3 top tips for parents to handle questions about Santa

After half a dozen trips to meet Father Christmas, a visit to LaplandUK and seeing several Santa-themed Christmas shows, I’m feeling truly Christmassy and I’m just hoping every advent will be like this for years to come. I’m dreading the day three-year-old Big Girl asks me if Father Christmas is real, and that’s why I asked London director of parenting course provider The Parent Practice Elaine Halligan to give some advice for parents on how to handle tricky Santa situations when there’s a risk of an illusion being shattered. Here are three top tips from Elaine:

1. Put your mind at rest, as you have not been lying to your child if you kept the magic of Santa Claus alive. It is your role in the spirit of Christmas, to keep Santa Claus real as he is all part of the magic and the image of an elderly man with a white beard flying in the sky with all his reindeers and visiting the children all over the world is magical. The way he comes down the chimney; gulps back the whisky and eats all the shortbread (at least in Scotland) with Rudpolph munching the carrots is pure fantasy and all part of the folklore that has been passed down through generations from your grandparent to your own mother as you are doing now.

2. When asked the question “Do you believe in Santa?” you can say: “When I was a little girl, I really believed in Santa Claus and loved the idea of him bringing gifts to all the children across the world. Now I am grown up, I see that Santa Claus is not a real person but is part of the Christmas celebration alongside singing carols and putting up xmas trees. He is who you want him to be.”

3. Explain that Santa Claus represents all we love about Christmas: He teaches us hope, how to believe, how to share and be generous and how to love the magic of this special time and fill everyone’s hearts with joy and wonder. In order to get big brother not spilling the beans, ask your child to continue the story for his little sibling, so that he too can experience the wonder of Christmas.

Elaine Halligan and colleague Melissa Hood have recently released the 30 Days to learn Cards – How to Bring out the Best in your Children (£14.99), a pack of cards offering an efficient way for parents to review one parenting topic every day for 30 days and get into really positive habits

The picture at the top was taken during a press preview of Santa’s Grotto at Eddie Catz

Tags: Cards, Christmas, Family time, Father Christmas, Illusion, Magic, Parenting, Parenting course, Santa, The Parent Practice