Blogmas 6 – Santa In My House
Welcome to Blogmas 6. If you missed yesterday’s post on how to glam it up for the festive season, click here. Today I’m talking about whether my kids still believe in Santa Claus.
I grew up believing in Santa – and even though there was never a gift under the tree from him when I was little, it didn’t deter me from believing in the magic of the big guy and his flying friends.
My parents did their best at Christmas. It was a religion that wan’t their own and a festival they didn’t know anything about before moving to the UK. Yet they made sure we celebrated it just like our other friends and family. They even took my sisters and I to the school Christmas Fayre every year and had us wait in line to visit Santa in his grotto. That was enough for me.
But when I had kids, I wanted to do the whole thing. Letters from Santa became a big thing and even though Sukh never had to dress up in a red costume or put on a white beard, he would play his part.
I would whisper to the kids as they dozed off, that Santa was here. They would sit upright in bed immediately but the rule was, we could never go downstairs to catch him in the act or he would disappear, taking the presents with him.
Sukh would be downstairs, ringing a bell and in his deepest voice singing ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’. It was always quite funny but I would contain my laughter. The kids’ eyes would light up in wonder.
Shalini stopped believing in Santa a few years ago. I don’t know what the turning point was or who/what made her stop believing. I always knew the day would sadly come but when it was here, it wasn’t all bad. Shalini still plays along even today so that we can keep the magic going for Shivam as long as possible.
When I do Elf On The Shelf, there’s always an elf for Shalini too, even though she knows its not real. I like that she still puts on a performance for her little brother.
Shivam has questioned it many times and has even come home telling me some of his friends told him Santa wasn’t real. He’s questioned how he gets here because we don’t have a fireplace anymore. Once he even called out ‘Daddy I know it’s you!’. But I think we’re all pretty good actors in my house.
We convince him enough that the elves are real, so that he looks forward to finding ‘Sugar’ and ‘Spice’ each day and even keeps all his notes from the head elf ‘Percy’.
He also eagerly awaits his letter from Santa. When he’s behaved badly, we threaten to confiscate his present but he sternly reminds us that it was from Santa, not us – and therefore we have no claim over the gift!
It does mean we have to buy two big gifts though! Santa has to get him a decent gift and as parents, our gift can’t be cheap and cheerful. We end up spending a fair bit of money but it’s worth it. Shivam won’t be a child for long. He’s growing up so fast and I want to see that Christmas magic alive as long as possible.
Shalini may not believe in Santa but he always makes sure there’s a big gift for her under the tree too. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise. What a thoughtful fellow the big guy is!
Last year, the kids put their stockings out as usual but instead of Santa filling those, he left them with huge personalised sacks. The kids were over the moon with them – and everything they contained.
Sukh can’t believe how crazy Santa gets every year. How do I explain that Santa can move the goalposts anytime he wants to?!
On Christmas Eve, we lay out a tray for Santa and his reindeer, complete with cookies (which we bake earlier that day), carrots and milk. We spread reindeer food on the front lawn near our ‘Santa, Stop Here’ sign. We send the kids upstairs around 10pm and look forward to Santa’s arrival.
Here’s hoping this year is another successful one!
Check out my posts on Our Christmas Decorations and Christmas In My House.
