Eleanor was too young to realize what was going on. Also, she had a good excuse for staying away from Santa. She had been going through an extremely I Need My Mommy phase and sitting on Santa's lap would have been traumatic for her.
Ariana, however, refused to go up to the Clause couple. And it's all because of me.
Last December, as in 2011, Ariana asked me if Santa was real. I can't remember what I said, I think I tried to come across as nonchalantely changing the subject. But inside, I was in turmoil. My six-year-old was having Santa issues?!
A few days later Ariana came to me again, demanding to know if Santa was real. She sat me down and, with all the seriousness she could muster, told me she suspected that Marco and I actually gave the Santa presents. She told me she wanted me to tell the truth about Santa. I called Marco into the room and we confirmed all her fears and suspicions: Santa wasn't real. We ate those cookies, drank the milk, and bought the toy for her (Note: Santa only gives one small toy at our house; all the really good presents are given by Mom and Dad).
I was nervous about how she would take the news but she surprised me. By the end of our confession, she was a mixture of relief and triumph. She was now part of the Secret Club of Santa Knowledge, the members of who were obviously only mature individuals such as her parents and herself.
Because of that, she now refuses to sit on Santa's lap. What's the point? She knows he isn't real.
Some of my friends have asked me why we told Ariana the truth when she was so young. She was only six. But we had to. We couldn't lie to our child. She came to us, asking for the truth. Hopefully Ariana will grow up with the knowledge that her mom and dad will never lie to her.
And yes, she already knows the Tooth Fairy isn't real.
1 comment:
All of my kids are still believers and I'm glad. But sometimes I do think that it will be nice when we can move past that...mainly when the tooth fairy forgets and I have a child in tears in the morning and I am scrambling for reasons why.
Santa, Easter bunny, tooth fairy, and my hubbie's family even has a New Year's fairy who fills the stocking on New year's eve. That one always sneaks up on me and I am inevitably at the store on New Year's eve grumbling as I choose something to go in there. It seems that some kids just figure it out earlier than others. I don't mind as long as they don't ruin the magic for those that still believe. I really love the excitement of Santa. I wouldn't mind doing away with the others though.
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