The Santa talk
Liz Atwood discusses having the Santa talk with her son in this week's Tween Tuesday:
This week my 9-year-old and I had the Santa talk. He started it by asking if he could stay up Christmas Eve and watch me put the presents under the tree. I told him of course not. He went on to say how he knows the truth about Santa and insisted he should be able to stay up late Friday night.
As my kids have gotten older, Santa has evolved. He isn’t just one jolly, fat man who brings toys down the chimney. Long ago, they noticed that there are many different Santas in the stores, malls and parades. So now I tell my kids that Santa represents the magic and joy of the season. They stubbornly tell me they don’t believe in Santa Claus, but just as stubbornly, I tell them that I still do. And I gave my son strict warning that he is not to spoil the fun for those children who, like me, want to believe.
Have you had the Santa talk this year? What’s been your answer to all those doubters?
Comments
We never did the Santa thing. Christmas is Jesus' Birthday so we celebrate that, including birthday cake and presents for each other and for those who are in need. We also don't do the Easter Bunny. We are Christians and never saw the need for these secular figures on such beautiful HOLY days.
Posted by: Mar | December 21, 2010 10:25 AM
I told my kids what my mother told me when I was old enough to notice that there were lots of different Santas out there. She said "Santa needs LOTS of helpers." It worked for us.
Posted by: Dahlink | December 21, 2010 4:14 PM
I think the Santa talk is almost as hard as the birds and the bees talk...sort of chips away at another level of childhood innocence. I think my kids suspect it, but I don't feel ready to burst their bubble quite yet.
Posted by: Lauren | December 23, 2010 9:18 PM
My little one is only 14 months, so I haven't even begun the Santa thing. But someone told me that, when the time came for them to have the Santa Talk with her child, she said: "there are two types of people - people who believe in Santa and people who can be Santa." That made her child feel special and grownup and he then helped her wrap and put out presents for his younger sister. I thought that was a cute approach.
Posted by: Emily B. | January 14, 2011 12:03 PM