Gabrielle Union And Dwyane Wade Don't Let Their Kids Believe In Santa
The reason Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade don’t do Santa Claus in their family actually makes so much sense
When it’s still mid-September and there are as many days that still feel like summer as there are ones that have that chill in the air that says winter is right around the corner, it can be hard to remember that the holiday season is coming right up. Families everywhere are getting ready to trim their trees, deck the halls, and leave a plate of cookies out for Santa Claus’s visit — families other that Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, that is.
The couple celebrates Christmas with all their children: Kaavia James, the 10-month-old daughter they share, plus Wade’s kids Xavier Zechariah, 5; Zion Malachi Airamis, 12, and Zaire Blessing Dwyane, 17; and Wade’s nephew, Dahveon, 17, whom they have legal custody over. But compared to Christmas in the average household, they celebrate with one big difference: There’s no Santa involved in their family celebrations. In fact, Union and Wade don’t let their kids believe in Santa. While that may sound like some serious holiday buzzkill at first read, their reasoning actually makes a lot of sense.
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“I’ll say to my husband, ‘Let’s tell the kids their Christmas gifts are from Santa,'” Union said in an interview with Oprah magazine. “And my husband is like, ‘There’s no way in hell I’m letting these kids think that old white man is sneaking into our house and doing anything for them.’ Because he didn’t grow up believing in Santa Claus.”
Look, it might be a little heavy for Christmas, but Wade has a point here. His family and his kids are growing up in a time when a white person in a position of authority (think police and politicians) are more likely to hurt and oppress them than give them gifts. It’s heartbreaking that it makes so much sense for Wade and Union to raise their kids this way, but raising them to be wary of others could someday save their lives as they grow up in a country where racism is not only systemic, but openly practiced by our top leaders.
And, on a much lighter note, there’s nothing wrong with Mom and Dad wanting all the credit for the amazing gifts they get for their kids. A lot of parents can get behind that, we’re sure.
Union and Wade have been open online about their parenting choices and decisions, including the fact that they won’t let anyone near their baby who isn’t fully vaccinated, and that, despite their fame and fortune, they want Kaavia James to grow and learn by making mistakes while she finds her way in the world. While some parents may not agree with their stance on Santa, we can definitely all see that these two love their kids and want to do their best by them.
