Will the real Santa please stand up! Answering kids' questions about Santa

There is something wonderfully magical about being a child during Christmas. When I was growing up, Christmas time meant sprucing up the house, listening to Christmas carols and decorating the Christmas tree with my family. Of course the highlight was waking up on the 25th of December to find presents from Santa! It was the best time of the year for me.

Opening gifts from Santa is a magical experience for a kid

But as I grew older, I started to question the very existence and authenticity of this guy who supposedly zooms around the world in a sleigh led by 9 reindeer – and manages to get goodies to all the kids – in one night!

It was a kid at school who burst my ‘Santa bubble’; mine and many other Santa-believers in class. Many of us felt annoyed that we foolishly believed a lie.

When kids are slightly bigger they may start questioning you about Santa. You can answer their questions in a way that the spirit of Christmas is not lost.

But as for me, I remember feeling heartbroken that the magic of Christmas was over. There would be no more waking up to find presents at the foot of my bed on Christmas morn. But though we ‘outgrew’ getting gifts from Santa, we never forgot the wonderful memories those years etched in our hearts.

Now I am reliving this Christmas magic with my own babies; and the happiness I feel when they open their presents from Santa is mirrored only by the glee-filled smiles on their tiny faces!

But there will come a day when they too come to that point in life. How will I deal with their questions about Santa? Fortunately for me (and you), many parents have already gone though this.

On the following page I share some wonderful advice from parents on how to answer your kid’s questions about Santa Claus. Read on…

How to answer your kid’s questions about Santa

Here are some wonderfully creative answers taken from various online communities on how to answer those tricky questions about all things Santa-related!

“Are you – mum and dad – Santa?”

Possible answer
“The answer is no, we are not Santa; there is no one, single Santa. Santa is actually the real spirit of Christmas. We are the people who fill your stocking, and choose and wrap your presents under the tree – just as our parents did for us, their parents did for them and you will do for your kids someday.”

You can tell your kids, “Santa is love, magic, hope and happiness and we are on his team”

“Then WHO is Santa?”

Possible answers
“Santa is about believing in something that you can’t feel or see. I know you’re ready to learn about Santa because you have so much love in your heart, and even though you can’t touch it or see it, it’s there! Santa keeps the spirit of Christmas alive for children everywhere and now you can too.”

“Santa is lots and lots of people who keep the spirit of Christmas alive, He lives in our hearts not at the north pole. Santa is the magic and love and spirit of giving to others. What he does is teach children to believe in something they can’t see or touch”

“Why should I believe in something I can’t see?”

Possible answer
“Throughout your life you will need the capacity to believe in yourself, in your family and your friends and in God. You’ll need to be able to believe in things you can’t measure or hold in your hands.”

“Can I tell my little sister the truth now?”

Possible answer
“Well, now you know the truth. Santa is everywhere and lives in everyone through hope, happiness, joy and love. Santa relies on your help too. Now that you’ve been told about the true spirit of Christmas, Santa will need you to let others keep believing, so the love, joy, hope and happiness can keep spreading.”

It is important to tell older kids to keep the spirit of Santa alive for their younger siblings as well.

Keep reading for more answers to your little one’s questions…

“Mum, why do we go along with the ‘Santa’ story anyway?”

Possible Answers
“You’ve known for a while that the task of reaching homes everywhere in one night was impossible and you’re right to be questioning it. The truth is, grown-ups help Santa, or the true spirit of Christmas along, by doing that job and we do it so we, too, can fill more hearts with the same love, joy and magic that you have felt every Christmas since you were born. You’ll do it one day, too, and the magic of Christmas will be with your kids.”

If your child is confused, read to her about how ‘Santa’ came about – the story about Saint Nicholas of Myra who was famous for his generous gifts to the poor.

“Now you know the secret of how Santa gets down all those chimneys on Christmas eve: He has help from all of the people whose hearts he has filled with joy. With full hearts people like mummy and daddy take our turns helping Santa to do a job that would otherwise be impossible”

We hope these ideas will help answer your kid’s questions about Santa. If you have more ideas please do leave a comment below.