I knew this day would eventually come. It is a part of kids growing up. These things happen before you even know it. My oldest has known for quite a while, and I commend him for playing along for the past several years. But, my youngest kid no longer believes in Santa or the silly little Elf on the Shelf. Yes, she has figured it out and I have mixed feelings about it.
How did this all come about?
Well, she had been questioning it for a while, but I always avoided the truth because I thought she would be sad. I have always felt a little bit bad about “lying” to my kids during the holidays, but it is just the reality of Christmas. Earlier this year, we were in the car on the way out of town and my daughter just randomly said, “I have a question.” I responded with, “Ok, go ahead. What is your question?” She immediately replied with, “Nevermind.” My husband and I were not about to let that go, so we assured her that she could ask us anything. Wouldn’t you know that her question was “Is Santa real?” My husband and I gave each other a look, not really knowing what the other was going to say. I just calmly asked her what she thought and she said “No, I think you all get us the gifts.” We told her that she was right and we both felt a sense of relief.
My next concern was what my daughter’s reaction was going to be; however, she was completely fine. She asked a bunch of questions and I loved that she was so intrigued as to how we have pulled it off year after year. She was especially interested in learning more about her elf, Pickles, who was supposedly flying back and forth to the North Pole each night over the past few years. I asked her if she still wanted Pickles to move around the house and she said yes. Of course, that was a little bit disappointing to me. I was hoping I would finally be off the hook with having to move that thing!
There are definitely pros and cons to my kids no longer believing:
Pros:
- I no longer have to hide packages and gifts like I used to.
- I no longer have to sneak around and move the elf. If I forget, it’s not a big deal.
- They still want to participate in our holiday traditions, such as baking cookies for Santa.
- My kids know that all of their gifts are from us.
- I feel like my kids now understand the importance of giving.
Cons:
- My kids do not get as excited about waking up during the month of December to find their elf.
- I do not get to do fun things with our elf because they both now know it’s me who moves him.
- I can no longer use “Santa will not come if you do not go to sleep.”
- The innocence of their sweet little questions they always asked is gone.
- I have to face the fact that my kids are growing up and I cannot do anything about it.
Although my kids no longer believe, they are still excited about the holidays. They know that it is not about an old man dressed in red and white who enters your house in the middle of night to leave gifts, because, in all honesty, that sounds a little odd. It is more of a time to celebrate the season with friends and family.
While their innocence is gone, they encompass the holiday spirit, and while I still have mixed feelings, I am relieved and at peace with the fact that they both finally know the truth.
