The stockings are hung from the warm, cosy fireplace and you can smell the fresh cut tree full of bright lights decorated with the prettiest angel you’d ever seen on top. You find yourself singing along to the jingles playing from the radio as you bake homemade mice pies. Can you guess what time of year it is again? Yes, Christmas is on its way, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds.
Every year our kids’ get older, but when is the right time for them to know the truth about Father Christmas or is there even a right time? Kids at school may start to say Father Christmas isn’t real so how do you respond to your kids when they ask?
Here are easy tips to help answer the difficult questions that surround Christmas, without telling your child what to believe, but rather have them decide on their own and let them use their imaginations.
What do you think? This one may sound obvious, but it often works – and gives you a precious glimpse into your child’s own reasoning around Father Christmas.
I like to imagine… This is one of my favourite ways to answer Christmas questions. The truth is, I have such a vivid memory of how I imagined Father Christmas as a child that I can paint that mental picture with total truth and incredible detail.
When I was little, I thought… Again, it’s the truth, and it lets us be imaginative together without giving a definitive answer.
Isn't it magical? Mysterious? Amazing? Yes, it is. And it’s okay not to understand it all.
Christmas is about love, family, giving and receiving – it’s not about who wrapped the presents or how they got there, but the feeling you get when surrounded by those who love you. That, in itself, is magical and that’s all we can really hope for our kids to understand as they get older!
Happy Holidays!