The (Wonderful) Truth About Santa

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Would the entire world of adults really be in league to create all of these tools to lie about Santa?” I asked my daughter, expertly deploying the “answer a question with a question” technique of true mindfulness. If your child asks how Santa can be at the mall and at the zoo and at their classmate's church all at the same time, you could certainly explain that Santa employs many helpers this time of year. But you can also get a better sense of your child's understanding by saying: "That's a very good question! Santa is so busy these days – how do you think he's in so many places at once?" I love how it still managed to encourage the Santa within yourself as well so not totally negating Santa’s existence and with a historical element behind it also. Hutchinson loved the idea so much, she shared it on Facebook as well: This is by far the best idea I've seen about telling your kids about Santa. Had to share! *********"In our family, we...

When I looked out the window of the International Space Station, I saw the paparazzi-like flashes of lightning storms, I saw dancing curtains of auroras that seemed so close it was as if we could reach out and touch them. And I saw the unbelievable thinness of our planet's atmosphere. In that moment, I was hit with the sobering realization that that paper-thin layer keeps every living thing on our planet alive,” Garan said in the video. When I was a child my family struggled financially, so Christmas and birthdays were almost the only days I received a gift. Seeing my parents argue because of finances, I thought that if I helped them save money, my family could be happier. I believed that if I asked Santa for the gift I really wanted, my parents wouldn’t have to buy me anything. I believed Santa was a rich guy who could afford Christmas presents for all the children in the world. When Christmas approached, I prayed every night before going to sleep. Keep in mind that, for young children, there can be a blurry line between magic and reality. As Navsaria points out, "the work of a young child is defined by make-believe and fantasy play." According to her, the story of Santa allows parents "to enter their little one's world in a developmentally appropriate way, and teach children to exercise their skills in imagination." So if your kids want to keep on believing, let them. Christmas magic only lasts so long, and they should enjoy it while they can! In general, though, if your child poses a question about Santa that you just can't rationalize, Geering's solution is to simply say: "It's a special kind of magic Santa has, isn't it? Do you ever feel that magic when you do something kind for others?" What Can Parents Do When Kids Learn the Truth About Santa?This is not a Yelp review. It's not an angry rant, and it's definitely not something women need to be reminded of. I knew, with enough planning and prep work, I could guide my daughter through this transition in a mindful, gentle way. She would be surprised, of course, but also delighted to finally know the truth, to be included in this special side of the adult world. Our trust would be bolstered, our relationship strengthened, and I could turn around all those years of my own unease about the lengths that I had gone to in the name of prolonging the magic. The only thing I did have to reword when reading it to my son was the part about one day you’ll have children of your own as I don’t know for certain one day he will have children so I just said one day you MAY have children. If you want to have a more factual conversation about Santa Claus with your children, there are several factors to consider. You’ll want to think about not only when they might want to have a conversation about this, but also when you are ready to have this conversation. The magic of Santa never has to go away, no matter where your family currently stands on the Santa Claus journey. As long as you truly understand this and are ready to share that truth with your children, then you should trust your instincts as no one will ever know your child better than you do. How to Tell Your Kids About Santa

As for common concerns about "playing along" or being dishonest, "I sincerely believe you don't have to lie," Geering said. "Your child's concept of 'Santa' will mature as they do. If your position is to help guide them through the developmental stages of Santa, of understanding that love and kindness are their own special magic, and that magic looks different at different stages of life, you aren't deceiving them at all." What should have felt like a win, though, felt flat—a Pyrrhic victory at best. Though we may have won yet another year’s battle in the Santa conquests, were we actually losing the parenting war? What I got was a chance to wait for her to be ready. To show her that I would respect her autonomy and her timeline and that I would still be here, arms open and ready, when she was.In first grade, my daughter came home from school, reporting that kids in her class had told her that Santa was fake, that it was really all just parents pretending. I silently cursed those frenemies of hers and doubled down on Santa. We even got an elf that year, as all good lies eventually need corroborating details to shore up the story. I practiced my talk about how old and mature she had become, about how she was finally ready to be let in on a very important secret, and how she herself would now get to become a Santa for someone else.