GoodNCrazy: Yes There IS A Santa Claus

Yes There IS A Santa Claus

She's 8. Gonna be 9 in 3 weeks. She's in third grade. I'm pretty sure everyone in her class is talking about it. I know her older sister has said SOMEthing....

This is the year. It's clear. She's wondering. She already knows in her heart. But she doesn't want to ASK us directly yet. She wants to keep believing. She wants to keep being a kid for a little bit longer.

This is my especially creative kid. She wrote a very long letter for the Tooth Fairy for Pete's sake. And then wrote a second one and a third. She has looked at us with an inquisitive look, one that said, I know that you know that I know that we all know... now can we leave it at that?

goodncrazy blue dots

This week.

It's been decided. The dad is taking her out to dessert after dinner Wednesday night. To have 'The Talk'. The we love you enough to share with you the whys and hows of magical Christmas Myths. To explain to her how it's not a sad thing to be let in on the fairy tale. How she still has a younger brother who will get to enjoy it all for 3 or 4 more years to come. And even better... that she will get to be a part of the magic now.

Think it will go well? It went more than well with my no-nonsense older daughter. She had already figured it out and was waiting for us to tell her. She wasn't sad or glad or anything. And she loves being part of the surprise and 'IN' on it all.

I'm worried about my more sensitive creative middle child.

Maybe we should let her be a child a little longer?
Wait for her to come to us?

Comments (16)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

0 Vote up Vote down

Jaysi · 800 weeks ago

Oh why do they have to grow up?? I just had a tear run down my cheek, thinking about your sweet little one hearing the "news". I hope she takes it well. It can be a bit of a downer at first, but then it is fun to be in on the magic. Do you think she could make it just one more Christmas, then you could tell her in Jan or Feb????

1 reply · active 800 weeks ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

CarissaRogers 60p · 800 weeks ago

I know huh... but it seems unfair to keep watching her question and wonder and not hear it from us directly.
We're all committed to speaking directly about the birds and the bees yet this we let linger despite our best judgement??

ahhh childhood.

0 Vote up Vote down

Kristina P. · 800 weeks ago

I don't remember how old I was. But I think 8 is a good age. Most kids know by that age, and it's probabloy best coming from you rather than some snotty kid.

0 Vote up Vote down

georgie · 800 weeks ago

oh I agree why do they have to grow up...we never had that talk with any of our kiddos my oldest says she still believes in Santa and she is 16

+1 Vote up Vote down

CarissaRogers 60p · 800 weeks ago

Right! Exactly! I STILL believe!! :0)

0 Vote up Vote down

blueviolet · 800 weeks ago

I just hated when the magic ended. My kids stopped believing in middle school, I think. At that point they said they really didn't want to tell me because even though they knew the truth, they still loved pretending.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

CarissaRogers 60p · 800 weeks ago

Well aren't you smart?? Ya'll are making me rethink this decision... maybe we should take a poll?
Leave her alone a few more years... see if she comes to us?? I hate the part where she hears it from a kid and they are mean about it??

0 Vote up Vote down

Nikki · 800 weeks ago

My daughter is 10 and she still believes, or at least she wants to believe. We had a long talk at the dinner table last night because I was talking about a post I wrote for Lifetime Moms. It was in defense of Santa Claus and why I think it's OK to believe (and how he's based on a real person)... I think we gave her enough information that if she wants to still believe it's OK with us. I think I would rather her come to us but we were on the subject anyway so....

Do I know if she still believes or not? Not really but I know this, there is a little bit of Santa Claus in us all and that's the beautiful thing that keeps the magic alive. We told her that - that even if she doesn't believe in Santa anymore, it's OK because he still live in her heart and in her kindness.

Good luck to you and your husband. Your daughter sounds very much like mine.

2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

CarissaRogers 60p · 800 weeks ago

Oh my gosh I love this! Thanks so much for sharing??! I'd love to see your article if you wouldn't mind sharing it with me??

+1 Vote up Vote down

CarissaRogers 60p · 800 weeks ago

Oh my gosh I love this! Thanks so much for sharing??! I'd love to see your article if you wouldn't mind sharing it with me??
Carissa
GoodNCrazy.com
@carissarogers

0 Vote up Vote down

Claire · 800 weeks ago

My daughter is almost 5. It hit me this year that we may only have 2 Christmases left where she believes.
I remember when I found out. We were spending Christmas at my grandmothers house. My parents had taken great lengths to hide the "Santa Gifts" My uncle came to our house after we left and picked them up and drove them the 2 hours to my grandmothers house. They unloaded after my sister and I went to sleep. They were setting up when stupid me had to pee. I got up and heard a bunch of noise in the living room so I peeked. I saw my mom, my dad, my uncle and my grandmother setting up the toys for my sister and I. They did not see me. I went to bed and when I awoke the next morning, it was the same toys I had seen that night. I confronted my mother in private and that was it, the magic was over. I helped my mother play Santa from there on. She did hide a few things so I would be surprised but it was never the same.
I so want my daughter to believe forever. I mean, telling her that "Santa is watching" works GREAT as discipline in our house. She plans for weeks what type of cookie she is going to leave out for Santa and we must get FRESH ORGANIC Carrots to leave for the reindeer. She believes with every ounce of her being and I never want that sweet innocent to end.
Carissa, I would not tell your daughter. I would just keep going and wait for her to ask. She will ask one day, but let her believe as long as she wants to believe and when she does find out then do what my mom did, have her help you keep the magic alive for her younger sibling and still thrown in a few surprises.
I wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas filled with magic and wonder and laughter.... just give her one more year.

0 Vote up Vote down

Cecily R · 800 weeks ago

I am dreading the year this really happens with Gracie. Because OH, she will cry. I know she will. I did (and then I wanted to help my parents on Christmas Eve. And idea that was quickly nixed I was the same age as your daughter). At this point I'm waiting for her to come to us. She's so starry eyed and shiny about Mr. Claus I want to hold on to it for just a little while longer.

0 Vote up Vote down

Diane · 800 weeks ago

My boyfriends daughter is 8 now and over the summer we were eating Burgers and frys at the local joint when out of no where she decided to tell us ... ya know... and about all other magical holidays and fairys too. We were like SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH because there were other kids around and she looked at us like were were nuts for believing. We aren't exactly sure when or how she figured it all out. We thought we had a few more years. We tried the whole its ok because christmas is full of magic and wonder anyway and now we are just getting the" yeah yeah yeah i want___ and ____". We tell her the more she asks for stuff the less she gets because christmas is about giving and helping others and spending time with family. There is only so much we can do getting her weekends and one day a week though.

0 Vote up Vote down

mark and katie · 800 weeks ago

Tough one. I remember the year I found out. I was probably your daughter's age. My parents were usually pretty sneaky and they had someone else write out all the gift tags...so we didn't recognize their handwritting. Then one year they forgot to. Oops. Good luck with your daughter...whatever you end up doing, I hope it goes well.

0 Vote up Vote down

angie · 800 weeks ago

So, you have a talk with them? I've been wondering how we should proceed. I'm sure #1 knows but isnt' letting on lest she get stiffed.

0 Vote up Vote down

Piera-Jolly Mom · 799 weeks ago

My parents told me when I was 9 or 10 I think--it was the day after Christmas. I cried--a lot. I think I already KNEW, but hearing it from my parents made it so real and final. I say--wait a little bit--at least until after this Christmas. Either way good luck and merry Christmas to you and your family!

Post a new comment

Comment as a Guest, or login:

Submit Comment

Subscribe to

Comments by IntenseDebate

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)