Santa isn’t real.

There. I said it. 

The image we all have of the chubby, friendly grandpa is a big fat parental lie. Sorry if you had to find this out from me.

How long did YOU believe in Santa for? How did you find out that he wasn’t real? Did you ever really believe in him to begin with? What will you tell YOUR kids?

Overall, the question remains: should we tell children the truth about Santa Claus? Here is what our GHS teachers had to say:

Ms. Shannon Clark-Reed, Teacher

When my oldest was born, I wasn’t going to lie to her about Santa. But when she went to preschool… I mean it was everywhere… Everyone was talking about Santa Claus and they wrote letters to him and everything. 

[My husband and I] could not tell her he wasn’t real. And then we simply kept going with the lie when my youngest came around. I really had no choice in the matter when it came down to it.

Mr. Chris O’Malley, Teacher

We absolutely should [tell them the truth about Santa Claus]. Kids are very trusting and very gullible, so lying to them about Santa feels like a betrayal of our parenting responsibilities. My five-year-old son gets presents for Christmas, and we go to Santa’s village, but he knows it’s not true. 

Ms. Kelly Palmer, Teacher

I never told my daughters one way or another. I let them go with what was going on at school or with their friends. They could believe in what they wanted. 

Mr. Narek Vardanian, Teacher

My daughter is young enough where she still believes in Santa. I will [eventually] try to explain to her that the truth about Santa doesn’t mean she has to stop believing all together. She can just shift her belief towards something else. 

Instead of believing in a jolly man with a white beard in the North Pole, I will challenge her to believe that her family will always be there to show her love and support through the magic of giving during the holidays. I realize that when [children] find out the truth, eventually it will be difficult. However, I think the belief prior to that is so magical for children, that it outweighs the difficulties when the truth is revealed. 

Ms. Sarah Morrison, Teacher

We shouldn’t lie to them. With my own daughter, I turned it on her. “Do you want to think Santa is real?” And for some time, she decided she wanted to believe.

Mr. Jon Keefer, Teacher

I think kids need something magical to believe in, because the world is such a messed-up place. It was never a question of telling my kids [the truth] or not. I wanted to give them those innocent years to see and feel some magic. 

However, the problem is [that] I don’t know how to tell my oldest son the truth. I’m not sure if I should be the one to tell him or let him find out on his own through his friends. Then the question arises of how to avoid him ruining the magic for his younger sister…

Mr. Jon Livingston, Teacher

I think kids should be able to live in a world of magic and wonder for as long as possible. When our son asked us if Santa Claus is real, we did not lie. We just asked him, “Do YOU believe he’s real?” And he told us that he did, and we left it at that. I think there is no harm in letting children experience the joy of Santa Claus. Ultimately, I don’t think they will be mad at us for not telling them the truth.

In the end, whether or not you believe in Santa Claus, or even celebrate Christmas at home, we here at the Explosion Staff hope that you have a lovely holiday season!