Naughty or Nice
I find it very disturbing to hear parents using Santa as a bribe for good behavior.
I don't like the idea of parents instilling in children belief in made up characters for any reason. Be it Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, or Jehovah. It creates a culture that denigrates the material world and true responsibility.
Bribing someone with a reward for their behavior is a cornerstone of our society. Without it, no one would consent to behavior that in and of itself is not rewarding. People's minds are so clouded by this bullshit that they end up re-defining 'work.' Work as an advertising firm administrative assistant is NOT even in the same world as work such as growing and cooking one's food. The latter is not work and is intrinsically rewarding.
But back to Santa.
There can be nothing positive about bribing a child to behave well for toys supposedly brought from a make believe being. It might be a more complex idea, but why shouldn't a child be taught to behave well because to not do so is unacceptable and it brings no reward?
Disclaimer: I am no parent and I am sure a pragmatic method is desirable when dealing with a screaming two year old.
posted by shane at 12:41 PM
1 Comments:
The other day on CNBC, they were "reporting" on children writing letters to Santa asking for jobs for their parents. It was all tied into some volunteer program to help children maintain the myth of Santa (aka fulfill their Christmas wishes).
The anchors sang a tune of how unfortunate it is that the wishes for jobs can't be fulfilled or that needy kids would wish for essentials. I believe they called it heartbreaking.
I wonder if they find it equally as heartbreaking that we live in a society that necessitates poverty. I guess it is sweeter to believe in a mythical being that cannot fulfill one's wishes than it is to believe in one's self and a system where needs are provided for.
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