If you don’t do Santa, maybe have your kids make cookies for you since you are wrapping the gifts and preparing for the morning. That’s a good way to teach them how to serve one another.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kaleb’s promo for the sponsor! Hahaha great job Kaleb! 😂

My husband and I don’t do the Santa belief with our children just because we want our children to know the real reason for the season. Also, a tradition my husband and I started with each other (been married for 7 years) and with our children is looking in our stockings on Christmas Eve. The stockings are supposed to be a way of “filling up” your spirit and building your relationship with God for the beginning of next year. Example from last year: our daughter got in her stocking a “Jesus loves me” book, my husband got a new devotional, and I got a prayer journal. Love the way God is using your voices. 👏🏼 Many more blessings! 🤍

I plan to tell my kids that Santa is a character.. He’s not real but people like to pretend he is to make Christmas “magical.” I hope to really focus on the birth of Jesus and encourage the real reason for the season. ❤

Really appreciate you sharing that story Jeanine! I come from a family of 14,10 boys,4 girls. We each got one gift and appreciated that but went through similar experience with how kids came to school with long lists of what they got. Dad worked two jobs and did the best he could!

Jeanine! I really felt this when you were mentioning of not having a traditional Christmas or when the money was tight. I grew up in a home of 6 and me and my sisters would get our Christmas presents from Salvation Army and i relate to you there were years that we didn’t have any presents. Because my parents didn’t have enough. But I’m grateful because there was always love in our home and Jesus. And that was the best gift. ❤️

Poor Kaleb meeting Jeanine's family the first time, it was funny, familys are so different! Love hearing your family's stories. Really enjoyed this podcast, so honest, open and relatable.

We don’t tell our kids Santa is real for the same reasons you mentioned ❤

I agree that it’s hard to not continue the Christmas Santa tradition. But it’s okay to start new Christian traditions that glorify the Lord❤️

I have been torn about Santa for my 6, 4, and 1 year old kids up until this year; so I never emphasized it. However the last few years we haven’t emphasized Santa and the closer I am to my kids with respectful conversations they understand he isn’t real but can be fun to take pictures with him and just the idea of him in the mall they can just appreciate the excitement of him with out glorifying him. Honestly my kids are better off with the idea of not thinking things come free from a character. I love having fun times with them and they enjoy hot chocolate and cookies more than playing with toys. So the idea to have them ask for so much is just counterproductive to how I want to raise them as capable, fun loving, emphatic adults one day. The key is to be a parent that really connects with the child more than anything just like Christ does with us- if you do that then nothing else matters. My advice is to be mindful and play and have fun with your kids. My kids are all different so knowing their love language helps tremendously.

Kaleb’s sense of humor is a trip 😅😂😂😂

Your speech to the lonely single girls during Christmas is killing me

I love the Christmas tree but maybe not in the middle of ‘Happy & Healthy’. Maybe partially showing on the left or right. Butttt if you want something in the middle use a cute wreath, holiday bow, or star of some sort. Love y’all! And yup I live in NYC

When you asked about what we can say about the Christmas tree at the back, I'd suggest a garland instead of the tree, and a red Christmas blankie to accent the couch.

Something that helps me with the new year is having encouragement to grow closer to God and work on being the best version of myself. Thank you sm for this podcast is has helped me alot❤

I don’t know why, but I love being told to go get a warm drink 😂☕️🎄

Hi Jeannine! Loved you and Kabobs story so much. I know you had mentors that kept you in line when maybe you were going off the wrong path. During your singleness and the beginning of your relationship. Can we talk more about spiritual mentors, how to pick one or how that relationship may look like, maybe have your past mentors to hear there point of view? I know spiritual mentors are a part if your journey and they helped you on becoming the amazing women you are today.

“This is my wife’s podcast…” ☺️

So I was not raised around religion. God was never talked about, I grew up agnostic. I also grew up where Santa was HEAVILY present in our Christmases. My mom went ALL out and convinced me so much so that I didn’t stop believing until I was in 7th grade!!🤣 As someone who is a “new” Christian, going on a year now, this has been a conflicting question for me. Santa was so so so special to me growing up. It was so deeply engrained in my Christmases and for me Christmas was always the best time of my childhood so Santa brings some of my absolute best memories in my life. So it’s hard for me to say this but I will not be doing Santa when I have kids. And for the exact reason Kaleb said his dad told him. If I lie to them about Santa, how will my children be able to trust what I say about Jesus? I want to instead focus Christmas on Jesus and family and love🤍

I like the idea of the tree in the background, but it's kind of busy with the garland. Great podcast, love the dynamics that you both bring to the show.

Hey Jeanine and Kaleb, I’m a Spotify listener but I just came to YT to comment about the xmas tree I LOVE IT But I would recommend have it more towards the side like either the left or right side . I’m not vibing the xmas tree right in the center lol love you Jeanine! love the red gloss you have 😉

I’m 8 months pregnant and STRUGGLING with the Santa concept and what to do! This is our first so we have a minute but I love when you discuss future kids and what you’ll do

Love the background! Very festive! 🎄

Love the tree in the back and also can we talk about the fact that your lipstick’s red shade matches the red ornaments of the tree perfectly ✨✨

Love when you give us alone time J! I’m in a relationship but even in one we all need to seek Jesus and look to him for meaning and purpose and fulfillment. You’re so right though. And that is worth the episode. I ❤ eggnog though too. Jesus would love it too. Haha.

I love the Christmas tree!!! So festive 🥲🎅🏼

The decor is cute! You should add an ‘&’ bauble on the tree since since it’s between the two words in the title xx

LOVE this. totally agree about santa. also kaleb now has “do u know what i know” stuck in my head HAHAHA

AMEN 🙏.

My non traditional Christmas is also celebrating on Christmas Eve but I actually love it because it makes the festivities last longer lol ❄️

I 100% encourage Santa and letting them have an imagination and as soon as the child asks if he’s real or not be honest immediately

Kaleb has a great voice for advertising 👍

My daughters are now 19 and 16. We chose not to do Santa, we told them the true meaning and we also told them about Saint Nick and how important giving is. We also told them how some mommy and daddy’s like to pretend because they think it makes it a little more magical and that’s okay but this is what our family does and it’s important not to tell your friends so we don’t upset their parents. We still made it special with cookie decorating, stockings, a big special gift, food and family ❤️ we also didn’t do Easter bunny, tooth fairy…

I would move the tree to the right side after "healthy", I find it a little distracting directly in the center:)

My family told me very young that Santa isn’t real. My dad went around the house with a tambourine saying ho ho ho to make it fun for us as kids. Jesus was always the reason for the season. I made a kid cry by saying Santa’s not real. Better to tell the truth at the beginning. Eggnog is the best!

Yeah, I also grew up knowing Santa was not real and also enjoyed all the Christmas movies but knowing the truth. And now having kids, they all know Santa is not real and it’s all about Jesus being our best gift but they still get excited seeing someone dress like Santa at the mall and things like that and it’s ok.

this episode is soooo funny! love it... keep up the good work. God bless you guys

COQUITO!! 😁🎄🙏🏼❤️

We do Santa, but basically Santa is the messenger and tells mom & dad what the kids want for Christmas.

My husband and I battled with this, this year. Our oldest is 4 and we finally settled on “Santa is a fun character like Mickey Mouse and we love taking photos with him and decorating with him, BUT he is not a real person that brings us presents that’s mommy and daddy” Jesus is the reason for Christmas and my husband didn’t want to lie to them about Santa and then them not believe the huge stories in the Bible.

My husband and I have a 13 month old and plan to be up front and honest about the reason for the season!

Yes, my Aunty and Uncle aren't Christians but buy their kids tons of gifts but they don't even know why they are celebrating and one of them is in counseling for depression at 12 years old. I grew up in Hawaii and we have a different Xmas there too. Santa wears board shorts and we eat different kinds of food too.

I feel like the tree needs more lights or something?? But it works!!

All I ever wanted.😆😆❤❤

The tree works, there's nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't really add anything. It's ok to keep that tree but I feel like it should have way more lights on it. Then it would be cool.

This is my husband & I’s first year where our toddler who is about to be 3 years old, knows who Santa is and we straight up told him he isn’t real, we want to glorify Jesus and put emphasis on Jesus and His birth surrounding this holiday. He knows about Santa but we aren’t going to involve Santa in our kids where we say any gifts are from him, but they are from us and Santa is just a fun thing that’s part of Christmas but we don’t want him to be higher than the Lord. It’s a really tough subject but we ultimately came to agreement on Santa and that we are not going to involve him in our traditions! 😊

​I live in NJ, right across from NYC. Would love to meet you both and bring my boyfriend along, it would be so fun ❤ your relationship is so admirable!

That Christmas tree looks great

13:30 pump up talk

I think I would prefer the old background bc the video was out of focus the certain times since it was focused on the tree 😭

I just moved to NC but I lived in here up in NYC and will be back for the holidays!! If you guys do a meet up that would be so fun :)

My parents and my husband’s parents both did Santa. It did not affect my faith in Jesus or my husband’s. I think it just depends. Now, I was upset that my mom lied to me 😂 now that we have a 6 month old I’m having to think about all of this. I always envisioned myself doing Santa with my kids, and I think I will just because it was a fun experience for me and my hubbie!

I live an hour and a half from NYC! 😄

My parents are pastors. When we were kids. My mom always told me it was the spirit of Saint Nick who was a believer in Jesus that would go do Good acts in the world like Jesus. Parents were so inspired but him that they carry his spirit and his love for Jesus and spread it to their children. When Santa died it became a tradition to acknowledge what he did for children. They said that Jesus did the same and when he died for me it inspired other Christian’s to do Jesus’s good acts through the Holy Spirit. Which gave me an unwavering faith as a kid bc that made sense to me. Just want to share bc if you tell kids about the real person who was Saint Nick it shows them how real people can inspire others through their love of Jesus.

There is a guy named St Nicolas though who gave gifts to be nice. So I believe Santa is kinda real. Just a different name and he doesn’t actually do it because he’s dead. I love Elf. I don’t like the Santa songs either. I love There’s a New Kid In Town. Also there is a Taylor Swift one I like called Christmas Must Be Something More. Lizzie McGuire had the best Christmas episode because it does mention Jesus.

With the santa topic... the way I see it and have heard it be taught is, telling kids santa is a thing is lying to them and lying is not right in any concept. So even though I grew up with it and it was a special feeling, Im just choosing to stick by not lying to them. Ultimately we are meant to set our kids an example of how to live and mentor them so this is one of those ways. Taking santa out of the picture means more space for Jesus! :) We dont need santa to make christmas feel special in anyway. In fact as Christians we know that Jesus is more than enough in every scenario. Focusing on Jesus will only make Christmas more special. And you can always make it fun and exciting still. ❤ you can still have presents but make it clear who this is from and why we're giving them (because we love and appreciate eachother) Thats my thoughts on it. :)

My son is 10 and finally started asking questions and said Santa is not real, I already know! I’m not going to lie and said yes he’s real lol. My daughter is 3 and believes in Santa and I won’t tell her he ain’t real until she starts questioning it like her brother lol. But I do believe in the magic of Christmas and I told my son we just want to make fun memories. But I love the background!!

im in ny! please come and visit!

I’m into the warm drink -all of us gtg warm drinks. Great idea Kaleb! I think it’s interesting as a single Christian girl, how singleness is ‘always’ referred to as singlehood being so sad that we need advice how to get through it. Yes, I want to get married but, I loveeee being single! Anytime we turn a desire into an idol, it’s sin as we know. I see so many married couples where marriage the idol & they give the most advice. On another not, just sharing for perspective - 4 years age difference is not an ‘age gap’. It’s essentially the same age range, it’s not even a difference. 10 years is an age gap or more. Christian’s are debaters 😂😂😂 look at me debating what’s an age gap. Lol. Enjoy you two together chatting!

Jesus is the reason for the season 💯

honestly pretty legendary that Kaleb knows Drummer Boy by JB!

Omggg you’re so wrong Kaleb!!! I hate eggnog but I don’t have bitterness toward fun 😮😂.

I am Christian and raised Christian and my dad also debated this. My parents landed on doing Santa and I never even connected that I should question Jesus bc of Santa. I think bc Jesus is a daily belief and faith that I knew how serious that was vs how Santa was something fun. We had a balance of celebrating Jesus birth on Christmas (birthday cake) and getting gifts from Santa to celebrate him and giving to others as Jesus would!! I think it’s all in how it is presented. But I respect not doing it as well❤️

I accidentally let it slip to my friend in 6th grade that Santa wasn't real. Her family really kept it going and when she found out that they had lied to her she had a huge mental health crisis and also a faith crisis questioning Jesus. It was so awful and I know that because of that personal experience, I will not tell my kids that Santa is real. I think he can be a fun symbol maybe but I really want the focus to be on Jesus and his birth. I think getting free gifts from a magical man can overshadow that for kids. Ultimately it's whatever you think is best for your children!

my fiancé and i discussed santa and decided not to and basically explain it to our future children. ever since becoming Christian, we obviously don’t believe in Christmas like that. I saw yesterday though that “Old Nick” is another name for the devil in the merriam webster dictionary which was wild to me but also confirmed what I already thought about the whole thing. When you guys mentioned that you’re basically worshipping Jesus and Santa for Christmas and now understand that “Old Nick” or “Old Saint Nick” is another name for the devil, it completely makes sense that the enemy perverted something that was meant for Jesus to also worship the devil.

When I was growing up we were taught that most Christmas traditions were from a pagan holiday and that they have absolutely no place in connection with Christ's birth. We played games and made a birthday cake. I'm sorry, while I do not have any moral reasoning against eggnog, I can't stand the flavor.🤢 I'm so glad that you intend to present a real version of Christmas to your children!!! God bless us, every one.

Red lipstick 💄 looks great on you

We have a baby - but we are not doing Santa with our baby! We do not want to lie to them. But we are still celebrating and doing all of the fun things that come with Christmas! We are telling him about who St. Nick was and where Santa came from, and watch movies that have Santa in them. We just will not be telling him that Santa is real!

We don’t tell our kids anything. I don’t want them to spoil it for other children. They know that mommy and daddy provide gifts. They acknowledge that Santa is just a person who comes around during Christmas. Surprisingly they never question it or bring it up.

No Santa for me 🙋‍♀️

MASTER DEBATERS 🤣

In my country Christians don't celebrate Santa Claus because on Christmas Eve, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. HOWEVER, we do remember Saint Nicholas (not to be confused with Santa Claus!!) on the 6th of December, who very much existed! Saint Nicholas was an early Christian bishop who secretly gave money and presents to poor people (especially poor children) during the night when no one would see him. To remember the life Saint Nicholas lived, Christian parents leave some chocolate in their kids' shoes at night (on the 6th of december) and tell them that it was Saint Nicholas. This tradition comes from Europe. Later, non-believers invented Santa Claus to try to make people forget about Saint Nicholas...

Good thing I like egg nog

But do you put nutmeg on your eggnog? If you don’t then what are you doinggggg?? :P

I have 2 kids and 1 on the way and we do not do Santa Claus… I feel a very strong conviction against it. I don’t want to lie to my kids. I’ve heard so many horror stories about the trauma of finding out Santa wasn’t real and how it broke parent-child trust. I also feel like it low key preaches a works based salvation mindset. And also, I want Jesus to be the main character of Christmas. No hate to anyone who does because it’s become so normalized but it’s not something that we want to partake in at all.

Ohh home alone vs Elf ppl Elf all the way … you can’t be both

My kids just found out Santa wasn’t real from the beginning of the video. Oops 😅

The Christmas tree took the focus away from your faces and talk were not as clear as the tree