When do you have the talk with your children?
I don't mean the "birds and the bees" or "just say no." I'm talking the "Santa's got a small budget and here is the reason why..." talk.
I was told the ugly truth the end of my second grade year. I was telling my mom that a few weeks ago, over Easter, I had seen the shadow of a six foot tall rabbit walking through our hallway. No, it wasn't Harvey. It was my childhood about to come to a halt. Of course, all through second grade all of my friends were questioning the existence of Santa, the Easter Bunny, and pretty much anyone else on the Council of Legendary Figures (watch The Santa Clause if you need more info about that). So, I wasn't shocked, but definitely disappointed.
Now, Emma is in third grade and Abby is in second. Is this the time for this talk? Do we wait until the girls demand answers? Might this need to be the year since we have an extremely limited Christmas budget and Emma has already written her letter to Santa asking for a pink Nintendo DS with red hearts on it with a carrying case and several specific games? She said she's asking Santa for the gift because she knows it's too expensive for us to buy for her.
I don't want to be the one to bring my baby's childhood to a halt. I also don't want to see her face when not even Santa can help her (Hello, Santa's trying to help us buy a new house!). Although, I am going to look online, Craigslist, Ebay, wherever I can for a deal. I'll try. But I can't promise to deliver.
When and how did you learn the truth of the Council of Legendary Figures?
7 comments:
Honestly, I have no idea! No one sat me down and told me. I would guess that I just figured it out but I don't remember at all.
That is a hard one. Good luck!
I would let them figure it out. My in-laws always told their kids that they had to help santa pay for the parts to make the toys. And if they didn't have enough money to pay santa, then they would have to not get that expensive toy. For some reason that worked... I kind of don't want mine to figure it out.
Ouch. This is a tough one.
My parents never told me. I always had a feeling that Santa was a real person, at one point, and his charitable spirit lived on in everyone. Maybe you could say that to them? Then they feel like he is real, but he lived a very long time ago.
Very hard. I'm sorry. Good luck!
And congrats on selling the house. Very bittersweet, I'm sure. I know the feeling. {{HUGS}}
My nephew lost his cat recently, and he's asking Santa to bring him back since no one else can. Ouch.
Childhood ends too soon as it is, I would try and wait. Jasper knows - but he still asks for stuff from santa. I remember not wanting to believe it when I found out. We were always poor during christmas when I was little, i don't know how my parents handled it. I think they just said that money was tight even for Santa. :) Good luck!
We tell our kids that if they don't believe they don't receive. That's what my mom and dad told me growing up, and I still ask for things because I believe!
Now, I know what the meaning behind Santa is and I try to foster that it is more important to give the to get.
We also have Santa write letters to our kids every year and place them in their stockings. (he has nice stationary and seals the envelopes with a sticker or something like that.) Sometimes it has to be why he couldn't bring a certain toy, but that because he knows their younger siblings, he thought it would be better to give them something that wouldn't be as hard to keep nice. Sometimes he explains that his greater wish for the family was to help us out with fixing the car, or helping with the house stuff.
It's tough, but we even drift the conversations when older cousins say something about not believing and say that it's ok, it just means Santa will have a shorter trip because if you don't believe, you don't receive.
But I would let them come to you about it.
I don't remember either. But I don't think I was as young as our kids. I'm hoping mine don't find out for a couple more years. We tell the boys that some toys are too expensive for Santa as well since he has to give to Everyone. So far it's worked. Tyler has been asking for a Nintendo DS also. But he knows he's not going to get it. It's just way too much!
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