Moms Talk: Breaking the News About Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny

Patch: How did you keep the "magic" alive and keep your kids believing in these characters (even when other kids tried to tell them otherwise)? Or did you just fess up after the first time they asked you about it?

Sara Raymond: My kids are 4 years old and 7 months, so we haven't had to cross this bridge. My baby is obviously oblivious to the whole thing, but my 4 year old seems to have bought into the Santa myth hook, line, and sinker.

He is a little scared of visiting Santa, but he likes Santa, and has asked me to talk to Santa for him. To help him enjoy Santa more, this year I helped him write a letter to Santa, which I then sent to a friend of mine, who sent a letter back as if it were written by Santa, on big paper, written in calligraphy, with lots of glitter. He was floored! He has shown that letter to everyone who has come to our house this week. So, magic is alive and well in our house..

Stacy Blom: WHAT? There's no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny? There is in this house and even though my kids are 18 and 14, as long as they live in this home, there always will be!

It's called tradition and we make our own magic! We still leave out decorated sugar cookies on a special plate with a special cup of milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

There is special wrapping paper for the gifts from Santa and the Easter Bunny leaves paw prints throughout the house. If we still had baby teeth, there would be a Tooth Fairy as well! 

We never really fessed up! When the girls came home from school telling us what other kids told them, we would just ask, "Well, what do you believe?" or "What do you want to believe?" and they would make their choice.

It's more fun to believe than not! There were always those kids that were really mean about it and would say that it's your parents. With that, I would tell the girls, "Well, maybe they were naughty and that's why they don't get gifts from Santa!" I know, not very mature, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

Patch: How did you/do you plan to deliver the truth to your child about these mythical characters?

Sara: I don't plan to reveal the truth until confronted. 

Stacy: At some point, realization sets in and the logistics just don't make sense anymore so they figure it out but I never just came right out and told them. It's our way of celebrating the holidays.

Patch: Do you believe in revealing the truth to your kids about these characters at a certain age?

Sara: I don't plan on breaking the news until we are asked about it directly.  I really don't see the point in taking that away from my kids until they are ready to let it go.

We aren't religious, but I like the Santa myth, and I like the idea that my kids will learn through it that it is nice to do nice things for others. For many of us, Christmas is a time of year that can be warm and happy, even though it is cold and dark outside we can have something fun to look forward to. I think the longer they can believe in the myth, the longer they can hold on to the spirit behind it when they do learn the truth.

Stacy: I don't believe there is an appropriate age to tell your kids. Every child is different and some could be very upset over the truth while others could care less. It depends on each individual child. It's hard because you want to keep your child's innocence for as long as possible but you don't want them to be the only child that doesn't know. That's why we always said it was something our family believed in and that is the truth!