Most American parents love to perpetrate the myth of Santa Claus to their young children. I was no exception. Were we telling an incredible lie to our kids? Uh, yes. Is this practice harmful to children? No. It may actually be beneficial, in its way.
Little kids lap up the story of Jolly Old Saint Nick. They're eager to believe. But over the course of a very few years, the Santa fairy tale helps children with their cognitive and emotional development. They begin to employ their skills of reasoning, deduction, and use of evidence.
Flying reindeer pull a sleigh through the sky? A fat guy brings all the presents down the chimney? Every home, all over the world, in just one night?
By the age of seven or so, most kids have figured it out by using just the sort of mental processes
necessary for scientific/technological discovery and innovation.
Thanks, Scientist Santa!
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"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph."
-- Shirley Temple
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