Mom who broke the Santa Claus myth for her child shares a painful Christmas reminder for parents
The mom felt like she ruined Christmas and offered guidance to parents before they land themselves in this situation.
Every aspect of childhood is magical, and around holiday time, the whole concept of Santa Claus is special for kids. While for ages it has been debated whether Santa is real or not, it is a theory for kids to decide. Unfortunately, a mom who goes by @read_between_the_whines got into a discussion with her oldest and accidentally said that “Santa is not real.” What followed was utter chaos and heartbreak and undoubtedly a ruined Christmas. Learning from her lesson, she is sharing one plea with all parents this festive season. The mom mentioned that last Christmas, her oldest daughter was “questioning the validity” of Santa.
The girl knew that her parents would get her gifts, but she also believed that Santa would bring her something for Christmas. On the day the kids were opening their presents, she got suspicious. She told her mom, “I don’t think Santa came for me.” When asked why, she said that her siblings received all these big gifts, and though she got everything on her list, she didn’t get a big gift as they did. The woman tried to convince her that Santa wouldn’t leave anyone behind, but then she pulled up another suspicion. She mentioned that all the gifts were wrapped in paper that her mom had gotten. Being in a fix, the parent was unsure how to tackle the talk.
She noted that she didn’t want to lie to her daughter. She impulsively told her daughter that just like characters like Anna and Elsa from Frozen are nice to imagine, Santa is also a nice, magical imagination. The mom added, “Daddy and I are Santa.” Everything snowballed into chaos thereafter. Her daughter broke down in tears, was heartbroken and shocked, and kept asking about elves, the cookies, and every other tradition. “Watching the innocence and magic leave your children’s bodies is one of the most devastating things I’ve ever experienced,” she said.
She then shared what she learned. “Listen to what your kids are asking you and only answer that,” the mom warned, adding that her mistake was that she didn’t pay attention to the question and said something totally avoidable. “Lie on this one because there is nothing else we ‘lie’ to our children about and if this is going to bring them a little magic and then they feel this doesn’t make sense, then let them get there on their own,” she pleaded. Jennifer Kelman, a therapist and licensed clinical social worker at JustAnswer.com, said, “There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," per Yahoo News.
@read_between_the_whines This one has effed me up for life. #parentingmoments #momof3 #millenialmom ♬ original sound - read_between_the_whines
Dr. Helen Egger, chief medical and scientific officer at children's virtual mental health provider Little Otter, noted that when it comes to breaking the news, you have to be careful. "The key issue is not so much when to break the news to your child, but rather when your child is ready to understand that Santa isn't real," she said. There are pros and cons to the idea, but just tearing them apart with the news is definitely the worst option. In another video, the mom revealed that she tried to fix her mistake with an explanation to her daughter. She told her that she was upset because she felt like all the “magic” of Christmas was gone.
“But the magic has only begun because it lies in being able to be Santa for others,” she added. She explained how her daughter could now partly be the Santa for her younger siblings by helping shop for gifts, being the elf, and even eating the cookie. The mom and her family also had a sort of “Welcome to the Santa Club” so the girl would feel more comfortable and special. Parents took heed of the caveat. @xopaigelayne said, “My mom told me that Santa makes all the wrapping paper. I now use that.” @victioriaa.jade remarked, “It’s not a lie, it’s magic. And I’ll never tell my kid. She can come up with her own assumptions.”
@read_between_the_whines Like… fixed it but she’s still kinda sad… but is also so excited to be my helper this season. #parentingishard #millenialmom #kidsgrowingup #parentingmoments #momof3 ♬ original sound - read_between_the_whines
You can follow (@read_between_the_whines) on TikTok for more content on parenting.
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