Please note: Use the Contact Us link at the bottom of our website for account-specific questions or issues. However, each individual is solely responsible for selecting an appropriate care provider or care seeker for themselves or their families and for complying with all applicable laws in connection with any employment relationship they establish. It’s going to be tough, and your kids will probably be angry and sad for a bit. They are gathering all the facts, and now they have some questions. So the famous dad leaves it up to his kids to figure it out: “What I tell them is some people believe in Santa, and some people believe it’s parents, and you get to believe whatever you want,” he told E! amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; I thought everyone was just pretending Santa was real. Face the moment. Thanks, Danielle! This is the time to start helping children put the pieces together. The first piece of advice from the experts is to exhale and count to ten. It seemed to me that when children ask if Santa is real, it is a time when they are starting to decide for themselves what the truth is. "I'm not saying none exist, but I'm not aware of any. Some parents worry that learning the news about Santa Claus could cause significant emotional damage. Copyright ©2020, Preschool Inspirations. Start here, Free Printable Colouring Pages for Grown Ups, How to have a Frugal Christmas – The ULTIMATE guide. "I think of it as make-believe. What could we do to improve Education.com? After doing a bunch of research and asking around my trusted parent friends, I finally found an answer to this uncomfortable question. We'll call this one the "Brad Pitt." My daughter still insists that Santa is real and wants to be able to tell him what she wants for Christmas this year, but she is worried that the kids in her kindergarten class might make fun of her for believing. How to answer the ‘Is Santa Real’ question (and how not to)…. The way I see it there are two cases, and it’s important to understand where the question is coming from to give the best possible answer for your kid’s particular development stage: As kids grow up, there are good chances they’ll ask you this question, for instance because an older cousin tells them they’re stupid because they still believe in Santa’s existence. He eats them right up! Warning - you are about to disable cookies. "I would remain neutral and ask them what they think," she said. That approach allows your child to learn how to work out an issue on their own. I definitely suggest talking to your child about what they think first, ask them questions to understand their opinion on Santa and whether they think Santa is real or not. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; “Whatever your religion, that officer, in that moment, could have been Santa,” Munsterer says. It’s OK if the answer is no.’ I told him no, that it was Mom and Dad filling the stockings and buying the presents, but he is real in the sense that he is a symbol of Christmas, a symbol of giving. It's better to just come straight out with it, and yes, your child may feel betrayed, so apologize if they do and explain your reasoning and why you do the tradition of Santa Claus. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; When your child answers your question about what they believe, they will tell you that they don't think Santa is real, or that they do but that they have questions. Care.com provides information and tools to help care seekers and care providers connect and make informed decisions. They still want to believe, they still need to believe, and there’s no reason why you should tell them Santa isn’t real. In the middle of all of this chaos, your 4-year-old walks up to you, and with a thoughtful look on his face, asks the question you've been dreading: "Is Santa Claus really real?". amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; He is an idea, or a spirit, he has no real body, not one of flesh and bones.He had once one, some 300 hundred years after Jesus, somewhere in Anatolia, in today’s Turkey.There were Greeks there by then, and his name was Nikolaos. And figure out what their perspective and their point of view is on the subject. Look deep down inside yourself, and you will find what you truly believe in. It’s completely understandable: after all, Santa is a very important belief in childhood, and adds a little magic to everything. There are presents to find, get-togethers to plan, holiday parties, plays and special events at school. I do things differently with my own kids though, and I love to see how my own children look forward to seeing Santa. The most gentle and supportive method for parents wondering how to answer the question Is Santa Real that will leave kids still feeling wonderful about the spirit of Christmas. December 16, 2016 by Katie T. Christiansen 3 Comments, As an adult it can be completely nerve-wracking to know what to say when a child asks, “Is Santa real?”. One day soon all of the pieces will fit together, and she will understand the answer to the question, “Is Santa real?”. and How could Santa do that?.But knowing all the answers to all their questions isn’t important. Her then-8-year-old nephew Radek, who lives with her family along with his then-9-year-old brother, Fedor, came to her a few years ago and told her that he did not believe in Santa Claus anymore. Disclosure Policy, Copyright Items, and Privacy Policy. Your email address will not be published. The next year Santa fixed it for him, and now it works good as new. From our Obsession. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "preschoinsp01-20"; Bookmark this to easily find it later. amzn_assoc_linkid = "dcc02dd8de4185a4021819af05b1bb02"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; They still want to believe, they still need to believe, and there’s no reason why you should tell them Santa isn’t real. I couldn’t do that! Decide as a family. “In our house, Santa is no more a ‘lie’ than the magic of those flames lasting for so long,” Whitfield explains. Here are some other common strategies. http://timbuktu.me/blog/how-to-deal-with-mom-is-santa-real/. In our house, it happens to be peanut butter blossoms. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; December 10, 2012 I love hearing that you do something similar too! (Santa Claus) is just a happy story that kind of floats on top of all of this." You know, the talk about how awesome he is (open this story with caution, parents). What if I said the wrong answer and ruined everything (again)? Or turn the question around: "What do you think about Santa?". Care.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or engage in any conduct that requires a professional license. and my kids have yet to talk to me about this subject, so I wanted to be prepared in advance. Boy, was I wrong! ", So what is the best way to break the news about Santa Claus? If someone says Santa isn’t real to you, ask them to prove it! The first thing that you can do is as your child the question, "Do you think Santa is real?" Corneal’s husband puts on his Santa suit every Christmas so their son can have a “real Santa sighting.” One year, she sat on the steps with their son in his PJs, peeking through the banister, as “Santa” put toys under their tree. Charity Hutchinson, here with her son Lennox, 6, no longer dreads telling her children about Santa. So she strives to be “completely truthful” with her own kids, and says she always describes Santa as a “story book character.”. Fristad and Molony offered some tips for parents to consider when deciding how they want to handle the Santa Claus story in their family. Share the real magic of Santa Luckily, a few days later, Hutchinson spotted something in a friend's Facebook feed that gave her an idea of how to approach Santa with both her nephews and her own sons. amzn_assoc_asins = "B0091VTNZC,B00NJT3A5Q,B005UA0FLE,B000M5NRLC,B001CW8016,B004IHAIEO,B004EK926K,B0057FGCJQ"; Filed Under: Christmas, Parenting Tagged With: Santa, Great post! Your kids will figure that one out on their own. We started out not talking and focusing on Santa so much in our family and so it wasn't as big of a deal for us in general. They are gathering all the facts, and now they have some questions. Whether this involves the husband and wife or perhaps older children, let everyone have a say. The Santa legend is harmless. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Answers like "Santa is a warm, loving feeling deep inside and I believe in that" can be effective. It got really tricky because they knew the story of St. Nicholas, but it seemed like they were trying to convince us that Santa was definitely real. They love making a list and baking his favorite Christmas cookies. "I think that what people should take from this amazing story isn't just a way not to break your kids' hearts, but that giving is at the heart of Christmas, and that it also isn't just a one-time-a-year thing. I answer: Because it’s magic,” she says. Then as Santa was closer, she whispered to me. "This is about whatever your religious beliefs are and it's supposed to be a sharing, loving and warm and caring time with the people who mean the most to you. Psychotherapist and mother Andrea Nair told TODAY Parents she's heard too many clients in her line of work talk about how “duped” they felt by their parents and how “shocked” they were when they found out abuot Santa. “When my (then) 4-and-a-half year old son, Cooper, asks, how does Santa get around the world? “What animals can you think of that fly?” I replied. And figure out what their perspective and their point of view is on the subject. He has the wrong beard. If you’re like me, you want to keep Christmas magical. I'm almost 17 and I still believe that Santa is real. "I am not aware of any studies that suggest that," Molony said. To switch between accounts click on the account below, Let's face it: the holidays are a frantic time. So for now, Santa is a very real and special part of the holidays in her home. "Let's be realistic," said Fristad. I think I am extra sensitive about the subject because I was the child who ruined Christmas for other children…and it was completely by accident.