Last week, my 10-year-old son, John, was in an after-school program with other children ages 5 to 11.
An 11-year-old boy got into a discussion with my son about Christmas and Santa and felt it necessary to share with my son that there was no such thing as Santa.
When this boy’s mother came to pick him up, she pulled my son to the side and said to him, "You mean your parents didn’t tell you yet that there is no such thing as Santa?"
As you could imagine, when my son came home, he was puzzled and very, very sad. Fortunately, we have many Christmas traditions, one of which is a letter from Santa that came in the mail that day. The first paragraph of Santa’s letter to John read:
"I received your letter this morning with your list. I know that there are a lot of other 10-year-olds that don’t believe in me anymore. Unfortunately, most adults don’t believe in me anymore either. But your parents still remember what it was like when they were children and want you to remember what is special about Christmas. While I bring gifts to children, and adults too, the most important gift that we celebrate on Christmas is the gift of love."
While the letter goes on with more about the meaning behind Christmas, the things John did during the year, and how proud Santa is of John, he did not question who wrote it. I sat down with him for almost an hour to talk with him about how he felt and if he still "believed" in Santa. He had a lot of questions, and I think I was able to give to him at least one more year of innocence and childhood. For now he does still believe, but will not be admitting it to kids who say they don’t believe.
I am writing not just to share this story with you but to send out a request to adults, especially those with children, to remember that innocence, and what Christmas was like when they were children. Telling a child the "truth" about Santa is something that should be a special moment between a parent and their child, not something a stranger says in passing to a child without concern or thought.
I unfortunately do not know the parent, but hopefully this will reach many parents and adults, and help them be more conscious of what is said to children, especially this time of year.
I know children see parents spending money to buy gifts for other family members and friends. The season is confusing enough for children with celebrating the birth of Jesus against the commercial emphasis on toys and gifts.
But does anyone ask a child, "Do you still believe in Jesus?" In his letter to my daughter, Santa writes: "The most important thing to me is to make children happy so that they will grow up to be happy adults, and then maybe make the world a happier place for everyone."
Let’s keep this in mind throughout the new year.
Suzann Brucato
Middletown