Skip to main content

Is it ok to lie to your children about Santa Claus? Here’s what experts say

To some parents, instilling the magic of the Christmas season and telling their young children the stories of Santa Claus are time-honored traditions that moms and dads can’t wait to continue. To others, the idea of perpetuating a story, only to eventually admit it was a lie told for years “in good fun”, makes them question the need for disappointment and possible hurt feelings down the line. If you are a new parent, or one with young children in the home, you may be debating whether you or your family will be taking part in the idea of Santa Claus, and how you could refresh the old-time tradition to make it a bit more modern, and family and feeling-centered.

damien / Adobe Stock

Lying to kids about Santa: what is a lie?

Though there are many definitions by which the word lie can be defined, in this instance the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as “an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker or writer to be untrue with intent to deceive.” This is not to say that parents who tell their children the stories and traditions of Santa Claus are telling their children outright lies to deceive them maliciously, but simply to relay that a lie – by definition – is still a lie.

It’s important for parents to understand that most child development specialists, medical specialists, and therapists agree that the vast majority of children will not experience negative, long-term effects after learning the truth of Santa Claus. In a recent article in the Washington Post, the University of Texas at Austin child psychologist Jacqueline D. Woolley said, “There is no evidence that belief, and eventual disbelief in Santa, affects parental trust in any significant way. Furthermore, not only do children have the tools to ferret out the truth; but engaging with the Santa story may give them a chance to exercise these abilities.”

Getting on their level

Characters on television shows, in movies, YouTube videos, and books are some of the first introductions our kids have to the world of make-believe and imagination. As adults, we can all remember characters we loved as children, those favorite Disney movie princesses, or Star Wars’ Jedis fighting bad guys and saving the galaxies far, far away. However, once we reached a certain age, we all began to realize that those characters didn’t exist beyond the world of our televisions or storybooks. That being said, we’re not aware of many adults across the globe experiencing unrest with these companies’ characters lying to them about made-up storylines or non-existent planets that housed our favorite superheroes.

Dad and daughter writing letters to Santa Claus
Cottonbro studio / Pexels

Rosemary Truglio, child development specialist and senior vice president of curriculum and content at the Sesame Workshop, defends the idea that make-believe is part of every child’s life, no matter if they are furry animal characters or the big man in a red suit. “It’s during those early years, you know, up to age 7, that their world is filled with magic and imagination. You know, how many of us have had imaginary friends?” She goes on to say, “Everything is real. So even when you think about our characters — Elmo, and Abby, and Snuffleupagus and Big Bird — those characters are real to children. They live outside of the TV box.”

Make an informed, and well thought out decision

The path parents choose to take in regard to Santa is one not taken lightly, or without some research and thought. While there are pros and cons to both sides of the coin – keeping up with the tradition versus a more updated approach – the choice of Santa or no Santa, and what to include in your child’s yearly Christmas experience is ultimately the decision of the child’s parents or guardians.

A woman wearing a holiday sweater holding some packages.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are fantastic, and equally quaint and charming ways to include the man in the big red suit into your family’s home without laying too much pressure on the “lie” that could be “Santa’s Tall Tale.” For instance:

  • Explain to your children that even though Santa brings them presents, parents must pay for them. This helps preserve the charm of having Santa bring children gifts, while still allowing parents the credit of supplying the financial end of the gifts. This method can make it a bit easier for kids to understand the truth behind Santa when they are older.
  • Don’t designate which gifts come from Santa. Some families simply wrap gifts and place them under the tree, with tags placed only with the recipient’s name. The idea behind this method is that kids understand the gifts under the tree are theirs, but who gave them does not matter.

Every family is different, and each one’s approach to the holidays is equally quite different. If you’re wondering what to do with the Christmas season approaching quickly, one terrific way to help you make your choice is to have a conversation with your support team, your family, or whoever helps you rear and raise your child. The old-fashioned saying plays true in this situation, and aids parents in having clear conversations about their desires for their child’s upbringing, while also leaning on the support of your team to help you talk through your options before making the big decision.

Editors' Recommendations

Emily Pidgeon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily's work has appeared in the Tube City Almanac, Tube City Online and our Affinity Sites. When she's not writing, she is…
Is Fortnite good for kids? Experts definitely have opinions
How to know if your child is ready for video games like Fortnite
Blond child playing fortnite

If you have kids, chances are you've heard of the video game Fortnite. Not only has the game gone viral but so have the songs and dances, thanks to social media. If they aren't already playing it, your kids are probably begging you to play it while telling you how all of their friends are already playing. Fortnite is one of the most popular games for gamers of all ages, and its lack of blood and gore is attractive to parents. The fact that it's still a shooting game can be concerning.

Deciding when your child is ready for a game like Fortnite is a complex choice and we've gathered expert opinions to help you make an informed decision. There are several factors to take into account and we'll walk you through each one before you let your child even create an avatar.

Read more
Need a Halloween craft for 10-year-olds? Here are spookingly great ideas
The best Halloween activities for a hauntingly good time
A group of kids ready for Halloween.

The Halloween season comes with the most creative crafts for your pumpkins to do. Halloween activities for kids are the favorite thing to do in October — aside from trick-or-treating. They are also the most convenient, as you probably already have the materials to do them around your house. When you have older kids, like 10-year-olds, it’s more relaxing to get crafting. You could get into more detailed crafts or do them side by side since they don’t need the supervision younger children would, and these Halloween crafts for 10-year-olds are perfect to have a spooktacular season.

Themed games to play
There is nothing like getting the kids together to play a game. Whether the whole family gets in the fun or the kids play solo, themed games always make things more interesting.
Spooky bingo
What you’ll need

Read more
Is your toddler hitting others? What you can do to stop this bad behavior
If you have a toddler hitting others, here's how to get through it, what to do, and what not to do as a parent
Toddler boy crying

When a toddler hits, it throws parents for a loop. It is especially stressful when a toddler hits others for no reason they see or hits another child at day care. You might find yourself wondering what could be going on with your little one. But as babies grow from infants to toddlers, they develop more emotions and opinions. And though it seems like the toddler is hitting for no reason, the truth is it often becomes a way for them to express those emotions.
While toddlers hitting others could be a scary stage for a child and parent, there are ways to work through it together. We'll go over why your toddler is hitting other kids, how to get them to stop, and what parents need to remember during this stage in your child's life.

A few reasons why your child will hit
They see others doing it
Hitting is a learned behavior. Perhaps a sibling is hitting your toddler at home, and your toddler is turning around and doing it to other kids at day care (or vice versa). As adults, we know this behavior isn’t nice. We want to convey that to our children so they don’t hit at day care, home, or anywhere.
There is a language barrier
“[Toddlers] have very low impulse control because they are just babies, and they are learning how to control their body and emotions,” said Ann McKitrick, M.S., an early childhood specialist and founder of Nurtured Noggins. “They simply don’t have the words yet to express what they want to express. A hit expresses what they feel in a very effective way … they are learning that they have a little bit of personal power.”
Toddlers understand words, but they don’t always know how to use them. “Their receptive vocabulary is high,” McKitrick said. “Their expressive vocabulary is not.” McKitrick suggests teaching your child sign language (or finding a day care that does this as many will). Learning signs for words like stop, no, and angry helps toddlers communicate more productively and stops them from hitting.

Read more