Trust is vital, especially with our children. If we want them to be trustworthy, we must trust them and vise versa. I agree that guiding them with truth is important, but equally important is harnessing the imagination. I don't profess the imaginary to be real, but I also do not tell them that people are lying about it. It's tricky.

Kids are smart. They're capable of understanding complex things, so I try to explain them. It is always followed by question after question, but that is how they develop critical thinking. I won't tell them not to believe in Santa, but I try my best to show them the difference between reality and make-believe. It is creepy when you think about a fat, white guy breaking and entering, but there is no harm in a good story. Unless you believe the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary..("believe that, I'll tell you another.." lol my grandfather always said that).

Cartoons are a great way to show them the differences between real and imaginary. My parents tried to keep the Santa thing going, but my brother and I were able to decipher the truth without them. When I asked my mother about Santa, she told me the truth. However, it wasn't until I asked that she finally gave up the charade. I wasn't angry at her, I thought it was funny. I knew she didn't want to ruin it for my younger brother. (So I did..lol).

I'm on the fence here because I don't like being forced what to think and being forced to think one way or another - by your parents or the government - sucks. If society forces us to believe one thing and our parents force us to believe another - where is the freedom of thought in that? It seems no matter what we think, there will always be opposing thinkers waiting to sway us in their direction. It's a tough one! Any doctors of psychology in da house? 😆