There was the Grinch who stole Christmas, “Bah, humbug Christmas” Ebenezer Scrooge and now killjoy psychologists who want to wipe out Santa.
In an article entitled ‘A Wonderful Lie’ published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, two psychologists suggest that parents who tell their children about Santa Claus are propagating a lie which could undermine their trust in parents and “leave them open to abject disappointment” when they eventually discover that magic is not real.
It gets worse – one of the co-authors of the study says that there is potential for children to be harmed by these lies and the possibility of a breakdown of the relationship between parents and children, when the latter realise that those over-stuffed stockings under the Christmas tree were filled with gifts by their parents instead of a jolly reindeer-driven Santa from the North Pole. Apparently this revelation may severely traumatise children when the harsh reality is exposed.
A number of joyless, politically-correct parents nodded in smug assent because they too never “lied” to their children. Instead they sat down with their five-year-olds and gave them a wide-ranging lecture about the propagation of false myths, judgemental strangers and the necessity of having a totally honest and open relationship with their parents.
How utterly depressing. I think that children would prefer the lumps of coal allegedly given to naughty children by Santa than this cold, clinical approach by overtly-analytical parents.
Generations of children have grown up believing in Santa Claus and have been none the worse for it. Actually I would say that they have enjoyed the magic of the myth. Children love stories and the people who spend time with them, narrating stories of wild, snowy winters, secret elf factories in the North Pole and a benevolent Santa who works overtime to deliver those gifts on time once a year. None have been traumatised on finding out that there was no actual red-garbed Santa, but loving parents who did the job for him.
None have been traumatised on finding out that there was no actual red-garbed Santa, but loving parents who did the job for him
Parents should go ahead and let their children believe in Santa. If they want any reassurance, they can quote the more common sense studies carried out by Jared Durtschi, an assistant professor in Kansas State University’s marriage and family therapy programme.
He says there is no particular age when a child should stop believing in Santa, and that children will often come to realise the truth gradually as they grow older.
“I don’t think it’s necessary for parents to decide upon a time to tell their children there is no Santa,” Durtschi said. “As children develop, the magical thinking that is so common in kids, which allows them to so readily accept all the details of Santa Claus, will give way and they will soon figure it out on their own.”
Durtschi said that by telling the truth about Santa before a child has figured it out on his or her own, parents might unintentionally lessen the excitement of the Christmas season for their children.
“Christmas tends to be more fun for those kids who believe in Santa compared to those who do not,” he said. “It may be unnecessary to spoil the excitement for the child until they outgrow the belief.” So there.
■ The Azure Window has just been in the news. The authorities have vowed to step up action to prevent people from walking on it and leading to its further erosion.This in the wake of the uploading of a video uploaded to You Tube showing a man jumping off it and dislodging some rocks – behaviour which was greeted by many howls of despair.
I find this ultra-protectiveness of the Azure Window intriguing. I’ll be the first to admit that it is a spectacular rock formation carved out by the elements over time. However, its formation is a natural process as is its further, inevitable erosion.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t try and delay the transformation of the Azure Window into the Azure Pillar, but there’s no need for this national meltdown every time a couple of rocks fall away.
drcbonello@gmail.com