When Children Ask, "Is Santa real?” (1 Viewer)

[Laron]

I came across this the other day and thought it was a good way to handle the situation from a conscious perspective, for those that celebrate the typical Christmas at home.

Son: "Dad, I think I'm old enough to know now. Is there a Santa Claus?" Not being the world's fastest thinker, I stalled for time.​

Dad: "OK, I agree that you're old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the truth is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you can't un-know it. Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now. So my question is: Are you sure you want to know?"​

Brief pause. Son: "Yes. I want to know."​

Dad: "OK, I'll tell you: Yes, there IS a Santa Claus."​

Son: "Really?" Dad: "Yes, really, but he's not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That's just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand. The truth about Santa Claus is that he's not a person at all; he's an idea. Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years. I actually bought those myself. I watched you open them. And did it bother me that you didn't thank me? Of course not! In fact it gave me great pleasure. You see, Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgement.​

When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she'd never know that it was me who summoned the ambulance. I was being Santa Claus when I did that."​

Son: "Oh."​

Dad: "So now that you know, you're part of it. You have to be Santa Claus too now. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them, and most important, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?"​

For parents out there, how do (or have) you handled this situation? What do you tell them?

 

[Linda]

I still recall that day when my daughter asked if Santa was real. My reply was that it is more fun to believe so. I watched her face - she took it in and understood the larger idea of the magic. A few days ago, she said to me that she believes magic has always been here, and that I see more than most people. She has always carried it with her, too.

 

[anony.]

My 6 year old told ME last week that santa wasn't real lol
My eldest (7 yo) asked me yesterday if he was real or not, I asked her what she thought. Don't want to outright lie to them if they ask me straight, doesn't sit right.
I told her everybody's "real" is different and that's the magic. I told her it's upto her to decide if he is or not, didn't say yes or no. And then I distracted her with chocolate

 

[Laron]

Thanks for sharing, Linda & anony.