Whatever the reason we instill in our children the belief of Santa and gifts, it is important to know how we will talk to them about the truth. You even have to be prepared long before, because we don’t know when they will ask or discover that Santa Claus does not exist. Yes, it seems like a moment of panic, but it is best to speak the truth in my experience. I’ll tell you how I handled it.
The innocence of a child
When my oldest son was little, he got very excited every time he came down on the morning of the 25th and saw his gifts under the tree. He was always surprised to see that what was under the tree was what he had put in his letter. This was the case from the time he was two years old, until he was 6. By then, a new baby had arrived at the house, and he was in charge of infecting his little sister with enthusiasm. Everything was going well, until after watching Christmas movies so many times, he began to have many doubts. I remember his first questions were about where Santa lived and if he could fit in his house with all his elves. Obviously, at that moment, I did not want to destroy his innocence and responded by maintaining his innocence.
Little by little, he began to suspect
Before continuing, I must tell you that I have always instilled honesty with my children. I never lie to them about how I feel or what I do. Although his father and I are separated, we have used honesty as a standard so that they know what they should always apply. Well, back to the Christmas theme. As I said, he watched Christmas movies a thousand times, and his doubts grew deeper and deeper. One day, without my imagining what was going to happen, he asked me if Santa Claus really existed. At first, it took me by surprise, and I was shocked for a moment.
How to react to say that Santa Claus does not exist
As I said, I have always spoken the truth to my children, and at that time, I was not going to be the exception. Once I reacted, I asked him what he specifically wanted to know. He told me, “I don’t think there is Santa Claus because he can’t deliver so many gifts in one night. Also, why not give him the same number of toys? He turned to see me, and I said “do you want to know the truth even though it might destroy your illusions?” He nodded, and I told him that Santa Claus didn’t exist. He was satisfied with the answer and started asking me other questions.
Children are more cunning than you imagine
Now he wanted to know who left the gifts. When I confessed that his father and I had left the gifts, he wanted to know where we kept them and how we bought them without him noticing. I had to reveal some of the secrets, but I still chose to keep a few things under lock and key so that he maintains the excitement of knowing what he will receive the morning of the 25th. Also, his dad and I were very clear with him in asking him not to say anything to his other companions. He has to learn to respect the beliefs of other children and must not kill their illusions just because he already found out. So with his companions and his sister, he maintains the idea that Santa exists, although he knows the truth.
