-and-games/activities-and-crafts/">Activities & Crafts</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/fun-and-games/online-games/">Online Games</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/fun-and-games/printables-and-coloring-pages/">Printables & Coloring Pages</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/photo">Photo Factory</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/">Food & Fitness</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/">Kitchen Explorers</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/eat-smart/">Eat Smart</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/recipe-roundup/">Recipe Roundup</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/food-and-fitness/sport-and-fitness">Sports & Fitness</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/">Issues & Advice</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts">Expert Q&A</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/raisingboys">Raising Boys</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/raisinggirls">Raising Girls</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids">Talking with Kids</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia">Children & Media</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/whenfamiliesgrieve">Death of a Loved One</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/familiesstandtogether">Financial Struggles</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/cominghome">Military Families</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/pbskids/">PBS KIDS Programs</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvprograms/pbskids/">All Shows</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/catinthehat">The Cat in the Hat</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/curiousgeorge">Curious George</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain">Dinosaur Train</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/superwhy">Super Why!</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/wildkratts">Wild Kratts</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/tvschedules">TV Schedules</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/preschool">Morning on PBS KIDS</a></li> </ul> </li>  <li class="headlink no-drop"> <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/theparentshow">The Parent Show</a> </li>  <li class="headlink no-drop last"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://shop.pbskids.org/?utm_source=Main_nav_bar&utm_medium=PBS_Parents&utm_campaign=PBS_Parents">PBS KIDS Shop</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="pbsparents-content" id="sub"> <div class="pbsparents-top"> <div class="pbsparents-topgutter"> <div class="pbsparents-toolbar"> <div class="pbsparents-loginbar">   </div> <div class="pbsparents-searchbar"> <div class="formrow"> <form action="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/search/results.html" method="get" title="Search PBS Parents"> <input type="hidden" value="parents" name="restrict"/> <input type="text" size="29" maxlength="250" name="q" onfocus="this.value = ( this.value == this.defaultValue ) ? '' : this.value;return true;" id="search" value="Search PBS Parents"/> <input type="submit" value="Search" class="button"/> </form> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="clear"></div> </div> </div> <div class="pbsparents-left"> <div class="pbsparents-left-gutter"> <div class="section-nav"> <ul> <li><a href="winter.html">Home</a></li> <li><a href="article-5-meaningful-holiday-traditions-for-kids.html">5 Meaningful Holiday Traditions for Kids</a></li> <li><a href="article-winter-giftgivingforkids.html">Gift Giving for Kids</a></li> <li><a href="article-winter-gifts.html">The Gifts You Don't Have To Wrap</a></li> <li><a href="article-how-to-turn-the-holidays-green.html">How to Turn the Holidays Green</a></li> <li><a href="article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html" class="current">Is It Okay to Lie About Santa?</a></li> <li><a href="article-winter-making-new-years-resolutions-with-your-child.html">Making New Years' Resolution with Your Child</a></li> <li><a href="article-new-years-eve-family-style.html">New Year's Eve, Family Style</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-saying-no-best-new-years-resolutions.html">Saying No: The Best New Year's Resolution for Parents</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-holiday-books.html">Stories for the Holiday Season</a></li> <li><a href="article-winter-tablemanners.html">Table Manners for Kids</a></li> <li><a href="article-winter-thankyounotes.html">Tips for Writing Thank-You Notes</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="pbsparents-middle"> <h5><a href="winter.html">Home</a> »</h5> <h2>Is It Okay to Lie About Santa?</h2> <p><em>By Laura Lewis Brown</em></p> <div class="pbsparents-articletoolbar"> <div class="pbsparents-toolbar-addthis">  <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style "> <a class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a class="addthis_button_print"></a> <a class="addthis_button_stumbleupon"></a> <a class="addthis_button_tweet" tw:via="pbsparents"></a> <a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=pbsparents"></script>  </div> <br class="clear"/> </div> <p><img src="/web/20120108071939im_/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/images/ts-santareadingtogirls.jpg" width="250" height="168" alt="Santa reading to kids" class="alignright"/>As parents, we know that Santa doesn’t exist, but does that mean sharing this myth with our children is really lying? If Santa is not part of your family’s tradition or culture, then there is no need to even consider encouraging that belief in your child. But if you are struggling over whether or not to tell Santa’s story, you may take comfort in the notion that it doesn’t really harm children to imagine. </p> <p><strong>Santa Claus Is One of Many Myths </strong><br/> “Kids up to four, five, six, seven live in what we call fantasy life magic years,” says Dr. Benjamin Siegel, Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine. “They are influenced by what they see and hear around them. They get very excited about characters in their life that have special meaning for them.” Those characters include superheroes, monsters, animals and even Santa. </p> <p>While there are many ways to encourage your children to be good, the story of Santa is just one of them. Siegel points out that Santa, for most families, is a jolly man with helpers who brings presents to children who are good. Sure, there are tales of coal in the stockings of naughty children, but it would be hard to find a child who actually received that on Christmas morning. </p> <p>What parents should assess is the values they are trying to impart and whether this myth encourages those morals. “Every culture has a fairy tale or myth that belongs to its historical identity,” Siegel says. “If the myths are good and talk about sharing and helping your neighbor, then that’s really nice.”</p> <p><strong>It</strong>’<strong>s Tradition</strong><br/> For many families, the excitement of leaving cookies for Santa, watching through the window for his sleigh at night, waking up early to open presents and sharing all that goes into believing in Santa Claus are special and unique to their given family. That tradition is why many parents share the story of Santa鈥揵ecause聽 that’s what they learned growing up. </p> <p>Caroline Jorgensen, a mother of two boys who blogs at Morningsidemom.com, introduced Santa to her sons because it was natural to do so, even if it felt wrong at times. </p> <p>“It never seemed like an option <em>not</em> to tell my kids that there was a Santa,” she says. “But, once I did, I was surprised to find myself feeling bad about it. I was lying to my child. There he was looking up at me, expecting me to explain the world to him, and I was telling him that a fat man in a red suit who snuck into our house once a year was as real as the green grass outside. To top it off, my firstborn was scared of Santa for a few years.”</p> <p>As her son outgrew his fear of the man in the red suit, Jorgensen realized why parents tell their children about Saint Nick in the first place: magic. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? Presents of every kind appearing under the tree,” she says. “Adults don't get that kind of magic. How wonderful that they can have that.” </p> <p><strong>Santa Isn</strong>’<strong>t Just One Story</strong><br/> If you decide that Santa Claus is going to be part of your family’s Christmas tradition, there are many ways to tell his story. You may be surprised to find a myriad of Santa books waiting to be read at the local library. </p> <p>There are books about environmentally conscious Santas and about animals, even dinosaurs that dress as Santa. There are Santa tales featuring popular characters like Corduroy and Curious George. Many parents may stick to the traditional “The Night Before Christmas,” which now comes in many variations. You can also check out illustrated children’s Bibles to provide a religious perspective, or find a book on the history of Saint Nicholas. </p> <p>There is no right or wrong way to tell the Santa story. “Some holiday books are touching and poignant, others are fun and frivolous. It depends on the child,” says Marisa Conner, Youth Services Coordinator for the Baltimore County Public Libraries. “We find that for families it’s a very personal thing. A lot of parents want to pass on what they believed as a child, what they were excited about.” Whatever book you choose, the point is to encourage your child to dream.</p> <p>“As an educator and as a person, I find that fantasy books do engage the imagination,” Conner says. “Children learn at some point what’s make-believe and not. That’s the fun of life. It makes us see different personalities.”</p> <p><strong>When They Find Out</strong><br/> Parents worry that they will have to break the news to their children and shatter their whole vision of Christmas. However, many children come to this realization on their own around age seven or eight, Siegel says. And when they do, they are basically unscathed. Siegel cites a study that revealed that children who learned the truth may have been upset, but not nearly as upset as the parents. </p> <p>“Most kids do fine when they learn a myth is not real,” he says. “Sometimes parents feel very badly because they want their kids to continue to believe in Santa Claus. Maybe parents like the myth because it makes them feel good, or because kids get disappointed in them when they find out the truth. Kids realize that parents aren’t so powerful, but that happens in adolescence anyway.” </p> <p>Jorgensen admits dreading the day her sons will find out. “When I thought about my sons not believing the other day, I suddenly felt sad. When they don't believe, then it changes Christmas for me too, doesn't it? Completely. I lose the magic too.” However, Jorgensen also realizes that providing the Christmas magic involves a lot of work, and it will be nice to have a break from sneaking around late at night to have everything in place for children with big expectations. </p> <p><strong>Talking Through the Disappointment</strong><br/> Whether your kids find out on their own, from an older child on the playground, or from you, there are ways to handle the disappointment. </p> <p>If they are upset that you lied, acknowledge their disappointment and ask about their feelings, Siegel recommends. You can explain that Santa is a myth that your family has chosen to share. “Santa Claus is part of Christmas and we believe in Christmas,” you can tell them. Siegel recommends comparing the experience to the tooth fairy or Easter bunny, and encourage children to remember the fun and excitement that made the event special. </p> <p> Children should also have the opportunity to define what Santa Claus means to them. They may surprise parents when they reveal that they knew all along, but still had fun playing along with the game. </p> Until their children catch on, parents may just want to enjoy the magical world of Santa that they have helped to create. Sure, Santa may not really exist, but believing in him for a few years can be tremendously fun, even for parents.  <div class="pbsparents-articletoolbar">  <div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style "> <a class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a class="addthis_button_print"></a> <a class="addthis_button_stumbleupon"></a> <a class="addthis_button_tweet" tw:via="pbsparents"></a> <a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a> </div> <script type="text/javascript">var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#pubid=pbsparents"></script>  </div> <br class="clear"/>  <div id="disqus_thread"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * */ var disqus_shortname = 'pbsparents'; // required: replace example with your forum shortname // The following are highly recommended additional parameters. Remove the slashes in front to use. // var disqus_identifier = 'unique_dynamic_id_1234'; // var disqus_url = 'https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://example.com/permalink-to-page.html'; var disqus_developer = 1; // developer mode is on /* * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = 'http://' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); </script> <noscript>Please enable JavaScript to view the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://disqus.com/?ref_noscript">comments powered by Disqus.</a></noscript> <p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://disqus.com/" class="dsq-brlink">blog comments powered by <span class="logo-disqus">Disqus</span></a></p>  </div> <div id="pbsparents-sidebar"> <div class="pbsparents-sidebar-gutter"> <ul class="newsletter-promo"> <li> <h3>Newsletter</h3> <p>For tips, articles, games, recipes and more, <a href="#?w=500" rel="popup_newsletter" class="poplight">sign up for the PBS Parents Newsletter today »</a></p> </li> </ul> <div id="popup_newsletter" class="popup_block"> <h2>PBS Parents Newsletter</h2> <p>Find activities, parenting tips, games from your child's favorite PBS KIDS programs and more.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var pbs_newsletter_config = { _dist_url : 'https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://newsletteradmin.pbs.org', _dist_action : 'subscribe', _dist_newsletter : 'PARENTS', _dist_consumer_code : 'parents_site', _frame_width: '100%', _frame_height: '120' } document.write("<script language='javascript' type='text/javascript' src='"+ pbs_newsletter_config._dist_url +"/media/js/newsletters_distribution.js'><\/sc" + "ript>"); document.write('<iframe class="newsletter" src="'+ pbs_newsletter_config._dist_url +'/'+ pbs_newsletter_config._dist_action +'/'+ pbs_newsletter_config._dist_newsletter +'/'+ pbs_newsletter_config._dist_consumer_code +'/" width="'+ pbs_newsletter_config._frame_width +'" height="'+ pbs_newsletter_config._frame_height +'" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" border="0"></iframe>') </script> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function() { //When you click on a link with class of poplight and the href starts with a # $('a.poplight[href^=#]').click(function() { var popID = $(this).attr('rel'); //Get Popup Name var popURL = $(this).attr('href'); //Get Popup href to define size //Pull Query & Variables from href URL var query= popURL.split('?'); var dim= query[1].split('&'); var popWidth = dim[0].split('=')[1]; //Gets the first query string value //Fade in the Popup and add close button $('#' + popID).fadeIn().css({ 'width': Number( popWidth ) }).prepend('<a href="#" class="close"><img src="/parents/images/global/elements/close_pop.png" class="btn_close" title="Close Window" alt="Close" /></a>'); //Define margin for center alignment (vertical horizontal) - we add 80px to the height/width to accomodate for the padding and border width defined in the css var popMargTop = ($('#' + popID).height() + 80) / 2; var popMargLeft = ($('#' + popID).width() + 80) / 2; //Apply Margin to Popup $('#' + popID).css({ 'margin-top' : -popMargTop, 'margin-left' : -popMargLeft }); //Fade in Background $('body').append('<div id="fade"></div>'); //Add the fade layer to bottom of the body tag. $('#fade').css({'filter' : 'alpha(opacity=80)'}).fadeIn(); //Fade in the fade layer - .css({'filter' : 'alpha(opacity=80)'}) is used to fix the IE Bug on fading transparencies return false; }); //Close Popups and Fade Layer $('a.close, #fade').live('click', function() { //When clicking on the close or fade layer... $('#fade , .popup_block').fadeOut(function() { $('#fade, a.close').remove(); //fade them both out }); return false; }); }); </script> <div class="skyscraper-container"> <div class="skyscraper-header"> Support for PBS Parents provided by: </div> <div class="skyscraper"> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/n6735.PBS/parents_none;tile=2;sz=160x600;ord=2012010802193942625"></script> </div> </div>  <div class="pbsparents-googleads"> <script type="text/javascript"> google_ad_channel = 'parents'; // Search reporting channel </script> <script type="text/javascript"> /* Required Parameters */ google_ad_client = 'pub-5728525056087930'; // PBS client_id if (typeof(google_ad_channel) == "undefined") google_ad_channel = '6450791075'; // default for PBS Parents google_ad_output = 'js'; // Javascript ads payload google_max_num_ads = '3'; google_adtest = 'off'; /* Optional Parameters */ google_ad_type = 'text'; // Text Ads only google_safe = 'high'; // Content safeguards set to safest level google_encoding = 'latin1'; // To match the char encoding on our pages, default is utf-8 google_feedback = 'on'; /* Test Phase Parameters */ google_page_url = 'https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-winter-is-it-okay-to-lie-about-santa.html'; // The live page that CAN be crawled </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/includes/common/adsense/adsense_unit.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/includes/common/adsense/adsense_container.js"></script>  <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/includes/common/adsense/adsense_container_parents_site_targeting.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/web/20120108071939cs_/http://www.pbs.org/includes/common/adsense/adsense_parents.css" type="text/css"/> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20120108071939js_/http://www.pbs.org/includes/common/adsense/adsense.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="pbsparents-footer"> <div class="footergutter"> <p class="footer-nav"><a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/about" rel="nofollow">About PBS Parents</a> | <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/about/sitemap.html">Site Map</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/about/policies/privacy-policy/" rel="nofollow">Privacy Policy</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/about/policies/terms-of-use/" rel="nofollow">Terms of Use</a> | <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/contact">Contact PBS Parents</a> | <a href="/web/20120108071939/http://www.pbs.org/parents/about/spanish" rel="nofollow">¿Habla Español?</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120108071939/http://pbs.org/">PBS.org</a></p> <p class="footer-copyright"> <script type="text/javascript"> now=new Date(); year=now.getFullYear(); </script>© PBS 2003 - <script type="text/javascript"> document.write(year); </script>, all rights reserved</p>  </div> </div> </body> </html>