"__________ with Santa"

[Hillbeans]

Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas and having the opportunity to take my kids to see Santa, but we've been overloaded with flyers from both schools about "Breakfast with Santa" "Dinner with Santa" "Santa is coming around town on the fire truck" "See Santa at the Boy Scouts fundraiser". Santa is also at the mall, on TV.....

I am already trying really hard to keep my 7 yo boy believing in Santa but having all of these Santa's everywhere kind of takes the special feeling of it away. We only plan on taking the kids to see Santa once, but what does everyone else do with all of these different Santa events? I can't imagine going to see him 3 or 4 times?

 

[design_mom]

We skip most of them, but the don't really bother me.

My DS wasn't very old when he noticed that some Santas have a real beard and some don't. So we told him that Santa can't be everywhere, so he has some "helpers." But, you never know, you have to keep your eyes open because it might *not* be a helper.

(Not long after we had this discussion, we saw a group of deer in our front yard, including a buck with big antlers. We called DS so he could see them, too... and DS gasped! He thought Santa had sent his reindeer to be his "helpers' and they were checking to see if DS had been naughty or nice! :laugh )

 

[dreamer17555]

My DD is of the same belief as the PP's child. She actually asked if we could go to the mall to visit "that guy" I said "Santa?" And she said "the guy that looks like Santa and works for him and helps santa get his list ready".... For a second I was shocked but this has worked out really well. We did have a talk about making sure to call him Santa so it wouldn't upset the smaller children and she said of course she would complete with one of these

Seriously I think my 6 year old is going on 13.

Anyway since she came up with her own belief we just go with it. Takes a lot less explaining.

-Becca-

 

[perriwinkleblue]

I know what you mean. I really think it was the abundance of Santas that put a little doubt in dd's mind. I understand that not everyone has a great costume, but some of the really skinny Santas with cheesy beards (We had to divert the kid's attention at a holiday fair because Old Saint Nick was walking by with the mustache part pulled down. I guess that polyester is scratchy!)

We call all these Santas helpers, too. Even so, last Christmas, at 5yo dd never seemed very excited about Santa. I almost wish that we would have somehow kept her from seeing all but one really special one each year, but you're right - they are everywhere. We like to do a few fun holiday activities with the kids, so they are bound to see them.

Of course, kids at school do talk. So maybe this has more to do with it then the Santa population. ...and, forgive me, but I was thinking of proposing a breakfast with Santa church fundraiser next year. That is, if we can find a really good helper!

 

[aimeeg]

I too am concerned about too many Santa's. We will take our girls to see the mall Santa. He is really good!!!! This year my DD4 and I are going to NYC to see Santa at Macy's. I am not sure how I am going to swing it with Santa questions though.

 

[lntsmom]

The Candy Santa or somesuch. It's one of those elf books...not Golden books, but another oldies kiddie publisher. In it, they explain why there are so many different Santas. I believe it has something to do with the elves and Santa getting sick and Mrs. Santa going to the Wizard of the North Wind and he gives her some magic and somehow she turns candy canes into Santas. (I've only read it aloud 2 or 3 times a year for the past 13 years...guess I don't pay much attention when I read aloud, huh???)

Anyway, in it they explain why there are Santas of all sizes and shapes and how they decided to let them be Santas helpers.

I have to say, it was very helpful with my boys. I'm a bit anal about Santa...my boys had their photos taken with Ray Miller, the best Santa ever, every year from 1995 through 1996. When the local mall closed and he got hired at a mall across town, I made the drive.

Then, we moved. And, my younger son still believes. So, last year I scouted mall ads online until I found a gentleman who had the same basic appearance. Oddly, the local Santas dress in western garb...flannel shirts and red pants with suspenders. None of them wear hats or coats. My son kicked up a fuss about that.

I was trying to explain how it was so warm in the mall that Santa probably took them off to keep cool. Mrs. Santa came over and told my son that she always wanted Santa to look his best, and some little child just got sticky stuff all over Santas hat and coat, so she'd sent them out to be cleaned.

Anyway...to the point...the first Santa I thought might be passable wasn't. How'd I know? When we saw him my son said, "Look, there's one of Santa's helpers. Too bad the real Santa isn't here. I want to talk to him." Luckily, the second Santa was a go! As soon as my son spotted him he just knew it was the real Santa. Whew!

For my kids, the "Santa's helpers" story has always worked well!

 

[ALittleDisneyFan]

At our regular storytime place at the mall they are having Santa read next time we go... I don't mind though, since we would already be going there anyway. I think she might see Santa in Disney (if I remember reading correctly) and that's it. She's not a fan of these types of thing so I don't push her.

 

[3boymthr]

For all that Santa's abound, we only take the kids to see Santa once - at the local candy shop. But they see him in lots of other places - the mall, on tv, at Scouting events, etc. I'd say don't worry too much about him seeing Santa in other places. I started to explain them to my 6 yr old last year but my 8 year old beat me to the punch when he said to his brother, "They're just Santa's helpers - he's too busy to visit everyone right now. He's got to get the presents ready." Which he firmly believes.

Here's another tact to take if he starts questioning all the Santas and doesn't go for the "santa's helper's" explanation - this is a great one dreamed up by my aunt -who was a teacher for 30 years and who had five kids of her own. When one of the other kids would tell us that Santa was fake or we started questioning on our own she would come out with "Santa Claus is real - he's the personification of gift giving." She did this with all her kids plus all her neices and nephews and we all believed it and so kept on believing in Santa (17 of us in all) at least for year or two longer. The statement is true so you say this and not do the guilty lying to my kids thing that most kids catch on to. Most kids that age don't understand what personification is they just so they give you a puzzled look and accept the sentence at face value. If they do question personification give a definition htat is long and convoluted and that uses really big words.