Pro: Avery Woods

Christmas is all about that childlike wonder that manifests itself through presents and fantasies about a jolly old man who lives on the North Pole. Letting your children believe in Santa is an integral part of that wonder.

Growing up, we all knew that one kid who didn’t believe in Santa. They liked to parade it around, rub it in other kids’ faces, telling everyone how stupid they were for believing in Santa and, in general, being pretty rude about it.

By telling your children that Santa isn’t real, you’re essentially turning them into that kid – that self-righteous child who thinks they’re superior just because they know that something isn’t real, even if the other kids don’t believe them.

By telling your kids that Santa isn’t real, you’re taking away the magic of Christmas – the excitement on Christmas Eve, barely sleeping all night, and waking up at the crack of dawn because they’re so pumped to see what Santa left them.

I understand that there are certain restrictions to Santa when it comes to presents, especially if the budget doesn’t allow for it. But those who can afford it, those who are able to make Santa real, should make him real.

Santa was a part of my childhood, and it was a part of my parents’ childhood and my grandparents’ childhood. It’s a tradition; don’t leave your kids out of it.

Con: Tess Conley

Growing up my parents let me and my brother believe in Santa. But personally, I don’t think people should let their children believe in Santa. I’m not discouraging it, but I don’t think that parents should encourage it. Often during childhood Christmas’ the best and most expensive gifts come from Santa, which can often, by accident an unthankfulness for the creativity and thoughtfulness for the gift, which was provided by the parents.

Something else that shocked me when I found out about Santa was how much money your parents actually spend on you. The idea of Santa may encourage childhood memories, but it is also a bit of an overdone occasion which ruins the idea of it, similar to the overdoing of Christmas which now starts in November.

Encouraging your kids to believe in Santa can lead to a deficit of Christmas traditions because when the kids grow up and learn about the fact that Santa isn’t real all your Christmas traditions are demolished. Also my dad personally told me that he thought it was funny watching my brother and I get all worked up about something that isn’t even real. A friend of mine was crushed when they “taped” Santa coming on Christmas night. In conclusion the lie of Santa leads kids to believe in something not real, ruins Christmas traditions, and it costs parents lots of time and money.