Parenting predicament: Rethinking the Santa Claus tradition

Switch just a few letters and you can turn “Santa” into “Satan.” 

Not saying that means anything. Before you jump all over me by assuming that I’m going to try compare everyone’s favorite jolly old elf to the devil incarnate, please hear me out.

I’ve always been a fan of Santa Claus. I remember watching out my window on Christmas Eve, seeing snowflakes drifting past our outdoor light display and hoping to catch a glimpse of a reindeer, sleigh or at least hear a jingle bell or two.

Defining faith: Actions speak so much louder than words

Contrary to what some people — such as those who’ve watched the musical “Annie” a few too many times — believe, many kids when adopted aren’t able to express their feelings all that well. There typically isn’t an opening floodgate where the child showers his/her new family with love, adoration and gratitude. The bonds of trust take time. The feelings and emotions can be guarded for quite a while. And that can be a hard pill to swallow for adoptive parents after all the hoop-jumping and i-dotting it can take to finalize an adoption.

For our son, who dealt with a slew of tough breaks growing up, saying “I love you” was especially challenging. There were times my wife and I wondered if we’d ever hear that simple three-word phrase.