I believe in Santa Claus! :-)

[Magpie]

There's been some discussion on the list about when children stop believing, and I just wanted to share how we approach this in our family.

In our house, Santa doesn't bring the kinds of toys you see advertised on TV. Those toys are bought by Mom and Dad, and if we don't have the money for lots of toys this year, the kids know it's because money is tight and we all have to make sacrifices. We tell them right up front what we can afford. However, when we wake up in the morning there's often one strange little gift that no one can account for waiting for each child. It's not something you'd find in Toys R Us. Frequently it's something handmade. For the last few year my son has been finding small tin windup toys. We can't say those toys are actually from Santa - but they might be.

For us, Santa isn't actually a fat man in a red suit who breaks into your house once a year. He's the Spirit of Christmas. When my children were very young they understood Santa to be something like a ghost, which to them made more sense than trying to fit him down the pipe to our woodstove. My son said he thought Santa could walk through walls.

The mall Santas, and the movie Santas, and the Santas we see on TV - they're all just for fun. Make believe and dress up, and it's absolutely fine to play along. I tell the kids that I think the real Santa is most like the Ghost of Christmas Present in the Christmas Carol by Dickens. He doesn't bring bikes and puppies, he brings prosperity and fellowship and good will toward men. He makes our holiday brighter, just so long as we're open to his influence.

When my kids got older, I began reading them "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" (http://beebo.org/smackerels/yes-virginia.html), which outlines pretty well my personal philosophy on who Santa is.

This is how I can honestly tell my kids, "I believe in Santa Claus!" And every time they ask, I just direct them back to "Yes, Virginia." I don't think my kids will ever have to stop believing, any more than I've had to stop. It's just that as you get older your perception of Santa changes from the concrete to the metaphorical.

What are your family's traditions?

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

My 8 year old daughter sadly expressed last month that there is no possible way Santa could be real. She has figured out that he could not possibly fit through the chimney, and that it just doesn't make sense, the whole Santa myth. I was dreading the conversation with her, and then I changed the subject (to put it off till later).

Well, last Thursday we went to CiCi's pizza, and I looked over and saw this man with a fluffy white beard, sideburns, hair, and it was all natural. Now, he did have on overalls, and no hat. I told my daughter to look at him, she did, and stated it could not be Santa, because of what he was wearing. I told her he was just out having dinner with friends and that it would be a couple of weeks until he put on his red clothing and hat. She still did not buy it, until....he spoke with a very deep voice to someone at his table! I wish I had a camera with me at the moment her eyes got so BIG!! She said, "It is him!"

(Apparently this man deals with questions from children all the time).....Because she went and spoke to him. He informed her that he was indeed Santa Claus. He asked her if she had been good. He told her to clean her room and continue to be good so he could visit her on Christmas Eve. He even guessed her name by asking her what the first and last letters were. Her name is Alicia, so he got it on the first try when she told him it begins and ends with the letter A. She is a believer now (at least until next year) and now I don't have to have the conversation and tell her to keep it secret from her younger sisters.

 

[my3disneygirls]

My kids and I love going on the online Santa Tracker. It's presented by NORAD and so official. You get to look at where Santa is and they have clips of military and famous people talking about Santa and Christmas. We have so much fun on this site. I can post the link when I find it.

 

[Magpie]

(snipped for space)
(Apparently this man deals with questions from children all the time).....Because she went and spoke to him. He informed her that he was indeed Santa Claus. He asked her if she had been good. He told her to clean her room and continue to be good so he could visit her on Christmas Eve. He even guessed her name by asking her what the first and last letters were. Her name is Alicia, so he got it on the first try when she told him it begins and ends with the letter A. She is a believer now (at least until next year) and now I don't have to have the conversation and tell her to keep it secret from her younger sisters.

What a wonderful thing for this man to do for your dd and all the other children! That's very sweet.

My kids and I love going on the online Santa Tracker. It's presented by NORAD and so official. You get to look at where Santa is and they have clips of military and famous people talking about Santa and Christmas. We have so much fun on this site. I can post the link when I find it.

We love this site, too! You can get to it at www.noradsanta.org My kids love seeing Santa fly over all the world's landmarks, like the Sydney Opera House, and the Pyramids. And it's really exciting to see him getting closer!

ETA: I used to listen to NORAD tracking Santa on the radio when I was a little girl!

 

[snubie]

My 8 year old daughter sadly expressed last month that there is no possible way Santa could be real. She has figured out that he could not possibly fit through the chimney, and that it just doesn't make sense, the whole Santa myth. I was dreading the conversation with her, and then I changed the subject (to put it off till later).

Well, last Thursday we went to CiCi's pizza, and I looked over and saw this man with a fluffy white beard, sideburns, hair, and it was all natural. Now, he did have on overalls, and no hat. I told my daughter to look at him, she did, and stated it could not be Santa, because of what he was wearing. I told her he was just out having dinner with friends and that it would be a couple of weeks until he put on his red clothing and hat. She still did not buy it, until....he spoke with a very deep voice to someone at his table! I wish I had a camera with me at the moment her eyes got so BIG!! She said, "It is him!"

(Apparently this man deals with questions from children all the time).....Because she went and spoke to him. He informed her that he was indeed Santa Claus. He asked her if she had been good. He told her to clean her room and continue to be good so he could visit her on Christmas Eve. He even guessed her name by asking her what the first and last letters were. Her name is Alicia, so he got it on the first try when she told him it begins and ends with the letter A. She is a believer now (at least until next year) and now I don't have to have the conversation and tell her to keep it secret from her younger sisters.

What a sweet and touching story.

My kids and I love going on the online Santa Tracker. It's presented by NORAD and so official. You get to look at where Santa is and they have clips of military and famous people talking about Santa and Christmas. We have so much fun on this site. I can post the link when I find it.

I always check on Santa's progress, even before we had children!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

My 8 year old daughter sadly expressed last month that there is no possible way Santa could be real. She has figured out that he could not possibly fit through the chimney, and that it just doesn't make sense, the whole Santa myth. I was dreading the conversation with her, and then I changed the subject (to put it off till later).

Well, last Thursday we went to CiCi's pizza, and I looked over and saw this man with a fluffy white beard, sideburns, hair, and it was all natural. Now, he did have on overalls, and no hat. I told my daughter to look at him, she did, and stated it could not be Santa, because of what he was wearing. I told her he was just out having dinner with friends and that it would be a couple of weeks until he put on his red clothing and hat. She still did not buy it, until....he spoke with a very deep voice to someone at his table! I wish I had a camera with me at the moment her eyes got so BIG!! She said, "It is him!"

(Apparently this man deals with questions from children all the time).....Because she went and spoke to him. He informed her that he was indeed Santa Claus. He asked her if she had been good. He told her to clean her room and continue to be good so he could visit her on Christmas Eve. He even guessed her name by asking her what the first and last letters were. Her name is Alicia, so he got it on the first try when she told him it begins and ends with the letter A. She is a believer now (at least until next year) and now I don't have to have the conversation and tell her to keep it secret from her younger sisters.

How sweet and what a kind man. It must be the age DS8 is really thinking things over this Christmas and a kid in his class said there was no Easter Bunny. So now DS8 is really questioning everything. He hasn't come right out and asked if Santa is real or not. I dread the day.

The pic in your signature is priceless. Shes beautiful.

 

[noahdove]

I too explained Santa to our 2 girls, I never led them to believe he actually came thru the walls but since they knew the true meaning of Christmas and knew that when Jesus was born that it was the only gift that was needed..LOVE and it's not what we have, but what we give to others and if Santa helps deliver those important gifts of love, joy and peace then he is Jesus' helper...By the way, my girls were older than 7 when they asked about it on our way home from Christmas eve church...

 

[Magpie]

I too explained Santa to our 2 girls, I never led them to believe he actually came thru the walls but since they knew the true meaning of Christmas and knew that when Jesus was born that it was the only gift that was needed..LOVE and it's not what we have, but what we give to others and if Santa helps deliver those important gifts of love, joy and peace then he is Jesus' helper...By the way, my girls were older than 7 when they asked about it on our way home from Christmas eve church...

I didn't actually lead them to believe he came through the walls - my son actually concluded that himself when he was about four from hearing Santa described as the "spirit" of Christmas, lol!

He thought "spirit" was the same as "ghost". I didn't confirm or deny - I let him think what he liked. And then when he did start asking, I told him what I thought.

It sounds like we're pretty much on the same page about Santa's real gifts, though.

 

[familyS]

I always referred to Santa as representing the spirit of giving and goodwill.

When the kids figured out I was Santa (and the Easter Bunny), they took it in stride. By then they understood more about volunteer work, doing for those less fortunate than ourselves and that sometimes we do things anonymously .

For some reason, it was more of a surprise that I was the Tooth Fairy .