Here's my daughter playing in her forest. Each year we bring all of the trees up from storage and let her play among them before they go off to their respective rooms to be decorated. This is a tradition. Along with opening the Advent calendar and visiting Santa Claus. I have a feeling the last tradition is soon to be a thing of the past.How long can a overly logical child believe in Santa?
She has been asking questions about Santa since she could speak. Perhaps before that, but we just couldn't understand her. She knows that magicians are playing tricks. She knows that trolls don't hide under bridges or monsters do not squeeze themselves under beds at night (well, she believes that during the daylight hours). She does still believe in Santa. I'm surprised. Her questions keep tripping up me and my husband. She's going to put 2 and 2 together and realize they don't add up to 29.
Does Santa ride around with a bag of coal also?
Can he really see everything I do?
If reindeer can fly, why can't I?
Why do we give toys to tots if Santa is going to bring them toys too?
If Santa does so much work, how can he be so fat?
Elves aren't children are they, 'cause children aren't supposed to be working?
Do reindeer die?
If reindeer die, do they name the new reindeer the same as the old ones?
Is Rudolph real?
Is Rudolph old and dead?
Mama, can we Google Rudolph?
Oh no! Google! The truth will definitely be discovered then! My daughter is learning to read and is doing very well with that. She didn't understand that we could Google Abraham Lincoln and get his biography, but we couldn't Google Rudolph and find out about him. Yes, we found all kinds of information about the television special, but that's it.
Why is there no photo of the real Rudolph?
I know that her belief cannot last longer than the 1st grade.
Oh, well. I will enjoy this year as much as I can. And if she has any more questions, I think I will direct her to Santa himself. Of course, she does understand that those Santas in the stores and the street corners are not the real Santa. Probably. I have told her that every now and then she might just see the real one.
I'm such a bad liar.
Mama, why have you been lying to me for years?
Isn't lying naughty?
3 comments:
those are amazing questions, I would have caved in by now. i dont think i've ever heard of a child getting mad though when they figure it out, have you?
The internet makes it worse, because you can track Santa online and if you send him an email, he sends one back!
I generally have the inability to lie to my kids (actually, I'm sure I'm lying about that, but whatever) so when my oldest daughter asked for the truth at 3, I told her and she cried and cried, and I felt AWFUL. But you know what? she's nine now and Santa is like an urban myth. Almost all the kids in her class believe he at least MIGHT be real, because... there's a friend whose dad has a friend who knows a friend who has a sister whose friend's daughter's friend next door neighbour saw Santa one night...
The desire to believe is strong, I think the myth only fades when childhood does.
I always tell the kids it's the Spirit of Santa that makes him real (giving and helping others). I believe this is true for every age...I know, it sounds all touchy/feely...but it makes me happy and for me, it's the truth. :) Your daughter looks so sweet in her forest, btw! :)
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