Do You Believe?
During the month of December I’m going to be reflecting on Christmas past, our past!
January 8, 2005
Timmy, Grace and I were home alone tonight while the big boys went to see the Harlem Globtrotters. So Timmy wouldn’t feel left out, I told him we could watch a movie after I put Grace to bed. He picked It Was the Year without a Santa Claus, one of my childhood favorites. After the movie was over he got all sad and serious. He had seen how all the children had SEEN Santa and he wanted to know why he didn’t see or hear him.
Now how do you explain to a three year old why he didn’t see Santa when he insists it’s still Christmas? At our home we don’t really play up Santa Claus. I know, I know how could I not tell my kids there’s a Santa Claus. Well, we struggled with the Santa issue nine years ago with our oldest. There are a couple of reason for our decision. As Christians we didn’t want Santa to over shadow Jesus at Christmas, so instead of telling our kids Santa comes on Christmas Eve, we said nothing. And they were still excited at all the presents under the tree. To tell you the truth they could care less who they came from.
Also one of my most vivid and painful childhood memories was when I was 6 years old and found out there was no Santa. I can remember exactly where I was in the livingroom. I was devistated at the news, it was like my whole world came tumbling down and I sobbed uncontrollably (I was a sensitive child. I always cried watching Frosty the Snowman melt!) So when it came to the Santa issue, I didn’t want my kids to feel like I did. Sure it was exciting as a kid while it lasted, but the pain I felt was horrible.
In our home Santa isn’t taboo. We watch Santa videos and have dancing Santa dolls and my favorite, the kneeling Santa praying to baby Jesus statue. We read books and videos about the real Santa Claus, but it seems around 3 years old my kids choose to believe or not believe on their own. I think with our first son we always told him Santa was pretend. And we tried to tell Joey, but he chose to believe in Santa anyway.
Anyway getting back to Timmy. When he started talking about not hearing Santa, I didn’t have the heart to tell him Santa wasn’t real. (He wouldn’t have believed me anyway.) So I tried to answer his questions about the chimney and that he’s not supposed to hear Santa. This did not appease him. We had visited Santa at the mall, so I tried to at least comfort him with the fact he had SEEN Santa.
No luck either.
I don’t know how I got him to calm down, I think I changed the subject. But he still insists it’s still Christmas and he still wants to hear Santa. So I might decide to make a little noise tonight and leave a present for him at the foot of his bed.
Timmy believes in Santa no matter what anyone else tells him. And if anyone knows three year olds, there’s no winning and argument. Not matter how hard you try.
