Should Parents Disclose The Truth About Santa Claus? See What Experts Say
01December

Should Parents Disclose The Truth About Santa Claus? See What Experts Say

Written by Cristo Rogers, Posted on , in Section Blog

Can your child's belief in Santa Claus negatively affect your relationship with them later on down the road?

In an article published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, two psychologists have raised the specter of children’s moral compass being permanently thrown off-kilter by what is typically considered a magical part of the Christmas tradition.

In the article, the author claims that when a parent lies to their child - no matter how noble the parent's intentions - they potentially risk the chance of developing long-lasting trust issues between themselves and their child. Kathy McKay is a clinical psychologist at the University of New England. She says: "The Santa myth is such an involved lie, such a long-lasting one, between parents and children, that if a relationship is vulnerable, this may be the final straw. If parents can lie so convincingly and over such a long time, what else can they lie about?” 

"The Santa myth is such an involved lie, such a long-lasting one, between parents and children, that if a relationship is vulnerable, this may be the final straw. If parents can lie so convincingly and over such a long time, what else can they lie about?” Says the Dr. Mckay.

Dr. Mckay goes on to explain that, while it may be difficult to level with your child about the non-existence of Ol' Saint Nick, parents need to consider the long-term effects that can result if they fail to tell their children the truth. The Doctor says: “There is potential for children to be harmed in these lies.”

The subject of Santa's existence is one that hits close to home for McKay. She explains that her granddaughter currently believes in Santa clause. McKay says that it is up to her daughter on whether or not to disclose the truth about Mr. Claus to her child, and it is not within her rights as a grandparent to choose otherwise. 

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The darker reality, the authors suggest, is that lying to children, even about something fun and frivolous, could undermine their trust in their parents and leave them open to “abject disappointment” when they eventually discover that magic is not real.

Kathy McKay, a clinical psychologist at the University of New England, Australia and co-author, said: “The Santa myth is such an involved lie, such a long-lasting one, between parents and children, that if a relationship is vulnerable, this may be the final straw. If parents can lie so convincingly and over such a long time, what else can they lie about?”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/nov/23/belief-in-santa-could-affect-parent-child-relationships-warns-study