What is the purpose of our parents making us believe in people and things that don't exist?

To have an imagination, parents think of their kids as kids not as adults or people they could have serious discussions with. Most parents use the tooth fairy as sort of an excuse to make you not scared of losing your tooth. Same thing with Santa Claus it’s a way for us to behave or not freak out. Then once you’re old enough they tell you the sad news, and eventually you get over it and become an adult.

The tooth fairy would be to help children through something that could potentially scare them (teeth falling out), as it is nice to think there is a reward for something that is not that pleasant.

Santa, The Easter Bunny and so on add excitement to a religious festival and are a way children can celebrate whilst young. It can get them ‘in’ to the religious holidays that they may choose to celebrate when they are older. Even with parents who are not that religious, most still celebrate the holidays in some way and talking about these characters to their children will allow them to celebrate, even if the holiday is not a big thing in their household.

I always wondered because thr always telling us not to lie, and to not make up wild and crazy stories, and long behold that’s what they r doin, lieing and makeing up wild stories, I’m just sayin

It’s not really a lie, more of a mutual agreement that up until a certain age, kids deserve to live a different kind of truth. It’s not hurting anyone, in fact it’s making children all over the world so excited and happy when they find out that there is somebody else out there who doesn’t know them, but still brings them presents (santa). I think it also gives adults a chance to have a bit of fun and loose themselves in the holiday season too ;P

I think that renee had it and to expound my own opinion is that these alternate beliefs arent to instigate playground debates as much as they are to teach children that each one has the ability to choose their own beliefs and once the children grow up and see past the fiction they can learn to see past the fiction of the adult lies and choose their own beliefs. In other words, imagine the world as it is today if everyone was gullible and no one branched out and walked the road less travelled? ok rereading that that kinda made sense but i said what i was trying to say so ill keep it. lol.

because its childish, and kids should be have the time to be and act like kids before they grow up

In your theory it tells kids to take random presents from fat strangers. “Hey kids, want to see my reindeer? One has a shiny nose! Just hop in my slay!”

Sorry I’m really bored.

IMAGINATION…HOPE…FAITH… It may be a lie and all but think about it; when we’re children our imagination is like a small mustard seed. By giving us these stories, fairy tales we begin to expand our imagination, we actually believe in something and what is more important…we have FAITH!! If people had half as much hope and faith as a small child does this world would be a whole lot different…

Yeah that’s true but wat about when it may come to religion how wud u teach them that with them knowing about other things they believed in weren’t real? U see how that can get confuseing? I’m not tryin to start an arguement I’m just sayin that’s all, and I do understand ur point of view

Because parents know that kids will face hard world when they grow up, so it is a good idea to give them some good, soft, brave, kind hearted imaginary “heroes” a very good idea…:-D

Haha I guess. But halloween is even worse. It tells kids to dress up unrecognizably, wander the streets at night and knock on strangers doors asking for candy…

The purpose is so that we can hold children ransom so that they behave good for presents. Lol. Other than that, its just tradition that has revolutionised into what we know it as today. Can’t wait to see how it will be in 50 years.

Listen, my mom told me that if I blew on red lights at traffic stops they would turn green. To this day I still find myself blowing on the lights when I’m in a hurry. She also told me that hiccups came from talking too much. I was and still am quite the talker, and I get hiccups often. She was just trying to get me to shut up, and I believed her until I was about 8. I’m not sure why parents do these things, but it makes for a runner world for kids, and an easier world for parents. As for Santa, the promise of presents makes kids want to behave in order to have a fun toy.

That’s actually a really valid point of view “imlonely” but think of it this way…Growing up is all about figuring what’s good for you, what isn’t real and of course making mistakes and choices… At some point in our young adult life we knew that Santa was a story and that the tooth fairy was actually mum and dad but we did recognize that RELIGION was a serious issue and that to some extent (in my case my ~ experience real HEALING) you kinda make a choice to believe or not… But I totally understand how people can get confused…