Most people who follow this blog regularly know that I'm quite conflicted about Santa (and the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc.). On the one hand, I want my kids to have the childhood magic. On the other, I will just never be the person who can lie to her kids. No matter how magical the lie may be. Which is why J and I have pretty much come to the decision to leave it up to them. We won't blatantly tell them Santa and co. isn't real, but we also won't actually say they are. We'll leave it up to them and what they choose to believe.
Well, this evening H put on a pair of Carter's jammies with Santa Claus on it.
"Look!" she squealed. "It's Santa Claus! I can wear these for him on Christmas." I just nodded and smiled. "I just love him!"
"Why?" I asked.
"He brings me presents on Christmas," she declared.
"Do you think Momma and Papa give you presents on Christmas?" I queried.
"Well, you both do," she answered.
"Oh," I said.
"And Thanksgiving. Does he come on Thanksgiving?"
"I don't think so," I said.
"Oh. Well, Santa is just pretend, you know. He's in a story."
"Oh, he is?" I said.
"Yep...Well, the real Santa Claus lives with the princesses somewhere else on Earth."
"What?"
"Like in that book with the train in North Pole. That's just a story Santa. The real one doesn't live there."
"Oh, okay." I mean seriously, what do you say that? Apparently Saint Nick gets to live with a flock of princesses.
Now I'm just confused about what my daughter believes. I think she knows that the stories and movies with Santa are pretend, but that maybe there is a real one somewhere that lives with Princesses? Is this the one who is bringing her toys? I'm kind of hoping not, because his taste might not be up to par.
Anyway, as Christmas approaches much too fast I'm sure H and I will get to have a few more conversations to see where her beliefs rely. Because wherever they are, I certainly don't want to be the one to sully them.
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