My 10-year-old has all the time been a reasonably sensible, no-nonsense type of child, so I’ve all the time been shocked by how fully he is leaned into the idea of Santa Claus.
On Christmas Eve, he and his dad are glued to the Santa tracker, watching the sleigh make its stops world wide. He checks in with me usually all through the month of December, ensuring I despatched his Christmas record by way of snail mail, questioning which gadgets the massive man will ship that yr. He has the toughest time falling asleep on Dec. 24, so filled with anticipation for what the morning will convey.
For the previous few years, I assumed: This has acquired to be the yr he stops believing. I knew increasingly youngsters in his class have 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 buddy believed in Santa however not the Easter Bunny. “That is bizarre. Why would not you imagine within the Easter Bunny?” I replied off the cuff, hoping he would not push the problem. He did not.
I am longing for him to imagine so long as attainable. 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 will 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 an alternative of relying on Rudolph.
However I do know it may possibly’t final perpetually. And I am apprehensive.
I am apprehensive he will not take a look at me the identical after he finds out. He is my buddy, my pal. We’ll cease and get ice cream collectively after his soccer practices with out telling his youthful siblings. I will let him keep up late studying chapter books with me or tossing a soccer round his room whereas he tells me about his faculty day. We speak in regards to 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 massive 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.
A 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 believe even when he is intellectually able to know the reality, he is not prepared to surrender this a part of the vacation season magic.
Sure, when he asks me instantly, I will reveal it all to him. However I plan to inform him that simply because there’s not a jolly outdated man in a pink go well with dropping off presents in the course of the night time doesn’t suggest 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 realized something in 10 years of parenting, I’ve realized that this child by no means fails to shock me together with his knowledge and perseverance, and I will lean on that when the time comes. I’ve confidence he’ll take it in stride and change into dedicated to his massive brother position of holding the magic alive for his siblings.
Not less than, that is what I’ve to imagine.
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 College of Pittsburgh with levels in English and French. She lives along with her editor husband, 4 energetic youngsters, and one affectionate cat. Observe her on Twitter @laurenmylo.
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