Do You Believe in Santa, Mommy?

Christmas is in 20 days and I am not sure how I want to talk about Santa Claus with my 6-year-old.

On the one hand, I am a ridiculously honest person. In fact, it would probably help my relationships if I were a bit less fastidious about the truth. But on the other hand, it feels wrong to take the mystery and magic of Santa Claus away from sweet little girls.

So what’s the middle ground, and how do I maintain that magic? Is it OK to outright lie about Santa?

So far, I haven’t been able to tell my kids that Santa Claus exists. But they believe. We have read books about Santa, and they’ve visited the jolly fellow in the shopping center. I perpetuate the story by filling their Christmas stockings with goodies, and even eat some of the cookies they leave out. But I’ve never told them that Santa shoots down our chimney into our gas-powered fireplace with loot. And when they ask, I’ve always said, “Well, what do YOU think?”

This year, however, my budding 6-year-old is just getting so canny. I’m sure she’s going to ask me some question that forces me to tip my hand, and I just can’t lie to her. So what will I say if she outright asks me if Santa is real?

I could say that I’m not 100 percent sure, but I do believe in things that I cannot see. Is it possible that there’s a fellow calling himself Santa somewhere in the world, doing the sorts of deeds Santa has been known to do? Absolutely. And for me, that sort of kindness and compassion is perhaps the most wonderful magic in our world. In fact, I could even tell her that Santa could be anyone, and she could even be a Santa herself.

But what do I say if she asks who leaves the gifts and eats the cookies? Maybe I tell her that her dad and I do it because we’re so lucky that we can. Because if we help the real Santa out, he can focus his energy on children who have far less than we do.

But I’m not sure. What would YOU say?

Related:
Who Needs Santa Claus?

Read more: Babies, Children, Family

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jennifer C.

4:02AM PST on Dec 18, 2011

Thanks.

send a green star

Sonny H.

8:18AM PDT on Sep 20, 2011

Thanks!.

Monica S.

12:40AM PST on Dec 27, 2010

A girl ask her parents to tell the truth about Santa existence.School girls say parents put gifts.
They asked her oppinion.
Her thoughts were contradictory: her parents would not lie to her, but girls say so.
Parents said that are parent who put the gifts, girl felt disillusion, but papa told her this story, saying it was time for her to understand the truth.
When Jesus was born,3 Wise Men from Far East brought him gifts to show their love and respect. Crist was so happy that the Wise Men decided it would be lovely to make everychild in the World this happy, but they realized the difficulty to reach all homes.
Child Jesus told them: You have been so kind to me, how could I help you back.
They said they would need millions of helpers to bring gifts to every child, most likely like one helper for each child. But that is not possible!
Then Jesus smiled and said, I would not give one, but two helpers for each child in the world. They will be two that love the child a lot and know their wish and dreams. So who better that each child parents? But the gifts should be giving as are you, the Wise Men, who bring them.
And when children would be old enough to understand this story they will be told, so they can also make gifts to their parents.

Wish you enjoy the story and could adapt it to your beliefs...and always keep dreams and hope!
Merry Christmas!

12:33AM PST on Dec 27, 2010

Catholic Spainish had their gifts on the 6th January by the Three Wise Men (from Bible), when everybody else on the 25th Dec by Santa Claus, Papa Noel ('Christmas dad' in Spain, France), Joulupukki('Christmas Grandpa' in Finland), Sinter Klass(The Netherlands, from whom Santa derived)...and Ded Moroz(,'Frozen grandpa' in Rusia) on New Year....

Probably there are more whom I do not know.
But the important thing, the spirit is the same: hope, dreams. And we, adults, live it again throught children expectations.

I remember the disillusion when knowing the truth. In my case was a teacher who told the whole classroom (I was 7 years old), though some of us didn't want to know.
I did not like knowing that way. But I also saw that some times are older children who are telling young ones, even if they do not want to know, or are not prepared yet to hear that.

So I agree is better to know from parents, but I could not agree more about that there are ways of telling the truth keeping the magic and hope of the season, not killing the idea that is we who keep those hopes &dreams.

Shortly ago I received this story, I think it fits here greatly (it was in Spanish, about the 3Wise Men, but can be applied/adapted to Santa,Papa Noel...and other beliefs)
Let me share it with you in next post.
Hope it would be useful to you

Concerned C.

8:30PM PST on Dec 26, 2010

I believe in santa claus

Princess Ariane L.

4:41PM PST on Dec 24, 2010

Ho, ho, ho and a bottle of Rum! Merry Christmas everybody!

Brian M.

10:56AM PST on Dec 24, 2010

Personally, I think it would be better to learn that Santa doesn't exist in reality from parents rather than from peers. People can behave like Santa is the real moral of the Santa story and that's the real magic in the world.

10:53AM PST on Dec 24, 2010

Thanks

12:02AM PST on Dec 19, 2010

thanks

12:36PM PST on Dec 18, 2010

I'm an atheist, but I enjoy seeing the feeling of holiday fun imagined as a nice old man. When do kids get any positive images of the elderly these days?

I've heard so much BS about Santa Claus being "demonic" this year. I think it irritates some people that a Catholic/Greek Orthodox saint is so popular. When I was a kid we still sent cards showing Saint Nicholas wearing his Bishop's robes and staff. It might be true that some ancient pagan decorations have merged with Santa's image, but he was a real person known for giving gifts.