The Santa thing

My 7-year-old son is getting real inquisitive and suspicious about the whole Santa thing. I know he still wants to believe in him but he's asking questions that tells me he's onto it e.g. Last year he asked how it came to be that Santa had the same wrapping paper as we did, How is it possible that he could deliver ALL those toys to all the kids in the entire world at the same time, and How is it that noone's ever seen the guy?

I've thwarted the questions by answering "That wrapping paper was made at the North Pole and distributed everywhere," "Christmas comes at different times for everyone because of the time zone thing so he has some leeway with time," and "That's part of the whole mystique about Santa because of the very fact that no one's ever seen him."

I grew up never believing in Santa because Christmas was a very religious and family-oriented holiday for my family. But for my husband, they were all into the commercialism and while I don't concentrate on Santa, I hate to take some of the fun out of it for the kids. So while we go to church and they understand my/church's teaching of the real meaning of Christmas, they want Santa and I don't want to ruin it for them.

Do your kids still believe in Santa and when did you break it them? When did your parents break it to you?

[Meenah]

My girls believed in Santa until about age 6 or 7. When they started asking for really BIG stuff, I told them that Santa always left a bill for all Moms & Dads. Do you think I did permanent damage?
Luanne

[mommax3]

Thu Van,

I grew up much like you and Santa was not really something we did at our house. DH's family was a little more into Santa, but not much. I didn't ever start the whole deal with my kids, basically because I didn't know how to go about it, although I don't think I have ever said he DIDN'T exist. In my opinion, there is still plenty of magic to the season, even without the jolly old guy. Maybe if he keeps pressing the issue, you could tell him the real story of St. Nicholas and let him draw his own conclusions? Sorry I am not more help.

Sally

[PrincessFiona]

I'm a huge Santa nut. My oldest (about to turn 9) till believes amd my 7 year old daughter is at least acting like she forgot the trauma of last year Maybe I'm the one doing permanent damage?

http://www.medicalspouse.com/iMSN/modul ... age&pid=24

[PrincessFiona]

PS...reading that story again just made me cry Hormones.....

kris

[houseelf]

My parents nipped the whole Santa thing in the bud pretty early on and it can be argued that it did no real long term psychological damage to me.
I clearly remember my kindergarten year when my mom explained to me that people celebrated Santa in honor of their belief of charity. She explained that just like Santa, each of us could give to others out of love. This helped me to collaberate in the whole Santa thing for my younger cousins and helped to instill part of the reason why our faith celebrates Christmas. I think that this also helped my parents out because they just didn't have the money to buy my computer print out list of toys once I understood that mom and dad were footing the bill.

Seriously, this is a hard call. We want our kids to live with the magic of childhood as long as possible and yet we want to level with them as well. Let us know what you decide and give those of us who will soon face this whatever pointers you may have.

Kelly

[Auspicious]

We were never "told," and the illusion was always preserved just for the fun of it, even after the last of us had figured it out. I finally had the epiphany that it was definitely just a story when I was 9 (for me the dealbreaker was getting no scientific explanation of how he gets to all the houses in one night--"by magic" didn't cut it anymore). My younger brother would only have been 4 at that point, and the household decree was that Santa existed, so there wasn't anything else to say about it. I didn't alert my mother that I had figured it out, I just stopped asking her my suspicious questions (which she'd always answered with kind of a coy demeanor anyway) and played along.

It's really only the past couple of years that we've stopped leaving out cookies and my mom has stopped waiting until everyone goes to bed on Christmas Eve before putting the presents under the tree.

[SueC]

Kris, I remember that story from last year, but it still made me cry when I read it again, too! (Maybe it is the hormones or something?). Anyhow, I remember when my sister and I figured it out, I think we were 7 or 8 also. We had a discussion between just the two of us and decided to pretend to still believe because we thought maybe we wouldn't get presents otherwise! I have no advice on the subject, mine are still too little, in fact I'm still explaining the idea of Sana to them and they both laughed out loud when I told them he'd be entering our house through the chimney.

[PrincessFiona]

Julie,

for me the dealbreaker was getting no scientific explanation of how he gets to all the houses in one night--"by magic" didn't cut it anymore

It's a complicated issue that involves time zones, the fact that not everyone celebrates christmas (so there are less houses to go to) and some laws of physics bent just enough to suit Santa's needs. Of course, Santa's elves do help out AND he has all of the local helpers that he has conveniently placed at the Malls to help as well! :mrgren:


But you guys have all but convinced me that Andrew and Amanda already 'know'. I insist on going on with this charade though until .... well I don't ever plan on stopping. My children will be 40 years old coming home from Christmas and they'll still be putting out milk and cookies.

I guess I'll never grow up 8)

kris

[peggyfromwastate]

I think that Kate, who is almost 8, figured out that Santa is really mommy last year. But she plays along. It is to her benefit to do so! She makes very certain that I know what she's asking Santa for (as in, she tells me constantly) and this year she wrote a lovely letter to "Santa and Rudulph" at the North Pole, and she had me look it over and discuss with her what she wanted! Anyway, since I never had santa as a child I am giving the gift of Santa to all my kids. That means Kate will still be playing along with a list for Santa and all that when she's well into her teens. I never had it "broken" to me by my parents, we just never believed... But I don't know quite what to do b/c the things she's asked for from Santa this year are getting to be very outrageous. I'm gonna see if I can talk her into modifying her list before we go see Santa at the mall!