Ho Ho Ho or Boo Hoo Hoo

Seven years ago, upon the advice of a family member who said if we wanted our kids to trust us in the big things we shouldn’t lie about the little things, I broke the news to my six-year-old that Santa Claus wasn’t real.  She seemed to take it well.

The next year, however, she sadly admitted, “I wish I still believed in Santa.”  I decided then and there that I would let my children discover the truth about Santa when they were ready.

This doesn’t mean I actively lie to my kids.  I simply play the game and let them believe – the same as I do with the Tooth Fairy or when I eat their playdough cookies.

It’s not that hard to allow the fantasy without the fraud.  When they see Santa at the mall and ask, “Is that really Santa Claus?” I say, “No, that’s just someone dressed up like Santa.”  When they ask, “Does Santa really climb down chimneys?” I say, “No, there are lots of houses without chimneys – like ours.”  When they ask, “Is Santa real?”  I say, “What do you think?”  Then I praise them for their deductive reasoning, welcome them into the “grown up” world, and remind them to keep the secret so it stays fun for the little ones.

I don’t think allowing children the excitement and wonder of believing in something magical is a bad thing.  Of course, we make sure they understand the religious side of Christmas first and foremost – that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, not Santa Claus.

But what’s really great about the Santa tradition is that it motivates adults to be selfless.  It’s a time when we think about bringing joy to others by giving anonymously, without expecting anything in return.

And that’s definitely a good thing.

Elections - An Exercise In Trust

I’m taking a break from my bullying articles this week to write about the upcoming election.

Normally, politics is not something I write about, since plenty of other people do.  All I will say about our local candidates is that I was impressed when _____ came to my door.  She seems to be approachable and down-to-earth and I believe that, if re-elected, she will “take honesty and common sense to the table”.  The others I have yet to look into.

Elections are a matter of trust.  Who do you trust enough to represent your voice?

Too many of us rely on opinions in the media or what our friends have to say instead of doing the work of study and research ourselves.  We need to ask questions of our candidates, scour their websites, read factual articles, and know their platforms.

If you wanted to know Canada Post rates, would you talk to the UPS guy?  If you wanted to learn about Catholicism, would you go online to read what an ex-priest had to say or perhaps watch The Exorcist?  Of course not.

But when our votes are swayed by attack campaign ads, someone else’s opinion, a catchy, meaningless slogan, or the sign on your neighbour’s lawn, that is, in effect, what we’re doing.

Discussing opinions and debating issues is fine, but not if that’s the extent of our research.  The smart thing to do is go to the source to find out what they have to say about themselves and their party.  If we mull that information over, make a decision, see how it feels in our gut, and then go to the polls, we can trust ourselves to make the right decision.