Why it's time to stop lying to a child about Santa Claus

1. It can cause persecution mania

“Did you behave well? Grandfather Frost sees everything”, is a cute, at first glance, way to control the actions of a child and guarantee good behavior in exchange for the desired toys.

Lying like this creates fear and guilt.

The child does not feel safe and understands only one thing: he is constantly being watched and waited for mistakes.

2. Shocks from the truth, he will never forget

According to the results of numerous surveys conducted by scientists, almost everyone interviewed remembers exactly what they were wearing the day they learned the truth about Santa.

This is called the "Kennedy effect": when people, many years later, recall the moment of great shock to the exact details.

Okay, the lie about Santa Claus cannot be compared with the murder of the president, but the study confirms: this is a really strong shock for the child's psyche.

3. You are laying the foundation for future distrust

The authors of the study argue that children tend to think of all the things that adults say as real.

Confidence is rapidly lost when the myth is repeatedly fueled with new false evidence.

Such stories undermine strong parental authority.

4. The myth about Santa Claus is more needed by parents than children

Children have no problem feeling the holiday and creating New Year's mood for themselves. But adults often have difficulties with this.

It is adults who want to believe in a mythical creature who will come and fix everything next year, so they begin to create illusions, hiding behind a kind fairy tale for children.

It is also a wonderful way to control your child's behavior, as mentioned earlier.

What to do?

You shouldn't teach a child to grab any animator disguised as Santa Claus by the beard shouting "You're not real!" and even more so to cancel the holiday.

Children are not at all stupid, so you just have to explain to them: Santa Claus is a beautiful tradition that is an integral part of the New Year holidays.

Scientists believe that this approach will help build a strong foundation for trust between parents and children, while maintaining a festive mood for the whole family.

Holiday greetings!