So if God is so bad tell me this?

I have seen so many statements on this site such as "have you read about how much of a jerk God was in the old testament?" Well us as humans are God's children, and if we do something against his word, that will hurt us on our journey to heaven consequences follow, mankind is punished. Now that being said, if your own child does something against what you've said do you not punish him/her? Is that not same thing in a sense? One more thing, explain to me how you can go through life believe that once you die that's it end of story yet you strive to survive through life? If there is nothing after death what is point of living a long life? How can an Atheist or non believer let there children grow up believing in the Easter bunny or Santa Claus, a thing that they will eventually figure out is a lie yet they don't want them to believe in God, an everlasting belief that makes you feel like there is something to live for and up to? Just curious because I could not imagine living my life to believe in nothing.