Santa, Shame, and the Subtle Abuse We Call Parenting
We worship our babies for the first year or two — drenching them in affection, attention, and endless adoration. But then something shifts. Suddenly, we start pulling levers. “If you don’t behave, Santa won’t come.” “No dinner, no dessert.” “Stop crying or I’ll send you to your room.” It’s subtle. It’s everywhere. And we call it parenting. But what if we’re not parenting — we’re programming?