AITA for Refusing to Let My Conservative Parents Babysit Because They Told My Son Santa Claus Is “Woke”?

A mother (34F) is grappling with her conservative parents’ decision to tell her 6-year-old son that Santa Claus isn’t real because Santa has become “woke.” They showed the child a YouTube video linking Santa to “cancel culture,” claiming he prioritizes inclusivity over “traditional values.”

Furious at their political commentary affecting her son’s innocence, she refuses to let them babysit again. Her parents accuse her of overreacting and sheltering her child, while opinions within her extended family are divided. Read the original story below…

‘ AITA for Refusing to Let My Conservative Parents Babysit Because They Told My Son Santa Claus Is “Woke”?’

I (34F) have always had a strained relationship with my parents. They’re very conservative, and I lean more progressive, but we’ve tried to keep things civil for the sake of family gatherings and my 6-year-old son, “Ben.”

However, this latest incident has completely crossed the line, and now I’m being accused of being too sensitive and “anti-family.” Last week, my husband (35M) and I had a work event, so I asked my parents to babysit Ben.

We don’t ask them often because they’ve made questionable comments in the past, but they begged to spend time with their grandson, so I decided to give them another chance. When we got home, Ben was upset and wouldn’t stop crying.

After some coaxing, he told me that my parents had told him Santa Claus “isn’t real” because “Santa has gone woke.” When I asked what they meant, they explained that “woke culture” was ruining everything, and now Santa is “more focused on being politically correct than rewarding good kids.”

Apparently, they had shown Ben a YouTube video about “cancel culture” that claimed Santa was now prioritizing kids who were “different” over “traditional values.” I was livid.

Ben is only six—he doesn’t need to be dragged into their bizarre political commentary, especially about something as innocent as Santa Claus! I told my parents they had no right to say anything like that to my son and that they clearly can’t be trusted to babysit him anymore.

They accused me of overreacting, saying it’s my fault for “sheltering him” and that they were just trying to teach him “the truth” about the world. My mom cried and said I was keeping her from her grandson, while my dad called me a “brainwashed liberal” who can’t handle different opinions.

Now my extended family is weighing in. My sister thinks I’m being unfair to our parents, while my brother says I should’ve cut them off a long time ago. My husband supports me but thinks maybe we could’ve had a calmer conversation before banning them from babysitting. So, AITA for refusing to let them babysit after what they told my son?

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

Secret_Sister_Sarah −  NTA Sorry your son lost his innocence about Santa in this absolutely horrendous f**king way. Your parents saying “Santa is more focused on being politically correct than rewarding good kids” kind of implies that the do believe in Santa? Anyhow, no.

They’re the ones who are brainwashed, and you should definitely keep your son away from their garbage. I hate how people like them always accuse rationally minded critical thinkers of being the brainwashed ones. Like, dude, we’re just saying Santa is an innocent fun Christmas symbol…

like, did they see Santa let a trans kid cut in line sit on his lap at the mall or something? Did he give them a book about the reproductive rights for women and why they should be protected last year? Otherwise I can’t imagine where they’re getting their twisted ideas from… lol.

smokeybearman65 −  NTA. I’m with your brother. You should’ve seen this coming a while ago. Your parents are in the cult. Unless you want them continually trying to brainwash your impressionable young son, they are a danger and cannot be trusted.

BellaFixz −  NTA. Santa going woke? That’s a new one. 🎅 Kid’s imaginations should be filled with magic and wonder, not political rants about Santa’s moral compass. Protecting your son from that bizarre drama fest is top priority. Stick to your sleigh guns, because no one messes with Santa on your watch!

GorgeosLady −  NTA. Protecting your kid from unnecessary drama and keeping his childhood magical is way more important than appeasing your parents’ agenda.

ElephantNo3640 −  Pretty generic AI garbage, but the central premise about Santa Claus being woke is pretty amusing. I can imagine the grandparents showing the grandson YouTube videos outlining the woke corporate policies of the fictional Santa Claus character

and then convincing Junior that Santa isn’t real because of these policies. It’s all so illogical and nonsensical that it’s actually kind of compelling. NTA.

Prize_Sorbet3366 −  They accused me of overreacting, saying it’s my fault for “sheltering him” and that they were just trying to teach him “the truth” about the world.  AT 6????? Shouldn’t there like a minimum age requirement for indoctrinating Q-bots?

13surgeries −  You have to think of your parents not as grandparents or babysitters who just need to be reminded of the rules now and then and as members of a cult. They’ve consumed so much of the Kool-Aid that they’re no longer in their right minds.

Having them babysit is like letting the Manson family provide daycare. Your sister clearly has her own issues. I’d ignore her. As for your husband’s suggestion, while it might have been more dignified to have a calm discussion with them, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

In the unlikely circumstance your parents ever leave the cult, they can resume their roles as grandparents. In the meantime, keep being a good mom. And I hope your son can understand that people say all kinds of mean and untrue things online, and those people are on Santa’s Naughty list.

sezit −  Your new mantra in response to all of this is: “You made him cry. For hours. For nothing.”. Let *them* cry.

cipherjones −  “Santa isn’t real because he’s not r**ist”. There’s virtually no way to overreact to something that vile, short of violence. NTA by a longshot.

LifeAd9585 −  Absolutely NTA. Kids don’t need their childhood magic ruined by political BS.

Was the mother justified in protecting her son from her parents’ political views, or did she overreact in banning them from babysitting? How would you address family conflicts that blend differing ideologies with personal boundaries? Share your thoughts below!