Over the years my two have asked me many, many times if Santa was really real and I’ve always given them the answers I think they wanted and needed to hear.
Miss Frugal for example stopped believing years ago, before most of her friends did, and although I tried to tell her otherwise, she just knew that Santa wasn’t real. She’s a very logical child and lots of things just didn’t make sense to her so we had the talk about that quite early on.
It didn’t stop Christmas being magical for her though and she became my helper to keep the Santa magic alive for Master Frugal.
And then last year, at age 9, Master Frugal started having his own doubts but he seemed to want to continue to believe so happily accepted our explanations to his questions.
This year though has been a different matter – he’s 10 now and in Year 6 at school and I was a little bit worried about how his belief in Santa would affect him at school seeing as he’d already told us that many of his school friends were no longer believers and had been told by their parents that Santa wasn’t real. Children can be cruel and I didn’t want him going to school defending the existence of Santa when his friends knew otherwise.
I didn’t want to be the person who told him Santa was real and sent him off to school knowing that I’ve always said that the kids can ask me any question and I’ll tell them the truth (albeit in a way suitable for them).
So when he asked me this year if Santa was real, I told him the truth.
He was a little upset at first which is how I knew he was a definite believer before but I explained to him that Santa represented the magic of Christmas and just because the man himself didn’t exist, it didn’t mean that Christmas wasn’t magical. Santa represents the love that parents have for children by making Christmas special and that the magic of Santa will continue as long as he keeps believing in the magic of Christmas.
All very corny I know but it helped him to deal with his new found knowledge and we finished up our Santa conversation with a hug and all was good. No trauma or ruined childhoods here!
But then it all went downhill very quickly….
Mast F – Oh well, at least the pyjama fairy will still bring us pyjamas on Christmas Eve, that’s proper magic isn’t it?
Me – Erm
Mast F – Are you kidding? You’re the pyjama fairy too!
Me – Erm
Mast F – I don’t believe it, next thing you’ll tell me you’re the tooth fairy.
Me – Erm
Mast F – (Close to tears) And the Easter Bunny?
Me – Oh no, that’s not me.
Mast F – (Relief apparent on his face) Phew.
Miss F – No, that’s Dad!
The above conversation did happen unfortunately although I’d love to say it was embellished for dramatic effect – between Miss Frugal and I, we pretty much cleared up any confusion around all fairies and bunnies! He thinks it’s hilarious now but he did have a two minute wobble when it sunk in (don’t tell him I told you that).
We’ll still be getting a visit from the pyjama fairy and leaving out treats for Santa on Christmas Eve although the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny may well be retired now!
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