20 Dec 2012

Too early to suss out Santa?

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Is just five years-old too young to cotton on to the idea that Santa may not be real?

Kids health

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Is just five years-old too young to cotton on to the idea that Santa may not be real?

This is the question I asked myself after a friend told me that my preschooler son informed her four year-old child that Santa was a fake. I was shocked to say the least. Ok so he had recently begun asking some probing questions around the whole Christmas story. Things like, “why does Santa look different all the time?” And, “how could Santa possibly get around to all the children in the whole world in a night?” I answered his queries pretty well – so I thought, but I guess his lack of belief shouldn’t have been a complete surprise.

He is a curious little soul but that’s just it – despite an inquisitive nature he’s still so young - not yet at school! After I got over myself, I searched online to discover although five is young, the age isn’t an altogether uncommon one to start questioning the validity of Santa Clause. Which brings up another interesting dilemma for parents like me. Are mums and dad who insist that Santa is real blatantly lying to their children?

I recall my parents giving me some pretty interesting explanations about Santa Claus after I started questioning the story as a kid and I’ve never held it against them. But now, as parent myself, I don’t like to think too deeply about political correctness and the Santa ideal. I do strongly believe in the magic of Christmas and holding on to this for children as long as possible – kids grow up fast enough, yet Santa and co. are just one part of the tale… It’s a tough dilemma and the only right answer is the one that a parent is most happy and comfortable with.

For me, in the end, I decided to go against the hard-line “don’t believe, don’t receive” advice some friends follow to an “I believe, it’s up to you whether you do or not,” attitude. Perhaps it’s sitting on the fence but I’m reasonably comfortable that I’m bending the truth rather than overtly lying. And so far, my little man seems pretty content with this approach too.

When and what did you do when your child questioned Santa?

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