“Tell Me The Truth. Is Santa Real?”

Zina Harrington

Tell me the truth . . . Is Santa real?

How you answer this classic question can empower — or completely crush — your child’s spirit. Keep these tips in your pocket for that random Wednesday night when your little one unexpectedly throws this age-old question at you. This is a must-read article for parents of elementary-aged children.

Below is a parent-tested way to turn this tricky inquiry into a magical milestone for you and your child.

We live in an age when children are growing up too fast. Part of me desperately wants to hold on to my kids’ innocence as they believe in the magic of Santa. However, last winter (when our kids were in first and second grade), their schoolmates were discussing and debating the topic among themselves on the playground. So I started to explore the topic with other parents and friends, asking, How do you hold onto the magic of the holidays as your kids get older? Especially when you know they might be getting mixed messages from other children and people in their lives?

If you’re dealing with a really young child, the best approach is to turn the question back on them, and simply ask, “What do YOU think?” You can tell how much a little one wants to talk about the topic by how easily you can redirect their attention. Chances are they’ll share their ideas and then move on to chatting about how much candy canes look like J’s, and that’ll be the end of “The Santa Talk” . . . for now.

Eventually, you will have to have that conversation, though. And when you do, you want to be prepared with that “just right” thing to say. So, read on for tips to help you be ready for when that fateful day happens to you . . .

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Tell Me The Truth. Is Santa Real?

Zina is the author of Let’s Lasso the Moon, where she inspires parents and children to interact creatively and enjoy the beauty of everyday moments. For additional posts by Zina, follow her Parenting with Presence board on Pinterest.