this parenting caper : the santa lie

Do your kiddos believe in Santa?

This year the preschooler (in his very last last year of preschool) asked if Santa was real. I said, "What do you think?"
"I think he isn't"
"How do you think the presents get delivered?"
"I think someone dresses up as Santa and delivers them."

Hmm.

When I was three years old I asked my mum if Santa was real. She said no. The end. I didn't feel it ruined Christmas for me, presents still appeared in my stocking on Christmas morning and I still felt that it was a time of magic and fun.

Now the best thing about Christmas is the kids -- their excitement and joy, their enthusiasm for tinsel and lights and Santa visits (real or not) and the tradition of having the family all together.

It seems a little odd to me that we tell our littles that once a year a stranger secretly enters our house in the middle of the night and leaves us presents, if we've been good.

You know that whole 'naughty and nice' thing? It drives me bats. Santa does not come to children who are good (if we go with the Santa thing), he comes to children of privilege whose parents have enough money to give them gifts. Why do we lie about this?

So what have I told the preschooler?

I have told him that I believe in the spirit of Christmas, that Christmas is about showing the people we care about that we love them and taking time to be together.

I guess there's a part of me that still wants to believe in magic too.

That loves suspending my disbelief.

And through the eyes of my children the best memories of my own childhood come alive and I relive the anticipation and excitement of the holidays all over again.

May your days be merry and bright.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and a million hugs for you and your little ones. See you in the New Year!

{More photographs by the lovely Lisa from Lisa Jay Photography.}