My oldest is 9 and I just had the SANTA conversation I've been dreading .
We were watching one of our annual Santa Cartoon movies and he looks at me and says:
"Mom, there's a rumor going around that Santa isn't real. You'd tell me if he wasn't real wouldn't you?"
GULP. Deer in headlights look.
breathe.... breathe..... breathe....
I say: "Connor, Lets talk about this a little later, after the movie okay?"
Connor says: " Sure !"
So needless to say...I didn't really see the rest of the movie. My mind was going 90 to nothing on how I was going to tell him about Santa. I mean, I knew this day would come and I knew what I would probably say. When the day finally got here, I was more concerned with whether Connor would feel I betrayed him.
It turned out very well. (much better than I anticipated.) Here's the summary.
My husband and I sat down with Connor and said we wanted to talk to him about the "rumor" he'd heard about Santa not being real. I continued by saying that:
Santa was a real man. He was a Christian with a very huge heart for children and helping the needy. He was a wealthy young man and was known for his generosity. His Name was Nicolas but over time as stories about him were told he became known as Santa Claus. The Original St. Nicolas/Santa Claus is not living. But "Santa Claus" is VERY real, it's just not who you thought it was. Alot of parents really respected St. Nick and wanted to carrying on his attitude of giving and sharing and the joy that brings. So, parents decided to be "Santa Claus" on Christmas.
Connor then asked- well what about the sleigh and the flying reindeer?
I said- Well, those are fiction. When people told and retold stories a lot of things got added. Those are some of the "magical" things that people added to the true part to make fun books, movies etc. Do you understand how Mommy n Daddy being "Santa Claus" is about carrying on a tradition of giving and generosity and fun.
Connor, with a huge at peace smile on his face said - Yes, St. Nick had a spirit of joy and giving. It's cool he was a Christian.
***** me breathing a sigh of relief ****
Connor was surprisingly calm and OK with all of this information. I guess I was expecting a little disappointment or irritation that we'd tried to "pull one over" on him. But he amazed me. He thought it was totally cool that parents carried on spirit of "Santa Claus" for their kids. Christmas is still magical for him.....even now that he knows exactly WHO Santa Claus is....
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