How to Parents: Play the Part of Santa at Home
Christmas means lots of things to lots of people. Celebrating the birth of Christ. The spirit of giving. Joy to the world. But to children, Christmas usually means one thing: Santa's coming to town! We all know Santa doesn't exist except in our imagination, but there's nothing more magical for a kid to believe before age (or a spiteful older sibling) exposes the truth. Here are a few ways to trick your child into thinking Santa stopped by -- sleigh, reindeer and all. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Indulge your child's belief, at least for now. Kids are growing up much faster these days, and you'll only have a small window of time to partake in this piece of Christmas theater. Prolonging the myth's magic may involve bringing your child to see Santa at the mall or encouraging your child to write to Santa at the North Pole.
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On Christmas Eve, take your kids out for a ride in the car. There is usually a plane in the sky and sometimes it will have a blinking red light. It's a fun game to play as you tell them it's Rudolph leading Santa's sleigh. If you're too swamped to take a drive, let your kids track Santa online through the NORAD website.
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Have the kids help you bake and decorate some cookies for Santa. Before they go to bed, make sure they watch as you leave the cookies and a glass of milk near the chimney -- or beside the tree. You may even add a dog biscuit or carrots for the reindeer. Once the kids are asleep, drink the milk, but leave the empty glass and half-eaten cookie; you can even let the dog nibble on the carrot to add credibility to the scene your children will find when they wake.
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Opt to leave a personalized thank-you note from Santa on a sheet of paper. Personalize it to the kids so that it seems as if Santa's been tracking whether they've been naughty or nice. (That's not a bad way to encourage good behavior the rest of the year.) Be sure to change your handwriting, though!
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To increase the believability factor, buy in advance a pair of reading glasses, pipe or a red glove and leave them behind. It's just another piece of evidence that Santa visited!
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And of course, the piece de resistance is a gift under the tree from Santa himself. Add Santa's signature on the tag for more bonus points. You don't have to give all the gift-giving credit to the man in the suit, though; sign some of the gifts yourself so your kids know you're watching their behavior, too.
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Resources
- Photo Credit santa image by Kimberly Reinick from Fotolia.com
