Growing up, my parents played the Santa Claus card. That is, until I realized that we lived in a home without a chimney Santa and all of his reindeer wouldn’t be able to fit on our roof. I wasn’t disappointed about knowing there wasn’t a Santa and was thankful to my parents for buying me all of my gifts.
When my son was born in 1994 and began to get older, I didn’t tell him there was a Santa. And to my chagrin, he began telling other kids in his pre-school that there wasn’t a Santa, which made me not so well- liked by the parents. I didn’t want to spin a web of lies to my son about a fictitious person. Plus as a single parent, I struggled ALOT. I wanted him to know how hard I worked to get him gifts, but didn’t want to spoil it for the other kids in his pre-school either.
My 6 year old currently thinks there is a Santa. We never discussed this at all, she just thinks it is so. And I haven’t burst her bubble—yet. My son has been tempted to tell her but hasn’t, and we do the whole cat and mouse thing when it comes to Santa Claus—leaving cookies and milk out, sending a Christmas list to the North Pole, the whole nine. And because we do have a chimney and a fireplace that could fit a big guy like Santa, I guess it is feasible in her head that yes, there is a Santa Claus.
I have mixed feelings about not telling my daughter. A part of me wants her to live in the real world and know that there isn’t a fat man visiting homes late at night breaking in and eating their food. Modern day, a fella like this would be arrested for such activities. But in the joy that is Christmas season, I don’t want to burst her bubble. Which is why I am appealing to you, my readers. Do you tell your children there is a Santa Claus?
Are we spinning a web of lies to our kids about Santa, or just keeping in with the holiday spirit? I am anxious to read your answers/comments!
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