Maybe you have been playing the Santa card for a few years now, or maybe you have not had the opportunity to don the red coat and white beard. But either way, you may be rethinking the whole Santa card with your kids. Maybe they have been asking if Santa is real or even why you have not brought him up before. But either way, there are always a myriad reasons to be or not to be Santa this holiday season.
Traditions
You may have been raised in a household that believed in Santa Claus until a certain age, and so that tradition continued. Your kids may be excited every year about what “Santa” brought this year, but you may also be wondering how long to keep this tradition going. This can be especially true if you have children of multiple age groups, where one may be outgrowing the tradition while a few others may still be young enough to enjoy Santa Claus. Or you may not have had the luxury of growing up and hearing about the tales of Santa, so you wanted to give that experience to your children instead. Seeing their faces while they hear about stories around Santa is a joy!
New Experience
There are many families that do not participate in the Santa Claus tradition, either. Many newer generations may not have heard the tales or simply did not believe them growing up, so when it came time to celebrate Christmas with their children, they decided not to bother. There are other forms of traditions similar to Santa as well, such as Elf on the Shelf, where parents may have played this game with their kids and skipped Santa all together. There is always a little bit of magic to be found in the Christmas holiday, no matter how you celebrate!
Broaching the Topic
It can be a fine line deciding when to tell your children about Santa, and there really is no wrong or right time. Whether you actually celebrate the tradition at home or not, sooner or later your kids are going to ask about Santa, or they will simply outgrow the tradition and should be told the truth. Every child is different, however, and there really shouldn’t be a specific age group involved. You should judge the situation by each of your individual children themselves, and how much they are aware of the world around them. You could have a 13-year-old who still really enjoys Santa and that child-like innocence, but you can also have a 7-year-old who pays attention to what is real and not, and is already questioning the reality of Santa. Either way, just remember to be gentle about explaining that Santa is not real, and where the tradition started so they can better understand.
Katie Kyzivat