We felt weird keeping the truth from out kids but thought Santa would be fun. So once our kids were old enough to start asking if Santa was real, we would respond by asking if they believed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some DCUM parents can be so rigid about this.

"Santa" is an alternate reality, a parallel universe, it's not a lie. As another poster eloquently expressed it on another thread, you can explain Santa in such a way that your kids gradually come to understand it exists on a different plane. It's the festive spirit of the Holidays, separate from the purely religiously. So start off however you like, OP, because you will of course need to tweak the Santa explanation year after year as your child grows.

My parents still talk about Pere Noel coming with gifts (we're French). We still talk about Santa's gifts with our teens. No one believes it's a flesh and blood person, obviously. But it's a welcome suspension of reality at the darkest time of the year.

+1 I just posted above but I totally agree with this. This is the kind of way we talk about it. Santa is the fun of the holidays, it's the magic and the spirit of giving and bringing gifts to your neighbors. In our house this santa brings a few special gifts. I'm pretty sure my 4 year old is skeptical and understands already this "magic" is not "real" in the way other things are. It's just a part of the "magic" of christmas. It doesn't all have to be so literal.

People take something so fun and simple and turn it in to an effing philosophy lesson. NORAD has a Santa tracker. Not everything has to be a lesson.

Anonymous wrote:We have a toddler who still doesn't understand Santa, but this Christmas will probably set the stage for how we deal with Santa in the future. Deciding if we want to do it or not. I think we're slightly against doing Santa as a concept (not firmly set one way or another) but wondering if we'll all be missing out on part of the joy and excitement?

Why, OP? What are your reasons for being against Santa as a concept?

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood parents who decide in advance to take an active anti-santa position. Holidays are magical. Kids are abuzz with excitement this time of year. We're not religious but man, it's been fun having a zillion holiday traditions with DS (just turned 11) - all of which just add to the magic. Life is short.

DS was told by another kid either early 2022 or late 2021 - can't remember now - about santa. He'd expressed some light skepticism in the past, but wasn't interested in dropping the rouse. This year he's made tons of comments about santa not being real, but mom and dad are like "Larlo, that's a risky position to take. If you're wrong, what happens to your presents?" We like messing with him. He thinks it's hilarious but it really makes him think and shut his mouth. The whole thing is entertaining for the whole family.

Why not just bring more joy to the household?

You don't understand that different people have different holiday traditions than you? Some people do Santa, some add on Elf on a Shelf, people either or or don't take their kids to see Santa, people do holiday lights, some people bake cookies, others don't. Different doesn't have to mean it isn't magical in a different way.

Another thing, if you do Santa and your kid has poor friends, at least make sure that Santa only gives small presents. Don’t let Santa give your kid a bike and his classmate an action figure.

I told my kids that Santa was a fun game of pretend that people play every year, and they needed to go along with it to participate in the activities. We are very big on not ruining the narrative in the moment. The kids seem to have fun and we’ve never lied to them.

We did Santa but the best thing we did is limit kids to three gifts. Grandparents each send a gift and Santa brings one. Santa also fills stockings. Kids are now teenagers and don’t see Christmas as a consumer orgy. (We also aren’t religious.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some DCUM parents can be so rigid about this.

"Santa" is an alternate reality, a parallel universe, it's not a lie. As another poster eloquently expressed it on another thread, you can explain Santa in such a way that your kids gradually come to understand it exists on a different plane. It's the festive spirit of the Holidays, separate from the purely religiously. So start off however you like, OP, because you will of course need to tweak the Santa explanation year after year as your child grows.

My parents still talk about Pere Noel coming with gifts (we're French). We still talk about Santa's gifts with our teens. No one believes it's a flesh and blood person, obviously. But it's a welcome suspension of reality at the darkest time of the year.

+1 I just posted above but I totally agree with this. This is the kind of way we talk about it. Santa is the fun of the holidays, it's the magic and the spirit of giving and bringing gifts to your neighbors. In our house this santa brings a few special gifts. I'm pretty sure my 4 year old is skeptical and understands already this "magic" is not "real" in the way other things are. It's just a part of the "magic" of christmas. It doesn't all have to be so literal.

+2
Santa is make-believe. Little kids understand make-believe.

This!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do Santa. It’s not that hard. My kids are teens and Santa is even bringing me and the pet a couple of presents.

Quoting myself. Because of this thread I just bought on Amazon more stuff for all of our stockings to be delivered before Christmas, like novelty food and hot chocolate bombs. Again, it’s not that hard.

But you can do that even if it isn’t Santa.

How old is your kid, OP?

My kids learned about Santa from someone else. My older kid asked a lot of questions, and she asked if Santa was real the Christmas just before she turned 5. So we told her the truth - Santa is a character that a lot of people love, and we can love him just like we love Elsa and Anna, but he’s not a real person or real magic person who visits every house. Grown ups give the presents. She was disappointed until Christmas morning, when she was overjoyed with her gifts. She’s 6 now and just as excited about Christmas coming even if there’s no Santa hype. When she was 3 we were somewhere where there was a Santa and she really wanted to sit on his lap. So she did, but she told me it wasn’t the real Santa, just a friend who helps Santa out. Not sure where that came from.

Oh, and we told her it’s okay to talk about what she believes, but that it isn’t okay to talk to her friends about what is “real” or “true” and what isn’t, because different families believe different things.

My now 3 year old has only asked how Santa gets all over the world in one night, and I said something like “sounds like magic to me, what do you think?” And he agreed. He also asked if we can leave carrots out for the reindeer and I said sure. My 6yo gave me the biggest grin.

Point is OP, we never introduced Santa, it came to us. We follow our kids’ lead, and we don’t lie. Christmas is still magical.

Anonymous wrote:Do Santa. It’s not that hard. My kids are teens and Santa is even bringing me and the pet a couple of presents.

Quoting myself. Because of this thread I just bought on Amazon more stuff for all of our stockings to be delivered before Christmas, like novelty food and hot chocolate bombs. Again, it’s not that hard.

Anonymous wrote:We don't do Santa. We barely do Christmas. Our kids have plenty of joy and excitement in their lives, just not surrounding this holiday.

It’s no big deal not to do Santa, but I’d love to hear how your kids would respond if asked whether they have just the right amount of joy and excitement in their lives, too much or too little. I’ve never really heard anyone say they have plenty of joy and don’t need any more.

I have never understood parents who decide in advance to take an active anti-santa position. Holidays are magical. Kids are abuzz with excitement this time of year. We're not religious but man, it's been fun having a zillion holiday traditions with DS (just turned 11) - all of which just add to the magic. Life is short.

DS was told by another kid either early 2022 or late 2021 - can't remember now - about santa. He'd expressed some light skepticism in the past, but wasn't interested in dropping the rouse. This year he's made tons of comments about santa not being real, but mom and dad are like "Larlo, that's a risky position to take. If you're wrong, what happens to your presents?" We like messing with him. He thinks it's hilarious but it really makes him think and shut his mouth. The whole thing is entertaining for the whole family.

Why not just bring more joy to the household?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some DCUM parents can be so rigid about this.

"Santa" is an alternate reality, a parallel universe, it's not a lie. As another poster eloquently expressed it on another thread, you can explain Santa in such a way that your kids gradually come to understand it exists on a different plane. It's the festive spirit of the Holidays, separate from the purely religiously. So start off however you like, OP, because you will of course need to tweak the Santa explanation year after year as your child grows.

My parents still talk about Pere Noel coming with gifts (we're French). We still talk about Santa's gifts with our teens. No one believes it's a flesh and blood person, obviously. But it's a welcome suspension of reality at the darkest time of the year.

+1 I just posted above but I totally agree with this. This is the kind of way we talk about it. Santa is the fun of the holidays, it's the magic and the spirit of giving and bringing gifts to your neighbors. In our house this santa brings a few special gifts. I'm pretty sure my 4 year old is skeptical and understands already this "magic" is not "real" in the way other things are. It's just a part of the "magic" of christmas. It doesn't all have to be so literal.

+2
Santa is make-believe. Little kids understand make-believe.

Anonymous wrote:Some DCUM parents can be so rigid about this.

"Santa" is an alternate reality, a parallel universe, it's not a lie. As another poster eloquently expressed it on another thread, you can explain Santa in such a way that your kids gradually come to understand it exists on a different plane. It's the festive spirit of the Holidays, separate from the purely religiously. So start off however you like, OP, because you will of course need to tweak the Santa explanation year after year as your child grows.

My parents still talk about Pere Noel coming with gifts (we're French). We still talk about Santa's gifts with our teens. No one believes it's a flesh and blood person, obviously. But it's a welcome suspension of reality at the darkest time of the year.

+1 I just posted above but I totally agree with this. This is the kind of way we talk about it. Santa is the fun of the holidays, it's the magic and the spirit of giving and bringing gifts to your neighbors. In our house this santa brings a few special gifts. I'm pretty sure my 4 year old is skeptical and understands already this "magic" is not "real" in the way other things are. It's just a part of the "magic" of christmas. It doesn't all have to be so literal.