A social worker, who works with underprivileged families, has asked parents not to tell their children that their new and pricey Christmas gifts are from Santa Claus.
Megan Jackson, formerly Megan Dunn, posted her plea on social media about four years ago, but the message is once again going viral because of the gift-giving season, according to Daily Record.
In her post, Jackson said that parents should take credit for gifting their kids a $200 gadget or toy because other children, whose parents cannot afford expensive gifts, wonder why they only got socks or hand-me-downs from Santa Claus. She said that she has conversations with parents tearing up when their children ask them if Santa doesn't like them enough because they didn't get amazing presents like their friends.
"Leave the less expensive gifts from Santa," she said. "Be blessed you can afford what others cannot."
Parents Debate on Jackson's Statement
Over the years, Jackson's post has been reshared and commented on social media a thousand times. One commenter said that this is what her parents did when they were children, with the big gifts coming from their mom or dad and the smaller gifts from Santa Claus. Another parent said that Christmas gifts aren't "surprise expenses" since they have a whole year to prepare for that grand gift, without compromising their children's happiness.
Other commenters, however, said that it's bothersome to think that some parents would gift children between the ages of five to eight gadgets like an iPad since it's not age-appropriate.
"The children who believe in Santa are normally under the age of 8," one commenter posted. "They shouldn't be getting iPads or iPhones. Stop making children grow up so fast."
One mother said that Jackson's statements seem to prove that some kids today are so focused on the material things that they forget the true meaning of the season. For this mother, it's the parents' fault for raising their children to be materialistic. Other parents chimed that they could tell their children the truth that Santa is not a real person.
In an interview with Scary Mommy, the social worker said that she "almost dread Christmas time" because many families cannot celebrate grand holidays with their family. Though her post got both positive and negative feedback, she said she is grateful it has generated the attention to raise awareness for impoverished families.
The Santa Claus Dilemma
The myth of Santa Claus has been perpetuated for centuries. In the U.S., the postal service, a government agency, even encourages kids to write letters to Santa. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, the COVID-19 expert, has stated that Santa Claus has "good innate immunity," so he cannot be infected with the virus.
However, some behavioral experts said that the concept of Santa Claus might teach kids that lying may be the right thing to do in some situations. Termed as "prosocial lies," these trivial situations can have different consequences, depending on the personal relationships of the people involved.
The experts said that parents who can communicate their reason for lying about Santa Claus to their kids pretty well by demonstrating that they have clear insights into what their kids truly need can provide lessons of hope, optimism, and even trust.
