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Parents warned not to tell children expensive Christmas gifts are from Santa


Rob Thompson

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Parents warned not to tell children expensive Christmas gifts are from Santa

Source: Metro News euanobryne 16 Nov 2020

A social worker has urged parents not to tell their children expensive Christmas gifts are from Santa in a post shared hundreds of thousands of times. The Facebook post reminds parents to consider families with tighter budgets who are unable to afford pricey presents at Christmas. The social worker says parents have approached her in tears after their children asked why they ‘weren’t good enough’ for Santa when they didn’t receive iPads or iPhones for Christmas like some of their friends. The post reads: ‘I cannot stress this enough. Stop telling your Santa age kids that their iPads, iPhones and 200-dollar toys are from Santa.

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Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/16/parents-warned-not-to-tell-children-expensive-christmas-gifts-are-from-santa-13601191/?ito=cbshare

 


 

 

Edited by Felix Estridge
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Rob, this is a very interesting topic to explore. Each family should develop their own individual traditions around Santa's Christmas Eve visit, but where does one draw lines of instruction for those parents. I can see logic in the mentioned advice, but this evokes many mixed emotions in me. I would love to hear what other Clausnet contributors have to say about this. I hope this thread continues.

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Oh, I totally agree with the topic.

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3 minutes ago, Santa Craig Maxwell said:

Rob, this is a very interesting topic to explore. Each family should develop their own individual traditions around Santa's Christmas Eve visit, but where does one draw lines of instruction for those parents. I can see logic in the mentioned advice, but this evokes many mixed emotions in me. I would love to hear what other Clausnet contributors have to say about this. I hope this thread continues.

Hi Craig,

Like you I have mixed emotions about this, whilst I fully appreciate what the writer is saying and the challenges many families have to face, I'm not sure it is Santa's responsibility to Police this. Its difficult given the sometimes insurmountable issues some families experience, and my heart goes out to them and the children.

As a society I believe we are constantly commerially socialised to be expectant of all things great and "Expensive", promoted in most aspects of life via media, online platforms etc, thus increasing the pressure upon families. The world has moved so so far away from the simple things, to a point where in many respects it is out of control certainly in respect of consumerism.

Having said that, when I was a child, on refection I think it was very similar, just not as 'in your face'.

In my previous role as a social worker I worked with families who had virtually no monies what so ever, but sadly, in their attempts to make a Christmas for their children they would turn to credit, money lenders and the like, with disastrous outcomes in the months after Christmas, evictions from their homes, some subject to acts of physical violence via money lenders etc.

Part of me was thinking this Christmas we would see a change in direction, given the impact of Covid-19 at a time when certainly for my part, I have really reflected upon what the important things in life are, contact with family whenever you choose, going for a walk , going shopping, (I'm not so much bothered about the latter unless its a Santa shop), the simple things that we can all take for granted at some point, who was I kidding!!

It seems that Christmas for many is about how much you can buy, how much you spend on food, presents etc the more you spend the better Christmas and the better person you are!

This Christmas, as a family we have decided we will be keeping it simple, the boy, my grandson, has chosen an upgade Xbox and thats it, we are donating much of our normal expenditure to family in need related charity in the hope that our Christmas can make someone else Christmas, that is the Christmas gift

Sorry if I have rambled on and been quite negative,  I will have myself snowballed :)

 

 

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It is the same situation when parents bring their child to Santa and ask Santa to admonish them for their bad behavior. Santa is NOT their disciplinarian.  The parents are.  Just because they have failed to reign in their behavior and be stern with their child doesn't mean that Santa should be.

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I don't necessarily disagree with the article. But then the other side of my brain says, lets just give everyone a trophy. 

My point is; this is nothing new.....

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As Santa, it's unbelievable how many kids ask me for the latest IPhone, some as young as 5 years old!

I already see the parents standing behind them, shaking their heads, "no".

My answer: "Before I can bring you a cell phone, I have to get a letter, from one of your folks, saying that it's OKAY for you to have a cell phone."  That usually ends it.

What ever happened to getting just regular ol' toys? :sc_hmm:

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I can certainly understand how a child could feel hurt by this... Everyone's back and school and running down the list of what you got for Christmas and Emma and Madi got a hoverboard and a nintendo switch from Santa... and Little Jimmy from down the road only got some Action Figures or some considerably less expensive toy than the girls.  But I also think it's important to teach children to be grateful for what they receive.  Certainly not an easy answer. 

BUT, I find myself less and less shocked about how many people are worried about my business, and are more and more inclined to TELL me what I should and should not be doing.

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6 minutes ago, YoungSC said:

I can certainly understand how a child could feel hurt by this... Everyone's back and school and running down the list of what you got for Christmas and Emma and Madi got a hoverboard and a nintendo switch from Santa... and Little Jimmy from down the road only got some Action Figures or some considerably less expensive toy than the girls.  But I also think it's important to teach children to be grateful for what they receive.  Certainly not an easy answer. 

BUT, I find myself less and less shocked about how many people are worried about my business, and are more and more inclined to TELL me what I should and should not be doing.

Totally agree with you Sir, whilst we are role models we are not the 'Parent' or the Christmas Cops :)

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4 minutes ago, YoungSC said:

I can certainly understand how a child could feel hurt by this... Everyone's back and school and running down the list of what you got for Christmas and Emma and Madi got a hoverboard and a nintendo switch from Santa... and Little Jimmy from down the road only got some Action Figures or some considerably less expensive toy than the girls.  But I also think it's important to teach children to be grateful for what they receive.  Certainly not an easy answer. 

BUT, I find myself less and less shocked about how many people are worried about my business, and are more and more inclined to TELL me what I should and should not be doing.

I agree. Social media has made it much easier to, "speak your mind", without having to be face to face. Confrontation is the new norm, rather than tact. The bottom line for parenting, and grand parenting, is to teach, "the reason for the season", isn't it?

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Several thoughts come to mind on this.

One is...as many of you have mentioned in other posts...Santa is a toymaker. iPhones, etc. are not what I would call "toys" although that might be argued. There has always been this issue with affluent gifts as opposed to less fortunate ones. And there will always be comparisons.

Two is...in my mind this is akin to a child asking for Santa to bring back a dead pet or parent or heal a sick one. Again, that's not what Santa does.

I see the issue here but I doubt very much that it will ever go away. 

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As Santa, when it comes to a child's wish list, I always say, "I promise you will have a merry Christmas".

As far as what parents buy their children and label as "from Santa", that is a parental call. Do I agree with kids getting phones and ipads &c for Christmas and from Santa? No, not really. But that is my preference. I and my wife always kept it to clothes and toys. But, what goes on in your home is your business.

On the other hand, in reference to how kids deal with it when they hear so-and-so got a phone or an ipad.....Someone will always have something that is perceived as better than what you have. I have a 2019 Nissan truck. My neighbor has a 2020 GMC. He thinks his truck is better while I think mine is perfect for me. I make a lot more than my neighbor does, yet he bought a more expensive truck. He chose to go in debt while I did not. His preference vs. my preference.

Perhaps we have conditioned children to expect that all is equal when, in reality, it is not, when it comes to consumable goods.  Some will have more while others have less. Some will have Nikes or Reeboks while others have Sketchers. Instead of focusing on the cost of the Christmas present, perhaps focus should be directed to the intangibles of Christmas and family. This is the responsibility of parents and we can see daily how too many parents have spared the rod and spoiled the child. 

All in all, from a dad who has 22, 21, and 14 yr olds....kids have become accustomed to "keeping up with the Joneses" and when they hear another kid has something they did not get they get their feelings hurt. Well, 'tis life. It may not always be fair and it may not always be fun, but coveting things leads to trouble and hard work allows for the purchase of desired things.

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Maybe I'm a bit old fashion or old school, but didn't Santa start out being all about TOYS?  Simple wooden toys?  Something that kids could use their imagination?  Maybe I just don't relate to how things have changed?

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I have run into this before at family office parties or neighborhood gatherings where Santa is supposed to have a present for everyone. Of course the parents are buying and wrapping the presents, but I have now stipulated in my contracts covering these events, that an agreed budget must be adhered to for gifts I am handing out. This became necessary twice in the same year when most children were getting coloring books or simple toys, but at two different gatherings Santa unknowingly gave two lucky children tickets to Disney World at one party and a Super Nintendo at another. It was horribly awkward and I was not the only person upset at the inconsideration by a couple of thoughtless parents.

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