My 10-year-old has at all times been a reasonably sensible, no-nonsense sort of child, so I’ve at all times been stunned by how utterly he is leaned into the thought of Santa Claus.
On Christmas Eve, he and his dad are glued to the Santa tracker, watching the sleigh make its stops all over the world. He checks in with me typically all through the month of December, ensuring I despatched his Christmas checklist through snail mail, questioning which objects the massive man will ship that yr. He has the toughest time falling asleep on Dec. 24, so stuffed with anticipation for what the morning will carry.
For the previous few years, I believed: This has acquired to be the yr he stops believing. I knew increasingly kids in his class had been beginning to discover out the reality, and I used to be ready for him to begin asking extra questions.
The closest we got here was when he talked about that one good friend believed in Santa however not the Easter Bunny. “That’s weird. Why wouldn’t you believe in the Easter Bunny?” I replied off the cuff, hoping he would not push the problem. He did not.
I’m looking forward to him to consider so long as potential. I like that my tween, who’s already too cool to be seen with me in public, has held on to this vestige of his childhood. I’ll miss the child-like pleasure he has when he talks about these elves within the North Pole and postulates why Santa did not simply put lights on his sleigh as a substitute of relying on Rudolph.
But I do know it will probably’t final ceaselessly. And I’m apprehensive.
I’m apprehensive he will not take a look at me the identical after he finds out. He’s my buddy, my pal. We’ll cease and get ice cream collectively after his soccer practices with out telling his youthful siblings. I’ll let him keep up late studying chapter books with me or tossing a soccer round his room whereas he tells me about his college day. We discuss concerning the small issues and the massive issues.
So how may I not inform him about Santa?
What does it do to a child who sees the world in black and white to search out out this one huge fantasy from his childhood has been a lie? I fear he’ll cease trusting his dad and me to inform him the reality. And with Santa goes the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy — a triple whammy to his creativeness.
Part of me wonders if he is already figured it out however is holding on as a result of he is simply not fairly able to develop up. My stoic child loves holidays, and I feel even when he is intellectually able to know the reality, he is not prepared to surrender this a part of the vacation season magic.
Yes, when he asks me straight, I’ll reveal all of it to him. But I plan to inform him that simply because there’s not a jolly previous man in a crimson go well with dropping off presents in the midst of the evening does not imply that the spirit of Santa Claus is not actual. There’s nonetheless a lot magnificence and pleasure to be discovered within the lights and carols and sparkly presents, and the spirit of giving is alive and properly this time of yr, and I hope he’ll nonetheless expertise all of that.
If I’ve discovered something in 10 years of parenting, I’ve discovered that this child by no means fails to shock me together with his knowledge and perseverance, and I’m going to lean on that when the time comes. I’ve confidence he’ll take it in stride and grow to be dedicated to his huge brother position of retaining the magic alive for his siblings.
At least, that is what I’ve to consider.
Lauren Davidson is a Pittsburgh-based author and editor specializing in parenting, arts and tradition, and weddings. She has labored at newspapers and magazines in New England and western Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with levels in English and French. She lives together with her editor husband, 4 energetic kids, and one affectionate cat. Follow her on Twitter @laurenmylo.
