Every family has their own Christmas traditions – Noche Buena, monito-monita, family reunions, and of course, one of the kids’ favorites – Santa! If you are one of those parents who kept up with the Santa tradition and happily filled up your kids’ socks with presents every Christmas Eve, then you are most likely wondering how to admit to them the truth about Santa. Well, you can always play it by ear and just wait for your kids to catch on (or for their friends to tell them), but here’s a better idea. You can break the Santa truth to them in this sweetest way possible:
Let their curiosity lead the way.
Have your children begun to ask questions about Santa? Such as: Why is that Santa bigger than this Santa? How can he deliver everyone’s presents in one night? Or even the direct inquiry of: is Santa real? You can ask them in turn what they think – if Santa is real or pretend, and wait for their answer. If their doubts are already evident in their answer, then it’s time to tell them the truth. You can opt to tell them that they have joined the “grownup world” and are now also responsible for keeping the Santa magic alive.
Talk to them about your Christmas family traditions.
The next step is to ensure that the magic of the season does not get lost once your kids find out the truth. And one way to do this is by emphasizing to them the importance of keeping the tradition alive, and even what Santa represents. Tell them how your parents used to do it for you every Christmas, and how it would feel once it’s their turn to do it for their kids – how seeing kids’ faces light up once they see Santa’s presents is the best Christmas gift ever for any parent. You can tell them that Santa represents more than just a fat, jolly, person in red handing out gifts. That Santa teaches children to believe in something they can neither see nor touch. And this belief in the fantastic is necessary, as it harnesses kids’ capacity to believe – in themselves, in their friends, in their family, and even in things that they can neither touch or hold, such as love. More than the material gifts from Santa every year, it is this lesson in belief that is the most important and essential for every kid to learn.
Teach and let them be Santa.
Further, preserve the magic for your kids by letting be Santa as early as now. We found a great way to do this on Facebook [click here]. To put it simply, ask them to choose someone who they think could really use a great gift and work with them to give it to that person in secret. They can pick out a classmate, friend, aunt or uncle, or even a neighbor. Let them find out what that person needs most and work with them in acquiring the gift and delivering it secretly. Doing so further teaches your children that giving should not be about getting credit, rather, it’s about unselfish giving.
You cannot stop your kids from finding out the truth about Santa, but you can ensure that they are able to derive and understand the true meaning of Christmas from the whole Santa experience: the importance of believing and giving.
