One day a child comes home from kindergarten or school and asks to tell "the whole truth" about Santa Claus. And then parents ask themselves: “Is it time for my child to grow up? And if so, how to tell him that Santa Claus is just a fiction? "
When a person believes in some pleasant things for him (even if in fact they are far from reality), this gives him a lot of positive emotions. He feels joy, filled with strength, hope. Such faith always helps in moments of despair and melancholy. Very often unrealistic ideas become a resource for people. And it is on this criterion that parents need to be guided when they find themselves in a situation of revision of values.
Santa Claus for a child is not just fun and gifts. Believing in such magic, children develop imagination , actively learn about themselves and the world around them. And adults, with the help of stories about Santa Claus, can instill in a child traditions, acquaint him with the cultural context. Parents often use this character to teach children how to behave in a certain way. “If you don’t put away your toys, Santa Claus will not come to you this year.”
Each family has the right to its own traditions and to independently determine when the child is ready to face reality. The main thing to be guided by is love and care. Sincere, intimate conversations will make the child feel that the parents are frank and honest with him, which means that nothing threatens their affection and love.
1: Don't rush the course of events
Wait for the moment when the child himself begins to ask about Santa Claus. Let your baby live with the feeling of magic for as long as he needs. Childhood is the only period when imagination has no framework, when any miracles can be perceived as reality. When children outgrow this perception, they themselves begin to ask questions that interest them. And here it is definitely not worth cheating. And if the child, in your opinion, doubted the magic too early, then below we will talk about how to talk to the child in this situation correctly.
2: Be sincere
If a child asks, for example, why today he met several Santa Clauses on the street, you should not be sophisticated and invent silly fables. You can say: "These are ordinary people, they dress up in costumes and try to make everyone around feel the New Year's magic." Explain that people themselves can create a holiday for themselves and be a little kind wizards.
3: Learn to fight back
Tell your child how to respond correctly to those who spoil his holiday by talking about how Santa Claus is “an invention for little ones”. Let him say to all "ill-wishers" something like: "If you believe in Santa Claus, then he also believes in you."
4: Don't discount your experiences
If the children, having learned the truth, reacted very painfully to the fact that mom and dad, and not Santa Claus, put gifts under the tree, it is important to talk about it. You can say: “We are doing the work of Santa Claus to create an atmosphere of magic in the house, to make our holiday interesting and fun, to cheer everyone up”. Do not leave the child alone with his experiences, talk to him.
5 : Explain the symbolism
It is important to convey to children the idea that Santa Claus is in any case a symbol of the New Year. Even if in fact it does not exist, this should not become a reason to perceive the holiday in any other way. Yes, the child may already know that his parents give him gifts, but many children still do not mind hearing something like "Santa Claus brought you a gift there." Let this now just a game, but it is capable of creating that very magical feeling of a fairy tale.
Tell me the truth mama
There is no universal recipe for how to tell a child that Santa Claus is just a fairy tale character. Your child is unique, and so are your family's views and preferences. Use your imagination, invite your child to debate, or try some of these strategies.
1. Smooth personification
Santa Claus can begin to be identified with some family member. While the child is still small, let Santa Claus be a kind grandfather from the magic forest for him. But for a growing up child, you can create such a situation so that he guesses for himself: behind a long beard and mustache is the face of the father (or another relative). Let dad become less and less like Santa Claus every year: he gradually ceases to change his voice much, accidentally opens his face. Children will guess everything on their own, but at the same time, the encounter with the truth will not be too harsh for them.
2. The most honest answer
This method is suitable for those parents whose children have already begun to strongly doubt that Santa Claus really exists. Sometimes an honest answer is the best option. If, in a conversation with an already old enough child, you begin to give arguments from which he has long grown, this can provoke resentment, distrust and strong feelings.
It is important for parents to remember that an honest answer should be followed by an adequate explanation, and not silly excuses or unwillingness to talk at all. You can say: "I liked so much that in my childhood there was Santa Claus, I wanted you to be able to rejoice and enjoy this fairy tale." Such words will not offend the child, he will not be indignant when he realizes that his parents wanted to give him a sense of magic.
3. The path to deep reflection
Another option is to tell the child that Santa Claus definitely exists for those who want to believe in him. He lives in their hearts. He helps them do good deeds , believe in miracles and celebrate the New Year with a sense of a fairy tale. We all have every right to believe in what is dear to us. And who can say with certainty that Santa Claus definitely does not exist? Let everyone think in their own way. Yes, maybe we saw only fake Santa Clauses - they were ordinary people in suits. But who said that we will never see the real one? There are a lot of mysteries in life, but one thing is certain - miracles sometimes happen around.
4. "Be Santa"
You will learn about the fourth way to tell your child the truth from a short story by Leslie Rush, a teacher from the United States. If your child is already more than 7-8 years old, and he began to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, then he is ready, and this method will definitely suit him.
Chrismas story
Leslie Rush's way was liked by many parents from all over the world. Of course, Leslie Rush's story talks about Santa Claus, but that doesn't change the essence of the matter. This is a great way to instill in your child a sense of responsibility and a sense of their importance and importance.
“I take my child to a cafe and tell him that he has grown a lot this year. That not only he himself became bigger, but his heart too. And now he himself can be Santa Claus. Then I say that he may have already realized that Santa is an ordinary person in a suit. And some children confidently declare that such miracles do not happen. But they think so because they are not yet ready to become Santa Claus. And I add: "But you already can!". It is important to say this so that the words sound as mysterious as possible. The child will, of course, ask what it all means. In response, you need to ask him to choose a person. A kindergarten friend, any relative or neighbor. The child's job is to figure out what the person wants and then give him a Christmas present.
My son chose the woman who lives next door. He often saw her leave the house for mail without shoes. And I decided that I needed to give her slippers. Together we bought beautiful slippers for our neighbor, carefully wrapped them with gift paper, and wrote on top: "Happy Holidays from Santa Claus." The son put the parcel at her front door. Tomorrow morning we watched together as she went out for the mail, took the gift and went back home. The son could not find a place for himself, he could not wait for tomorrow: what will happen next ?! The next morning we watched her again, and this time she went outside in new slippers. My boy was delighted. I also told him that no one should know that it was he who gave the woman the slippers. Otherwise, he can no longer be Santa.
Every year my son chose many people to give them gifts. And all these gifts were absolutely unique. The ones that will definitely come in handy. When the time came to tell the truth about Santa to the youngest son, the elder said that he would talk to him himself. And now they both secretly give people wonderful gifts. At the same time, the boys do not feel at all that they are being deceived. Together they keep this secret “Being Santa” and feel happy. "
For generations, the Leslie Rush family has taught children the truth about Santa Claus in this way. If you liked this method, use it and invite your child to be a “donor”, our Russian Grandfather Frost.
It doesn't matter which method you choose, it is important to remember the main thing: it is important for a child to always celebrate the New Year with a sense of joy and magic. Any words, actions and deeds should create a comfortable atmosphere around the child and make him happy - always and invariably in the New Year.
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