what if santa was real

It’s why adults enjoy paying a visit to Santa (and sometimes even to sit on his lap) as much as the kids do. Otherwise, there would be an even more famous gift-giver that everyone knows about. She specializes in couples and family therapy and parent education.

December rituals are similar in millions of households around the U.S.

advice, diagnosis or treatment. What would Christmas be without the story of a jelly-bellied elf who somehow gets around the world in one night to deliver presents and treats to good little girls and boys?

She is author of the insightful parenting e-book, Tending the Family Heart.Check out her book, Unlocking the Secrets of Self-Esteem.

Reuters/Stefan Wermuth.

For those who had wonderful childhood Christmases, it’s a chance to recreate them. “The Night Before Christmas” becomes a bedtime story. But if you can imagine Santa is the greatest gift-giver, then he must be real.

So we adults engage in a conspiracy of tales. Local top 40 radio stations run novelty Santa songs all day. Some parents may be able to gauge the age at which their child will learn the answer to “Is Santa real?”

Whatever the case, the first response is something to ride out with sympathy and understanding. She writes regularly for Psych Central as well as Psych Central's Ask the Therapist feature.

Slip something into stockings or under the tree for each member of the family that is “from Santa” and deny that it was you – with a wink, a smile, and a big Santa-type ho-ho-ho. For those whose Christmases were less than wonderful, it’s a chance to do it better. Learning To Trust Yourself Again After Betrayal, Many Seniors with Depression Faring Well During Pandemic. What to say when your child asks if Santa is real, according to experts. Psych Central does not provide medical or psychological

St. Nicholas made his first inroads into American popular culture … There's a big buildup to Christmas with trips to visit Santa workshops and photo shoots That’s why even grownups like to be “Secret Santas” for friends or office mates. On the eve of the big day, stockings are hung and cookies and milk are set out for Santa as well as a carrot for Rudolph. It can mark the end of a certain kind of innocence for the child and an end of a fun chapter of parenting for the adults.

Magic is actually real, Santa is not real but that doesn’t mean that magic is not real. Then it’s our job to move past it to another level. But there isn’t a gift-giver better than Santa. How we respond can make the moment into a tearful, even angry, confrontation or a sweet transition into a new kind of magic.

All rights reserved. Some kids at school said he isn’t and I said he is and they laughed at me.” Somewhere around 6 or 7 or 8, your child poses that dreaded question. Sinter Klaas Comes to New York. TV specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, and, of course, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas now run almost 24/7. Some parents even take a bite out of the cookie and write a thank-you note from Mr. Claus for the kids to find the next day.

Part of growing up is understanding that the spirit of a Santa can always be within us and then making the magic happen for others.