No Santa!!!!!

[irishsharon]

Please tell me what the elf on the shelf is

?????

 

[4GoofyCrew]

Our 4th grader still believes and so does her best friend. What is the harm in that? Life is full of so much bad stuff, let kids be kids. I know that she has been told by kids that he isn't real but she still believes. When she asks me I just turn it around on her and ask her if SHE thinks he is.

My parents never told me that there wasn't a Santa, and I just always went along with it, even as a teen. It was fun! They knew I had figured it out but neither of us ever mentioned it.

My hubby always laughs at me when, on Christmas Eve, I have to make sure that the glitter is by the fireplace, that the boot prints are outside in the snow, etc. Live it up!

Oh...and Pippy, our Elf on the Shelf, is alive and well also.

 

[irishsharon]

Our 4th grader still believes and so does her best friend. What is the harm in that? Life is full of so much bad stuff, let kids be kids. I know that she has been told by kids that he isn't real but she still believes. When she asks me I just turn it around on her and ask her if SHE thinks he is.

My parents never told me that there wasn't a Santa, and I just always went along with it, even as a teen. It was fun! They knew I had figured it out but neither of us ever mentioned it.

My hubby always laughs at me when, on Christmas Eve, I have to make sure that the glitter is by the fireplace, that the boot prints are outside in the snow, etc. Live it up!

Oh...and Pippy, our Elf on the Shelf, is alive and well also.

Please tell me what the elf on the shelf is

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I have always told my kids if you believe in Santa, you will have gifts marked from Santa and if you don't, you won't. As they get older I mark less and less from "Santa."

My oldest knows better, my middle plays along and my youngest I'm not really sure. She's old enough to know better but still holds out a little I think.

I have never gone above and beyond to make the magic real to them, I don't do reindeer tracks or elf on the shelf (he creeps me out). I enjoy the fun of it, same as the easter bunny and the tooth fairy (the jig is up on those, I dodge the questions from the younger one but I know they just play along for me) For some reason Santa is the last hold out for my kids. It's fun and harmless. When they ask about friends at school I tell them the same thing, if you want to believe fine and if they don't fine.

 

[AB6876]

Please tell me what the elf on the shelf is

It is this little doll or "elf" that people take out during the month of December and put somewhere in there house. Some parents are super creative with it and have the elf do different things at night show up in different places etc... Some parents tell their kids that the elf reports all the bad stuff they do to Santa. I have never done it.. But I know a lot of parents that do and have fun with it!!


http://elfontheshelf.com/AboutUs/TheTradition.aspx

 

[irishsharon]

It is this little doll or "elf" that people take out during the month of December and put somewhere in there house. Some parents are super creative with it and have the elf do different things at night show up in different places etc... Some parents tell their kids that the elf reports all the bad stuff they do to Santa. I have never done it.. But I know a lot of parents that do and have fun with it!!


http://elfontheshelf.com/AboutUs/TheTradition.aspx

Thanks for the info

 

[mdsouth]

Please tell me what the elf on the shelf is

Elf on the Shelf started with a book. Many people have a stuffed elf that they set out from time to time from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas and the elf is moved around the house. The elf typically does some mischeivious silly things, like gets out toys, moves toys around, etc.
If you google Elf on the Shelf you can find the book and ideas from people. I think there was a thread on it last year here on the DIS.

Sometimes you can buy the elf along with the book. Check out Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

 

[LaurenT]

Wait....
There's no Santa?
Wow....
Bummer.

 

[Sinderelly]

I told my children "the real Santa story" when they were both very young (2-3 yrs old). I believe in always telling the truth. We expect the truth from our children and I believe in giving them truth in return. We had fun pretending there was a Santa. I can't think of it being any more fun even if they really believed. We told Santa stories and even left milk and cookies for "Santa Dad" lol. I told my children the real Christmas story and I believe it was less confusing for them to know the truth from the very beginning.

Also, as a child I remember being very upset with my parents when I found out Santa wasn't real. I was upset thinking they had told me a lie.

 

[irishsharon]

Wait....
There's no Santa?
Wow....
Bummer.

Only if you dont believe in the magic of Christmas

 

[Dizisfun]

I never told my kids that there was NO Santa....they managed to figure it out on there own. And I don't believe that any of my kids have had this talk with my grandchildren. But the older ones have all figured it out. I do however make my 23 year old son, who is not married and has no children of his own, play the game with me. He still HAS to BELIEVE or I threaten to hold his gifts from him.....He enjoys the game as much as I do, even though he will pretend that he doesn't.

Just like my 9 year old granddaughter knows that there is no tooth fairy, but she will still put her tooth under her pillow bc she knows that each tooth is worth $5..... (my kids only got .50)

 

[brymolmom]

Wow - All those who don't ever tell the kids outright must have very un-inquisitive kids. I am not a good liar so really never 'played up' Santa (getting different wrapping paper, using different writing, that darn elf thing). But for a long time when my kids would kind of question it - I wouldn't outright tell them but would defer the question like 'Well, what do you think?'. Of course, that only lasts so long - kids get too smart and realize that I'm not answering at all.

DD said when she was 5 about the Tooth Fairy 'Mom...YES or NO, did YOU put the money under brother's pillow?'. So obviously at some point you either have to lie to such direct questions or fess up. And I'm not a huge fan of the lying.

Kids are 10 and 9 now....and my 10 year old has been on the fence for a couple of years but still will mention 'Santa' on occassion...So after Easter last spring I told him the truth. I did not want him to accidentally mention Santa or Easter Bunny or anything in Middle School. And he's a bit socially immature so it was a possibility. No way I would ever forgive myself if he came home from school in tears and had been picked on due to a lie I've been telling him for 10 years.

When I told him, he was upset. He kind of knew already but he was honestly more upset that I've been decieving him for years.

I'm very happy I told him. And yes, I didn't just say 'it's mom and dad' I did the whole 'It's the spirit of Christmas that really is Santa and people giving of themselves at that time of year....etc.'

 

[chigirl]

Depressing.

My 2 teens still leave cookies out for Santa for the spirit of the thing and the gifts do NOT arrive under the tree until Christmas Eve night, after everyone is in bed...there is still a thrill of finding a room full of gifts on Christmas morning!

 

[Dizisfun]

Depressing.

My 2 teens still leave cookies out for Santa for the spirit of the thing and the gifts do NOT arrive under the tree until Christmas Eve night, after everyone is in bed...there is still a thrill of finding a room full of gifts on Christmas morning!

HAHAHA...we do the same thing at our house. And it's just the 23 year old left at home. It's about the MAGIC of it all.....

Even after the kids knew there was no santa they played the game bc they didn't want to spoil the Magic

 

[mommyrosa2]

I never came out and told my two girls. My mom never told any of us (I'm the youngest of 9) Christmas was a huge deal in our home filled with all kinds of traditions including "Santa gifts" and that didn't end once we each figured it out on our own and as I got older, I didn't mind one bit. When I had my girls, I continued a lot of the same traditions and as they got older and began to ask me, I always answered as my mom did with "it's all in what you believe" and we then talked about the spirit of Christmas, etc. When they'd ask me if I still believed, I'd always answer that I believed in the spirit of Christmas. Now, I never gave all the credit to Santa either. In our house, the gifts from Santa were wrapped in special Santa paper and only put out on Xmas eve after they went to bed. All the rest of the gifts were from Mommy & Daddy, were wrapped and put under the tree days leading up to Xmas. My girls are now 18 & 14 and while they definitely know there is no Santa (they did figure it out on their own), they still expect to see gifts from Santa on Christmas morning and have expressed their disappointment if "Santa" ever stopped coming to our house....lol.

 

[Figment1983]

I was the same way about Santa coming. When I would come home from college for xmas I still wanted the presents to be put there overnight. My parents wanted to just put the presents out as they got them, but part of the magic is waking up xmas morning and seeing what Santa brought. It's more about the tradition and fun of it than anything. I love putting out cookies, milk, raindeer food, and everything to do with it.