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Also, think about how it adds to the work of the parents. Before your child, you probably never tried to lie as an adult and didn't need to remember your lies.

Also, think about how it adds to the work of the parents. Before your child, you probably never tried to lie as an adult and didn't need to remember your lies. All of a sudden, you've got a kid and now you start to lie to them and need to keep spinning these webs of lies to support previous lies. Must be exhausting.

pengaru 5y ago
> Before your child, you probably never tried to lie as an adult and didn't need to remember your lies. Where are these adults who never tried to lie?
- Danieru 5y ago
  Perhaps a better word is "conspire"? As in to perpetuate a conspiracy. It requires much more planning and care than a one off lie.
- polishdude20 5y ago
  I mean more like, you don't constantly lie to people. But yeah, like the commenter below says "conspire".
tempestn 5y ago
It really isn't if you just treat it as a fun fantasy and don't work too hard to conceal the truth. Kids are happy to believe and have fun with it, and then when they're ready to know the truth, it's fairly obvious. For example, don't try to come up with explanations for inconsistencies or impossibilities, but just ask the kid what they think. Eventually it'll be like, "Well, obviously Santa can't actually come to all the houses, so I think the other Santas help him." "I know you and Mom put our presents under our tree, but I think Santa gives them to you." Etc. They basically explicitly tell you how much Santa they want to believe at any given point. Once they directly ask you if Santa is real, you can ask them if they really want you to answer. (The first time mine quickly said, "No, I know he's real!" and then dropped it for a year. :D ) But if they persist, you can tell them a nice version of the truth, like that the idea of Santa is definitely real, because why else would kids get presents from Santa every year. As they guessed, you help out by actually getting the presents and putting them under the tree, but it's because of this great spirit of giving that so many people feel around Christmas that we have this tradition.

pengaru 5y ago

> Before your child, you probably never tried to lie as an adult and didn't need to remember your lies. Where are these adults who never tried to lie?

Danieru 5y ago
Perhaps a better word is "conspire"? As in to perpetuate a conspiracy. It requires much more planning and care than a one off lie.
polishdude20 5y ago
I mean more like, you don't constantly lie to people. But yeah, like the commenter below says "conspire".

tempestn 5y ago

It really isn't if you just treat it as a fun fantasy and don't work too hard to conceal the truth. Kids are happy to believe and have fun with it, and then when they're ready to know the truth, it's fairly obvious. For example, don't try to come up with explanations for inconsistencies or impossibilities, but just ask the kid what they think. Eventually it'll be like, "Well, obviously Santa can't actually come to all the houses, so I think the other Santas help him." "I know you and Mom put our presents under our tree, but I think Santa gives them to you." Etc. They basically explicitly tell you how much Santa they want to believe at any given point. Once they directly ask you if Santa is real, you can ask them if they really want you to answer. (The first time mine quickly said, "No, I know he's real!" and then dropped it for a year. :D ) But if they persist, you can tell them a nice version of the truth, like that the idea of Santa is definitely real, because why else would kids get presents from Santa every year. As they guessed, you help out by actually getting the presents and putting them under the tree, but it's because of this great spirit of giving that so many people feel around Christmas that we have this tradition.