What is Digg?291 Comments
- dankoleary, on 10/12/2007, -15/+186"What kind of person does such a thing?"
Terrorists. - cameron074, on 10/12/2007, -24/+84jeez, seems like a pretty unnecessary thing to do. I'd be pissed off if they were my kids.
- OBDriftwood, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36You mean Santa *doesn't* exist?
- KayIslandDrunk, on 10/12/2007, -13/+40Uh isn't a school based on teaching facts and not lies? If the parents want the school to lie about the existence of a fictional character then the school shouldn't mention Santa or Christmas at all.
- sundancekid503, on 10/12/2007, -3/+28What a terrible thing to tell young kids!! To any young children who might be reading these comments, this story is absolutely false! If you kids want to know the truth - Santa Claus died about 30 years ago after taking a lethal mix of candy canes and heroin.
Never fear though, his spirit will always live on in hallmark cards and rampant consumerism. - majorca, on 10/12/2007, -10/+35Everyone wants to believe a little lie sometimes. Case in point, weapons of mass destruction. Kind of like Santa but without the reindeer.
- crawfishsoul, on 10/12/2007, -19/+40What kind of person does such a thing?
- NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22I remember when my high school got sued because a teacher asked us to write a paper about how we felt when we found out Santa wasn't real. This really dumb preppy blond girl just started freaking out and crying.
- DoctaStooge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+20@ Expletus
When I was younger I believed in Santa, and then as I got older (around 11-12), I figured out on my own that he was imaginary. I also made sure NOT to say anything to my sisters as they still believed. - TrevorBradley, on 10/12/2007, -6/+25I'm really really torn by this. My 6 year old daughter has figured it out (smart kid), but doesn't understand why she shouldn't tell her classmates. She feels like she's lying to them, or telling them an untruth, which is very against her nature.
What are we doing by teaching our children small untruths, or by teaching them it's OK to lie to others or to believe in the absence of evidence?
I wonder what Richard Dawkins would say to children about Santa Claus... - evilTak, on 10/12/2007, -14/+33I'd be pretty pissed off if my kids' school was trying to keep them believing a stupid lie.
- merien, on 10/12/2007, -5/+24@Expletus: Every December I did, just to be on the save side. :)
- n8r0n, on 10/12/2007, -5/+24My boys, ages 4 and 6, do not know that Santa is the one who brings gifts. We have told them since they were old enough to comprehend that mom and dad are the ones who provide the gifts. To them Santa is just another icon of Christmas, like Frosty, Rudolph, and Mr. Hankey.
- TerekKincaid, on 10/12/2007, -6/+24Pretty rotten thing to do. I was at a Christmas music performance at my church one year and all of a sudden, they play this radio drama of a kid's parents telling him there is no Santa, but he represents "the spirit of Christmas yada yada...". I didn't think they had the right to do that, especially since kids of all ages were there.
I hope kids don't read Digg or thisislondon.co.uk, though, or we're just as bad! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19FAKE!
Santa is real. - Supernova36, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18They still believed in Santa at 9?!
I suppose when you compare it to other imaginary things they might believe in for longer its not so bad.. - darkened, on 10/12/2007, -7/+23Buried inaccurate, Santa is real.
- mjar81, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21I think it's a travesty that as a society, we find it acceptable to lie to our children.
- SocialPoison, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16How many 9 year olds do you know that you'd consider a "critical thinker"? Hell... how many HIGH SCHOOLERS do you know that you'd consider a critical thinker?
- SocialPoison, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15You're in about 3rd grade at age 9... not exactly the age where you start thinking about world issues and trying to come to logical solutions to problems. It's still a very "I want a cookie!" or "does Suzy Jenkins have cooties?" age. It isn't early high school that the issue becomes "How do I get Suzy Jenkin's 'cookie'?" and later "does Suzy Jenkins have crabs?"
...
...
f*cking Suzy Jenkins... - kaijunexus, on 10/12/2007, -6/+20Schools are for teaching children facts and skills.
Perpetuating a culturally accepted LIE about an old fat man who flies with reindeer and lives at the North Pole falls nowhere close to either of those two categories. - Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14So like an engineer to discount quantum physics. Santa actually exists in multiple locations at once. Heck, I've seen him at two different malls on several occasions.
- tdawson2012, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13I have faith that Santa exists, therefor he does.....because I have faith. Thats how it works right? Discuss.
- thcobbs, on 10/12/2007, -10/+22Jesus people...
It's ok to quash the imagination of young children just because you feel they need to know? When did schools get more parental rights than parents?
This sounds like a very jaded person.
The more of these stories I read, the more I'm seriously thinking about sending my daughter to private school so that I can have SOME say in the way she is educated. - arnor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14In today's increasingly culturally mixed societies, it seems a little odd to me that children should be expected to believe in Santa or even have Santa being mentioned in their house as being connected to Christmas. Different cultures have different traditions. Of course, that doesn't mean that it's fine to take the step of destroying a kid's belief in Christmas when that's important to them / their family.
Seems to me that easiest thing to do is to ignore Santa in the classroom, without mentioning him one way or the other. - vuzman, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14A teacher should NEVER lie to his pupils. That's just how that works. You can't educate children by lying to them, in fact lying is the opposite of educating, and educating children just happens to be a teacher's job.
I don't think parents should lie to their children either, but I guess that's up to them to decide. A teacher, however, should not decide, he should just never lie. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+19Or there being a god?
- radu79, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12"The blunder came after the Year 5 pupils were given seasonal worksheets containing various festive classroom exercises."
Year 5 is what, 11-12 years old? One would think all the kids that age already know.
The 9 year old that had their 'Christmas spoiled' was a different case (further in the article) - killerofkiller, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13I find santa more believable and alot more fun than god...
- videozine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12There are three phases of Santa Claus
1) You believe in Santa
2) You DON'T believe in Santa
3) You ARE Santa.
Festive Tidings to All! - xJudahx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12It says that they were as young as 9.
A 9 year old shouldn't still be believing in Santa Claus, should they? By that age they have already figured out for themselves. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13oh great digg, you know nine year olds use this website too?
- genetic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8you know, id rather not lie to my kids. this christmas ***** is just a scam to get people buying more anyways
- rivercityjessie, on 10/12/2007, -12/+20First of all, plenty of people are better off with religion in their lives.
(for the record, I was catholic up until recently, but am an atheist now)
Second, I doubt that "only good things" can come from teaching some kids that Santa isn't real. One of the best things about Christmas is watching children get excited that "Santa" is going to deliver presents. So what if its false? It makes them happy and gives them something to look back on later when they have their own children. - Phyltre, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I'm shocked kids believe in Santa at age 9, too. But then, I never believed in Santa and quite frankly have no idea what kind of benefit teaching your kids something so illogical has.
- sirloin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10If a child asks a teacher a direct question, would you want the teacher to lie?
While i think it is crappy to ruin the illusion unprompted, if my kid asks the teacher an honest question about the subject being taught, i expect honest answers even if i disagree with them.
I wonder if people would feel the same outrage, if the school did the opposite, told kids that santa was a fact.
and that some deer fly, aerodynamics is a joke, elves exists and make toys. - KayIslandDrunk, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13@ Trevor
I completely agree with you. Its teaching them at a young age that some lies are okay and some are not when we should be teaching them not to lie at all. - gab00n, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Wait until they find out that religions are all *****.
- daveddd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Sounds like the Grinch is up to his old tricks again.
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North Pole - dscomeau, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Reminds me of the radio station that pulled a shock prank on families the other year...they hyped up that there'd be some special announcement on the following Friday morning, and that kids should tune in with their parents...of course, you can just guess what the announcement was...buncha jerks.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10"Would you call the story of Paul Bunyan a lie? No. A childhood belief in some mythological character or story isn't going to hurt anyone.
What you guys are saying is like stating that its best to describe all the intricaties of sex and love to children as soon as they can talk."
Because no one tries to convince kids that Paul Bunyan is real. They call it a "tall tale" and never at any point do people play along like it's real.
Sex and love is another stupid hangup our society has, but that's another story for a different thread. - realsurreal2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8"Year 5 is what, 11-12 years old?"
Year 1 is age 4-5
Year 5 therefore is age 9-10 - WildYams, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12I don't remember being upset when I found out Santa wasn't real. I do however wish someone had told me much earlier that Jesus wasn't real.
- briantech, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Santa isn't real. The school told kids that santa isn't real. Whats the problem again?
- KentDiego, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Children deserve the truth. Telling them the truth did not make them miserable. A person they trusted told them a deliberate lie. That would make anyone miserable. Who are they going to believe in the future, their parents or the school?
- dodoporridge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I don't think Santa Claus really has anything to do with the holiday season. And I don't see any other December holidays approaching Christmas in consumer potential anytime soon. Until I start seeing enormous inflatable menorahs and huge, tacky lighted Kwanzaa things on peoples' lawns, I'm gonna consider it the "Christmas season" (celebration of the almighty dollar)
- tidu, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10"oh great digg"
Digg is some kind of religion now? - AnteChronos, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8@thcobbs
"Fine, you may believe that.... But does that give you the right to destroy a child's view of the world?"
Overreact much? Learning that Santa isn't real is hardly a worldview-destroying moment.
"Yes that may sound overly dramatic, but think about when YOU learned/figured out there was no Santa. What effect did that have on you?"
My reaction was pretty much, "Hmm, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for all the presents you've been giving me, Mom and Dad."
"For me, the World lost a little magic."
I remember when I received a "magic play set" for my birthday, and I realized that "magic" was just a bunch of tricks. Rather than being upset, I was fascinated by the prospect that *anyone* could perform magic. I think that realization is more "magical" then believing in the absurd.
"And do you really want to intentionally take that from another child?"
If the only alternative is to actively lie to a child, then yes. I'll admit that some children are too young to really comprehend the whole thing. However, they're more likely to ignore someone who tells them that Santa isn't real. After all, their parents told them otherwise, and they trust their parents more than some random person. The only children who will actually accept the truth are those who are ready for it And if a child is mature enough to weigh the facts and decide that the person saying that Santa is fake is probably telling the truth, then what right does anyone have to keep trying to lie to them? - dgaspard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7All that stuff doesn't matter because Santa is magic. Step out of your engineering brain for a second and let your kids have fun being young.
- Otto, on 10/12/2007, -7/+13Here's the thing... If the kid wants to believe in Santa, fine. If not, also fine. I've got no opinion on a kid's belief. If the parents want their child to believe as well, good for them. Whatever. Not my concern.
But I will not lie to a child. I think it's wrong.
So if a child asks me directly, I'll say that there is no Santa. I don't care if it's your child and it upsets you. I won't back your lies. And face facts, people. Anybody above the age of 8 should be smart enough to see through the *****. Kids are not idiots. Any kid still believing in Santa at 11-12 YO has developmental problems.
I think this probably upset the parents a lot more than it did the kids. -
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