The Teacher Said Yes!

[Lisa M]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

We can have a club...

Rofl! lol!
You know we're in trouble now! lol!

[womanpraised]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

Arguing with my dad over the whole halloween/santa/easter bunny thing.. he said I was going to ruin my kids..

I told him EVERY Parent ruins their kids, other folks do it their way, and I'll do it mine! He is still mad at me.

[mamakimberly]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

We don't do Santa. Ugh. Nope!

We do presents and a tree, but they are from mom and dad, and we celebrate Jesus' birthday.... not a fat guy in a Santa suit and some reindeer.

No Easter bunny either at our house! We have Ressurection eggs at church and it is a really cool time for the kids.

Kimberly

[mamakimberly]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

I guess the nice part about moving to China will be no commercialized holidays! At least not American ones!

But of course, when we were in Beijing for Christmas in 2001, we saw people with light up Jesus and Mary on a stick!!!!

[Lisa M]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

We don't do Santa. Ugh. Nope!

Suddenly I feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing I'm not alone in this crazy world that think the same way my dh and I do.

We do presents and a tree, but they are from mom and dad, and we celebrate Jesus' birthday.... not a fat guy in a Santa suit and some reindeer.

Hey! Us too! One year the girls and I made a "stable" out of candy, graham crackers and icing to go on top of the cake. My girls love it! This year the girls want to make Gingerbread men for "wise men". Ugh! lol!

We even prolong Christmas morning. I know, just horrid! lol! How dare we make a child wait! lol! But that started because we didn't have a lot of money with the girls as toddlers so we made the day last a long time. So, we get up, eat breakfast, have devotionals, and then open gifts. It's an awesome time, especially when the girls were first learning to read. It's a mom thing to listen to your daughter read out loud for the first time, the first Christmas story.

Here's another "fun sucker" moment! lol! Santa was found out because I refused to lie to my oldest dd when she asked about the man--I borrowed the best book from the library all about the man they called Santa Claus. My youngest dd was deathly afraid of the man in a suit from the moment she first saw him, so we never even bothered renewing the old "santa" gig. But both girls are respectful to other kids and adults who have Santa visit because they know it's a fun thing to do. We do however, will "play" santa like: "To Mr. Claus from Mrs. Claus" or "To Mrs. Claus aka: hotstuff from Mr. Clause aka: The MAN!"

No Easter bunny either at our house! We have Ressurection eggs at church and it is a really cool time for the kids.

Kimberly

Yep, another "fun sucker" here. Man, I'm 0 for 3...or is it 4? I lost count. lol. Hey, my kids are just inquistive people in general and don't like to be lied to because when they find out the truth. People are really going to get the evil eye from my oldest if she ever catches them lieing to her. One person did and she let them have it with "trustworthyness" and "respectability". Yep, she's her mama's daughter alright. lol!

Nah, I think it's still great to live in America..we still have the freedom of speech and religion, right? Or was that nixed recently and I wasn't aware of it?

[womanpraised]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

we saw people with light up Jesus and Mary on a stick!!!!

That made me laugh out loud.. Jesus on a stick.. just pull it out when it's convienent for you...sums up a lot of things quite nicely...

I refused to lie to my oldest dd when she asked about the man

As a Site Director for a youth program, I was sitting with the kids and one of the second graders came up to me to chat... it was holiday time, and I had never really thought about it (I had no kids yet), and she said, Miss Kim, I know who Santa is... my generic answer- REally?- yep, hes God. "AHHHH" I reply, "what makes you say that?".. welll they both know everything and can always see you. And God blesses you and Santa brings you gifts. I shared with her mom because I knew the family pretty well, and mom decided to straighten her out, but you could see she was still really confused. That decided it for me. If I would lie to my kids and decieve them about the one, why would they believe me about the other, and do I really want them confusing the two?


LOL, we were in the Mainplace mall a couple years ago, it is all glass and marble, sound really carries. My oldest, about 6 at the time, sees Santa and yells MOM! Can we get our picture taken with the guy in the Santa suit? We left quickly. I think every mom in that place wanted me roasted crispy.

[DebbieY]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

I guess I'm just bad here. I just had an argument with my mom over Halloween. I told her my daughter was wondering why our apartment wasn't decorated for Halloween since everywhere she goes she sees Halloween decorations. My grandfather is a retired minister, my mom is a minister's daughter, and my dad is now a minister.

When I mentioned what Alex wondered, my mom told me to tell her that we don't do Halloween. But the problem is ... I do. I told her so and then I reminded her that I dressed up for Halloween and went trick or treating with friends when I was young. They were always innocent costumes (princess, cowgirl, and such like that.)

But then again, isn't Mother's Day, Father's Day and Grandparents Day also just a commercialized day? I personally think Halloween could be looked at as a kids day. They get to play dress up and have dramatic play, they get Candy, and can hang out with friends. When our preschool did activities for Halloween, they normally just colored a cat, candy, or such like that.

BTW - She's also against Harry Potter and I absolutely love the Harry Potter series.

But, I'm happy that the teacher found a way to allow your daughter not to have to listen to Harry Potter. I do agree with you that if it's something against your belief, you should try to find a way to work it out. I also think you should send a letter to the teacher and principal letting them know that you appreciate the teacher. Most people only send a letter to complain about something.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

I don't look at Halloween as part of my nor anyones "beliefs". Its a fun holiday for kids.

I'm glad you said you don't teach your kids that everyone else is evil because they celebrate a holiday that you don't "believe in" Lisa. I just think that some things are taken way out of context and blown up into something they are not. I think its very difficult on the children, but hey, they're your kids and you have the right to raise them however you wish.

I also hope that the other children don't pick on her because she's not allowed to do things that everyone else is, you know how cruel kids can be.

So I gather you consider Santa Claus to be evil too? LOL, he's not a religious symbol you know, I don't know of anyone who worships him anyway. Again, another fun thing for children.

I guess I should bow out of this conversation, I don't think this board is a good place to be discussing "religious" beliefs at any rate.

[mamakimberly]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

The reason we don't do Santa is because Santa takes the focus off of Jesus's birthday.

We celebrate Christmas as Jesus's birthday, nothing less. To me, having Jesus and Santa share the day is a slap in the face of God. It says to God "The birth of your Son is not enough... I have to add a fat guy and a chimney and reindeer and presents in order to make the day interesting."

And that's not the message I want to give my kids. I want my kids to know that Jesus came to earth and it is AWESOME and INCREDIBLE and LIFE-CONSUMING! We are THRILLED over the birth of our Savior and nothing man-created could add to that joy.

[cleochatra]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

I am going to say this, not to offend anyone, because I know no one at this board is this way, so please ignore this as being directed towards anyone! I've only skimmed, and I do not judge...I will pose a thought, however, for rhetorical examination.

We celebrate Halloween for the fun of it and we're a Christian family. Granted, I know not everyone will do this, and I know that just because I do it is not a fallacious appeal to authority or to peer pressure that everyone should do it.

I once knew a person who was also a Chrisitan who sat in proud judgement over me regarding her refusal to acknowledge Halloween for its Satanic rituals and pagan followings. The fact that my kids went trick or treating as ballerinas and pirates for Halloween made me an inferior Christian.

So, fast forward 2 months...

What was in her window at Christmas? A big ole honking Christmas tree! A pagan sign of worship! LOL!

So, my position on the issue has always been that only the Jehovah's Witnesses handle both holidays as fairly as do people who don't celebrate the religious meanings behind the holiday of Halloween but the joyous ones... and they're on opposite sides of the religious graph.

It seems the rest of us in the world (speaking generally and not to anyone on this thread)mix and match what we find convenient... including me!

Of course this is my opinion, and I respect those who will agree to disagree with me.

{{{everyone}}}


By the way, Lisa, I applaud you!-- for you raising a very good girl, and for you taking 2big's advice to thank the teacher. That was a double-recipe for success.

[mamakimberly]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

You're right on that Cleo. And it certainly is not a salvational issue.

I don't condemn others around me who do Santa... but since I have the conviction that it is not glorifying to God... if I did it anyway, it would be a sin. Choosing to do something that I know is not God's best is sin (missing the mark).

So I need to hold myself to that. But I don't know the convictions God has layed in the hearts of those around me and it is not my place to tell them what to do.

[not2late]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

My 2 net carbs...

Let me tell you a bit about my extended family's religious leanings. My father's father had 3 brothers and 3 sisters. They were raised Episcopalian. But when they grew up, left home and got married, they left the Episcopalian church. So, I have cousins who are Mormons, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventists, Presbyrterians, etc.

When I was growing up, my extended family put particular emphasis on Easter as the most important religious holiday because that celebrated the death and resurrection of Christ and it's with the resurrection that Christianity hinges its belief that Christ is the Son of God. I don't mean any offense, but the D&R was one of the few things everyone agreed upon from a religious point of view.

Christmas was always a grey area in my family because the origin of the winter celebration of Christmas has its roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia or the winter solitice. So my extended family never considered Christmas to be the birthday of Jesus and never treated it that way because it never states in the Bible exactly when Jesus was born. In fact, most Bible scholars will point to either early spring or early fall as the "birthdate" which they extrapolate from rather obscure "clues", imo.

But with that said, do we get together and eat a big meal on December 25? Yes we do, but we aren't "celebrating" the day with any religious intent. It's yet another time in a busy year to get together with family and friends to celebrate each other's company. The family is now large and we're spread out across the continent (and in some other countries as well), not everyone can make it to Thanksgiving dinner so Christmas is like Thanksgiving Part 2 in my extended family.

As for Halloween, my mom and dad let us dress up and trick-or-treat as kids because it was looked upon more as a giant kids neighborhood party than anything else....

[cleochatra]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

MamaK-- I took a little too much gusto in recounting her Christmas Tree for my Halloween dressing up, didn't I? Forgive me. It wasn't very nice... but it was so liberating at the time ... You are such a caring person! I wish you'd been my neighbor! We would have respected one another's differences.

megs-- that is an excellent post.

Also you made me remember the JW's don't celebrate Christmas based on the winter solstice, but, instead, celebrate Jesus' birth in the Spring. I'd forgotten this!

[Miss Phode]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

Also you made me remember the JW's don't celebrate Christmas based on the winter solstice, but, instead, celebrate Jesus' birth in the Spring. I'd forgotten this!

Actually Cleo, they celebrate Jesus death, not his birth, because Jesus instructed his followers to "keep doing this (celebrating the memorial of Christ's death) in rememberance of me" at the last supper.

Jesus didn't celebrate his birthday with his disciples, and if he did, it wasn't mentioned in the scriptures. I just wanted to clarify. Not debating, I swear

[cleochatra]

Re: The Teacher Said Yes!

Thank you, Aphex! I was sure it was his "Birthday" because my JW friends celebrated only His birthday and no others. Was this their own interpretation? I appreciate you correcting me. *blushing* Sorry for the mistake... {{{Aphex}}}