Jesus and Santa Claus
Teaching Your Child the Difference Between the Two
Christmas is a time that most kids get ready for Santa to make his dashing visit to their house. But, make sure they know that Jesus is the reason for the season.
During the holiday season you may start to prepare for Santa to arrive on Christmas Eve. You may bake him cookies with your child or leave him a card, but either way your child anticipates Santa's brief visit. Because the Christmas holiday is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, she will understand that Jesus is the reason for the celebration if you help her understand the difference between Jesus and Santa Claus.
Separating Santa from Jesus
Santa should be known as the one that brings the gifts to us one time each year. It would be easier if your child actually sees Jesus in order to tell the difference in a picture comparison. Santa can be seen in the stores, walking around, in Christmas parades, and on television so there is always the chance to see and understand Santa. Children may not be able to see Jesus doing these same things, but they can see everything around them which is also our gift from God, as well as Jesus. They should realize that everything is a gift from God.
Make Jesus Real to Your Child
Separating Santa from Jesus is one of the hardest tasks a parent will have to do and you may not be able to help your child to understand about separating Santa from Jesus until after a certain age. There are some ideas that you can try in order to start helping your child understand.
Begin by reading the story of Santa from a storybook. Then, after you get done with that story, read a few verses from the Bible in the book of Matthew which tells of Jesus’ birth. You may want to read it again every day and talk it over with your child. But don't just read the Bible that one night before going to bed. Children need to have their parents read it to them regularly and then discuss what you read.
Use every opportunity to read to them during the day and in the evening. This is a great way to help your child learn the difference between Santa and Jesus. When you talk to your child about Jesus you can also tell him that there are things all around us that remind us of Jesus. There is a big difference when you compare that to the presents that your child gets once a year from Santa.
When talking to your child about separating Santa from Jesus it is more show than tell. In other words, it needs to be about illustrations and consistency in stories for your child to really understand. Santa is a fun and exciting person in a child's life if you choose to have your children believe in him. Santa will be a part of your child's life for maybe 10 years. But, Jesus is with us every day, and as you know, it is very important that they believe in Him forever. Above all, "We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas. Jesus is still the reason for the season." (November 29, 2001 by Les Harvey)
