The Secret of Santa

The holiday year I have been dreading has arrived. We officially have a house of non-believers in Santa Claus. I had the conversation with my youngest about the secret of Santa. It's one of those things you don't think about with kid milestones. There is a lot of talk about first words, first steps, graduations, etc... You don't know it's the last time for the magic until it's past the last time. I think most kids just figure it out at some point and maybe you won't have a conversation about it. I was always concerned about making sure they weren't the ones blabbing about it at school.

I've been through this four times now. My oldest was the most difficult. She knew, but didn't want to know, but was also worried about getting teased at school. So, I wrote her a letter and let her digest it and then we talked. I gave her brother the letter, as I was more concerned he would ruin it for other children. My boys each had a conversation that lasted about two minutes. They both gave me the I knooooowww mom sigh. By no surprise, my youngest already knew, but tried to play it off in the hopes of getting extra presents. She's a smart cookie. The opportunity to do some Black Friday shopping and pick out some special Santa items finally got her talking.

Whether it was in the form of a letter or a conversation, these are the main points I addressed with the kids.

1. There is nothing wrong with believing and they should not feel embarrassed. As people of faith, we know that St. Nicholas was a real person that inspired the spirit of giving.

2. You now get to be a Santa! Giving is much better than receiving and you are now part of the magic.

3. Most important...you must not spoil the secret for anyone else. It is up to the parents to decide when a child is ready to become a Santa.

4. If you are questioned, you can honestly say "I would not get the presents I receive on Christmas morning if it wasn't for St. Nicholas."

Even though the secret of Santa is officially out in our house, we look forward to new traditions with our older children. They are already very excited to participate in surprising each other with their favorite Christmas elf and share in the Santa spirit of giving.