What do your kids want for Christmas?

[Buddy J]

Every year at the paper I work at, we run letters to Santa from the local elementary schools. Here's what I've had to read all day :( :

Dear Santa,
Me and famley can get alone & get hre and spin time to gether. I would like for us to get presents.
Thank-you Eddie

Dere Santa,
I wish me and my brother to get along and no body gets sick this year. My parents always call you for something special for me.
Thank-You From Matthew

Dear Santa,
I wish for my uncle to get better. He is in the hospital. If he gets to come home he will come to our house for the holidays. Somebody stole my bike so I would like to have another one.
Love, Carrington

Dear Santa,
I wish I could see my Dad more often. I will be happy when my Grandfather will come back home. I am glad my sister Jennifer will get to come home from the hospital before Christmas. I am glad Mark lets me play with Molley. I would like to be surprised with something special under the tree. Also, my mother has always wanted a new coffee cup.
Love, Ashley

Dear Santa,
I wish my Mom and Dad did not brakeup now I spend less time with my Dad.
Love Austin

Dear Santa,
I wish for my mom and my dad to be friends again. To let my mom and my Dad to never get sick again or my family. I am glad they love me but you will have to find me at my house or my grandparents house or my Dads house. Don’t forget my sister she likes baby dolls.
Thank you, Tyler

Of course, there are the kids who want a billion dollars, a hot tub with attached swimming pool and an Xbox 360 with all the games, but for every one or two of thoses, there is some kid who is worrying about something you wouldn't think first and second graders should be worrying about. Divorce, illness, theft... It's sobering. :shakehead

[sfleuriet]

That is really sad. It really makes me thankful though.

[tmh88]

sorry :o

[Leonardo]

You sound bitter TMH. That's sad. Believe it or not, there are innocent children.

[Gargoyle]

Kids are very perceptive, and brutally honest when given the opportunity. I'm sure those letters were written without coersion.

[Thrax]

thats bulll****. Little kids are not that caring. If I were 8 again I would want toys and stuff.

You know those kids teachers made them write that, probably coming from a catholic school too.

:rolleyes:

[dragonV8]

Good post, Buddy J. :thumbsup:

I believe those letters to be factual. Guess you need to have lived a while to understand. Nice to see compassion from the kids. :)

[Jengo]

how can that not be what kids think about?!

TMH, when i was in second grade, that is about the time my mom and dad got divorced, i wished with everything had that they would be back together agian. I know how it feels to be confused and miss your parents when you are young, it sucks.

[Buddy J]

I'll vouch for their authenticity. I have the whole stack of them on my desk, complete with the art the kids drew for Santa. It's as original and wholesome as it gets, writen in pencil and crayon on that paper little kids use for practicing letters - the three-lined stuff.

And these aren't the kids at the Catholic school. At Catholic school, you write 'Dear Jesus' letters. I had them last year. "Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for me. Please tell Mother Mary hi." The above stuff came from kids in Oklahoma City public schools.

I also had one from a 3rd grader who said he didn't believe in Santa cuz his mom said Santa isn't real, but he'd like a 12 gauge shotgun and a cannon that is legal to shoot in city limits, just in case.

[profdlp]

My daughter was five years old when her mom and I split up. There was nothing in the world that she wanted more than getting her parents back together. I still remember in vivid detail some of the things she said and did during that time and I can promise you that the sentiments expressed in those letters are genuine. :(

[tmh88]

Ok I may have been harsh there, but from what I've seen most little kids are greedy. Sure alot of little kids are caring, but I mean come on, not one of those kids wanted a toy or something :o

[Nomad]

Ok I may have been harsh there, but from what I've seen most little kids are greedy.

In my opinion most kids are too innocent to comprehend greed like that.

[tmh88]

In my opinion most kids are too innocent to comprehend greed like that.


Let me put it this way. Little kids aren't aware of what greed is, but you can sure bet that when they go into a toy store they'd want everything in there.

[Gargoyle]

Ok I may have been harsh there, but from what I've seen most little kids are greedy. Sure alot of little kids are caring, but I mean come on, not one of those kids wanted a toy or something :o

Some (probably most) did.

Of course, there are the kids who want a billion dollars, a hot tub with attached swimming pool and an Xbox 360 with all the games, but for every one or two of thoses, there is some kid who is worrying about something you wouldn't think first and second graders should be worrying about.

[tmh88]

Ok, well since I didn't make it obvious enough throughout the rest of my posts, I'm sorry for saying that. But It is true to an extent....

[profdlp]

I'm pretty sure I see the point you were trying to make, tmh88. Perhaps another way of putting it is that as people (both kids and adults) get more of what they need, the list of things they want gets more and more extravagant. It's unlikely that any of us here are going to ask "Santa" for a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. But if we were starving that would look like a pretty nice gift to get.

[tmh88]

I'm pretty sure I see the point you were trying to make, tmh88. Perhaps another way of putting it is that as people (both kids and adults) get more of what they need, the list of things they want gets more and more extravagant. It's unlikely that any of us here are going to ask "Santa" for a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. But if we were starving that would look like a pretty nice gift to get.


thanks prof, exactly what I'm trying to say. Maybe next time I'll leave it to the experts :cool:

[RWB]

Heh, I know that when I was a kid my school had us write santa for things we wanted. I didn't know they'd end up in the news paper, so I wished for my dad to get a bunch of cool stuff like a bow and arrow, guns, and other things I saw at the time that I thought my dad would like.... of course for my mom as well.

When I got home from school a couple days later or so, my uncle came over to my grandma's house(who was my nanny) showed the newspaper and had a laugh while playing with my head that my dad would be angry. I was SOOOO scared. I was crying all day about it worried that I would get punished and all.

My dad came to pick me up, it was the talk of the town(small town)... he got ragged on so hard but came to pick me up and we all had a good laugh. He asked me why I didn't ask santa for anything for myself. I guess I just didn't think about it. We still talk about that letter, omg it's just so funny what kids do ;D

[Jimborae]

There's hope for humanity yet if those kids grow up & don't change too much. :)