* Father Christmas good or bad.#
Germaine Greer a professional opinionated baby-boomer was complaining that it is a terrible thing to lie to children and telling them that Santa exists is a heinous crime. This all too predictable attitude ignores the many benefits this 'rite of passage' confers at the momment the truth is revealed i.e. there is no santa.
This teaches the child many valuable lessons to wit:
1) Never take what your parents tell you at face value, always keep your eyes and ears open in order to know what really goes on, review everything they told you for possible flaws.
2) Santa brought poor kids cheaper and fewer toys than the middle income kids and the richest kids got the most expensive and best toys from santa. This teaches kids that the more money you've got, the more you get.
3) It becomes obvious that mum and dad bought the presents not old santa and therefore there is no reason why toy buying activities should be restricted to Christmas day as mum, or mum and dad, or dad or mum and partner or dad and partner (partner being of either sex and all valid lifestyles) are often about.
4) Children realise it wasn't santa who choose the crabby scooter you got when your brother got a racing bike and now you know who the real competition is you can start plans to undermine them.
This is all fitting stuff for todays England.