Comment by Sophie on April 20, 2009 at 7:12am

yes why not? It is the same as santa.

here is a pic to feast your eyes on.

Comment by Pam on April 20, 2009 at 7:17am

I guess it depends on how you tell them about it. If you pose it to them as truth, then yes, I'd say it's the same thing. But if you tell them it's part of your culture's Folklore that's different. They know it's make-believe.

I think it's better for parents to go ahead and tell them about things like that, letting them know the stories aren't real and are just legends. They won't be as inclined to believe they're real and become scared by them.

Comment by Rev. James Thomas Hicks, D.D. on April 20, 2009 at 8:59am

To a point. Like Pam stated, you have to tell 'em that it's a story & not real. Kids should be allowed to exercise their imaginations so tellin' 'em stories 'bout fictitious characters isn't all bad. Without imagination, we'd have no creativity to further ourselves.

Comment by D Fisher on April 20, 2009 at 5:32pm

One big difference is you can meet Santa at the local mall and even track his progress on Google Earth Christmas Eve via NORAD. Not so with god.

Comment by Tony Miller on April 20, 2009 at 7:22pm

No. You know when you tell them these stories that they will outgrow them and one day tell the same stories to their kids.

Comment by Nick on April 20, 2009 at 9:15pm

I don't approve of using fictional characters to scare kids, like the boogeyman. I don't have much of a problem with telling kids there is a Santa(or easter bunny) though. I like that discovery in a kids life when he or she realizes it's just the parents lying. Kids making observations(staying up late to catch Santa, or why would my parents be so interested in what I want when it's Santa that needs to know) to disprove the Santa Hypothesis seems like a great part of growing up to me.

Comment by Misty: Baytheist Living! on April 21, 2009 at 1:47am

I grew up with the stories of La Llarona (The Weeping Woman) and understood it was a cultural tradition. Even knowing that ghost stories weren't real still used to scare the hell out of me as a kid (In a good way)
I don't plan on having kids, so this isn't really an issue for me. I'm happy to terrorize other people's offspring though, and let the parents sort it out! :)
Anyone need a babysitter?

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