A couple explained why they were candid about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny with their daughter when she was only a toddler. Although the girl is now nine years old, she learned that neither Santa nor the Easter Bunny are real at a young age. Instead of teaching their daughter to believe in something untrue, her parents wanted to avoid any potential “psychological trauma” that could come from lying about such things.
The decision to be honest with their young daughter about the Easter Bunny and Santa wasn’t easy for gay couple Craftsman Mathew Boudreaux and Aurelian, music teacher husband. They live in Washington State with Helena, their cherished only child. Some people might say that by not lying about these fantastical characters, they are robbing Helena of her childhood. But the parents believe that practicing “honesty is the best policy” is more important than any magic attached to make-believe creatures.
Mathew stated, “Parents don’t need to tell any of their kids Santa or the tooth fairy is real. Why would I participate in this large-scale global gaslighting? Before adopting our child, we researched parenting and thought of the potential psychological impact lying could have. We decided we would never deceive her. Parents don’t need to tell any of their kids this is real. It has normalized group lying and deception. It doesn’t need to be a part of society.”
Helena’s parents gave her a choice: she could either believe in Santa Claus or not. They explained that if she chose to believe, it would be pretending. But if she didn’t want to believe, then that was okay too.
“It wasn’t a sit-down conversation. She started to ask questions and have an awareness of him,” Matthew stated. “She asked who he was, and it’s at this point most parents say he’s real. We decided not to.”
Even though Helena, unlike most American children, does not believe in Santa Claus, she still enjoys the holiday season. She and her family “make cookies, exchange presents, get up super early and spend quality time together as a family.”
The parents said: “There is a morality in lying and not lying. We live in a world where nobody can tell the difference between real and fake. Honesty is the most important component of parenting, and the truth is the way you should go.”
These parents have a strong opinion about Santa Claus and took steps to ensure their daughter wouldn’t be traumatized when she learned the truth about him and the Easter Bunny.
What do you think about parents being honest with their children about the existence of Santa Claus? Is it all in good fun, or do you think more parents should be honest with their kids?
