Ok so it is no big secret that for the past couple of years we have not be playing Santa at our house. You see when our oldest Jesse was in kindergarten she asked if he was real and so we told her the truth. We were relived and stopped playing Santa even though she had a younger brother. We felt alot better about them knowing that the gifts that had been painstakingly sought out and bought were from us. No way were we letting the fat guy in the red suit get all of the credit.
This was working wonderfully for us and nobody ever questioned it. Fast forward to this year my dear middle child Duece is now in kindergarten and now is questioning me "Mommy I think Santa is real...Why did you say he was not?" I am sure that Mrs. Ables kindergarten class is a buzz with talk of Santa and that dear Mrs. Ables even feeds a little into it. Since questioning me I have had many an interesting conversation with Duece. So now someone has suggested that he should do a test you know the kind ask Santa for something that he doesn't ask us for. I am thinking that this plan could go badly and Duece end up even more confused and upset. See that is just one more reason not to tell what I think is the biggest lie ever told. After a conversation or two of her own even Jesse now 9 as decided she might "start believing again." I am like ugh this is nuts lets just drop it and enjoy all the wonderful gifts your dear loved ones give you because they love and care for you so very much!
When I was a little girl my parents answered the age old question very simply "Anyone who loves you enough to think of you this time of year is your Santa!" Thanks mom and dad that was a wonderful way to explain it and I have tried that with my own children. For some reason they have decided to be little followers and not leaders.
Sometimes I feel like I have taken some of the magic out of Christmas. But I know it is still magical and memorable with or without Santa. I mean isn't it really about the fact that on this day we celebrate the greatest gift of all...This is the day that our Lord and Savior Jesus was born. I think that is the real true magic of Christmas he came to this earth became flesh and bore our sin in death... Now that is one magical gift if you ask me! And that is something amazing to believe in. ( That is a whole other blog in itself. )
Wanted to let you know that your new blog post is up and on my blog. As for Santa, I don't know why parents do half of what they do... prolly because THEIR parents did things the same way. If you don't want to do the Santa thing b/c it may be "untruthful," you have every right not to. I don't feel like it is the biggest lie ever told, however, but you already know I'm a big Santa fan, cuz you're my friend. Maybe you can bridge the gap going on with Duece and Jesse by explaining who St. Nicholas was and how we pay homage to him by "prentending" to play Santa Claus with our own children. I think that is a better way of explaining it instead of saying that they had been lied to up until that point. Children enjoy make-believe, and Santa Claus, to me, is just another facet of that kind of fun. This would also be a good way to introduce charity to them by having them "pretend" to be Santa to needy children this Christmas season. I always try to be honest with my children, but when Jamie Ruth came home from school and asked me if Santa was real, all I could say was that "I" believe. Children are exposed to so many "adult" things too early in my opinion, and keeping Santa alive is my way of preserving what is left of my children's childhood. She's just 5, afterall. Just remind your kids that others still DO believe and that's okay too. And deets about Santa, like another "S" word I know, need to be adressed at home and not shared. :)
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