How can you tell if your child has stopped believing in Santa? Sometimes, it becomes obvious. Your kid suddenly declares that Santa isn’t real (and appears to be comfortable with that knowledge). Most of the time though, kids come to parents with questions about Santa. Your child is not sure what to believe, and is trying to figure things out based on whatever evidence he or she can find.
What’s a parent to do? One way to handle it is to ask your child a question. “What do you think?” This gives your kid the opportunity to direct the conversation towards their own comfort level. Kids that subconsciously suspect that Santa is a myth may not be ready to say so. They want one more Christmas in which they believe in Santa. If your child tells you that he or she thinks Santa is real, go with it!
Other kids will respond by telling their parents exactly why they no longer believe in Santa. When a child has outgrown Santa, it may be best for parents to “tone down” the emphasis on him. Don’t push your child to keep believing after he or she has stopped. Let them grow.
The interesting thing is that many kids, who have stopped believing in Santa, still want to participate in the Santa-related holiday traditions. They want to visit Santa at the mall, write him a letter, and leave him some cookies and milk. The traditions hold up, and provide comfort, even after the child has stopped believing in Santa.
What if your kid tells you that Santa isn’t real, and seems very upset by this discovery? You could point out that Santa was based on a real person – St. Nicholas – who gave gifts and money to the poor. Or, you could say that the “spirit of Christmas” is real even if Santa is not.
There is something very important that parents should say. Let your child know that other kids, their friends and classmates, might still believe in Santa. Instruct them to let the other children believe whatever they want to. Make it clear you don’t want your child to tell all the other kids that Santa isn’t real. Tell them not to “spoil” Santa for the other kids.
Image by Josu on Flickr.
Related Articles:
* Why Santa Doesn’t Visit My Home
* Our First Visit with Santa Claus