Santa Claus: A Fun Holiday Tradition or a Harmful Lie?

Is Santa Claus a fun holiday tradition or a harmful lie?Critics of Santa argue that using a fictional character to judge behavior and the idea of a naughty and nice list is not only ineffective, but moreover teaches children to behave only to avoid being on the naughty list. And this messaging may even have a negative impact on children in the longterm.Many parents are worried. So what does the research tell us? Does Santa encourage good behavior? Is it lying to encourage a belief in Santa? Will children be upset when they find out the truth? And can parents encourage children to believe for longer?Let's find out! ------Sign up for the Parenting Translator Substack, and follow along on Instagram.Parenting Translator is hosted by Dr. Cara Goodwin and is produced by Earfluence.Dr. Cara Goodwin, Ph.D., is a child psychologist and mother to three children who "translates" research on parenting and child development into information that is accurate, relevant, and useful to parents.