Why and How we Believe in Santa
Montessori in Real Life
Believing in Santa Claus. This is our first Christmas in which D is old enough to start talking about and understanding the Santa Claus story. It has made me think a lot about how I want to approach it with our children…
There are many parents in the Montessori community who believe in telling the truth (Santa isn't real) from the beginning. This is in line with the reality-based nature of Montessori education in the first plane of development. The reasoning is that children under the age of 6 have trouble distinguishing the difference between fantasy and reality, so better to focus on real-life stories and play. I tend to agree with that, and find toddlers enjoy reality-based play and stories the most, and it by no means inhibits their imagination or engagement in pretend play.
I do also think there can be exceptions. When my husband and I look back on our childhood's, we only have positive memories of the "magic of Santa Claus". There was something so beautiful and innocent about holding onto the belief that once a year, the world would be a magical place and make children all over the world happy. Even after we found out the truth, Christmas and the idea of Santa Claus continued to be a special celebration, and we carried on the letters to Santa, the cookies, and the belief for children younger than us.
My favorite Christmas movie has always been Miracle on 34th Street, because it captures the essence of the Christmas spirit and choosing to believe. “ I'm not just a whimsical figure who wears a charming suit and affects a jolly demeanor. You know, I'm a symbol. I'm a symbol of the human ability to be able to suppress the selfish and hateful tendencies that rule the major part of our lives.”
So, yes, we are going to continue to carry on the Santa story. But rather than talk about being nice vs. naughty, we can talk about the origin of Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) and the spirit of giving at Christmastime, that can be carried on forever. And when our children are ready for the truth, we will be honest and open about it. I bet, even then, they will appreciate the "magic" of Santa, as a symbol of kindness and generosity, as we, as adults, still do too.
Going to See Santa
As a side note, we didn't plan to go see Santa but D REALLY wanted to go this year. When we got there, she was so excited, but also scared to get too close. We did NOT make her sit in his lap. She watched her baby brother sit and smile at Santa, and then she was ready to get close with me holding her. Afterwards, she held on so tightly to the Santa pictures we received and wanted to tell the story of seeing Santa again and again. :)
A Few Favorite Christmas Traditions
Advent Calendar - My sister made us a beautiful advent calendar, and in December we have begun to fill each pocket with a little surprise. (To simplify for a toddler, we only put the surprise in that day’s pocket rather than filling them all in the beginning.) Examples include fruit snacks, tiny ornaments, stickers, or an activity such as making cookies or singing Jingle Bells.
Picking out an Ornament - Last year we started this with D, and I plan to continue it every year. We go to a store with a large assortment of ornaments and she gets to pick one out for the tree. S will get to do the same. Then, when they have their own families and trees, they will have a wonderful set of ornaments and memories.
Gift of Giving - Each Christmas season, we make something for all our neighbors and walk around the neighborhood, passing them out to each house. I think D is really going to enjoy handing the treats out this year! It’s a great way for her to practice giving as well as receiving. As she gets older, I’d like to extend this to larger ways of giving, such as involving her in picking a place to volunteer together or a charity to give to.
Santa Presents - We plan to have Santa bring one present and the stocking stuffers for the kids. The other few presents are from us. Just as I had growing up, we will put a satsuma/clementine at the bottom of each stocking. Mrs. Claus always brings PJs as well (which is still done by my mom, Nana). Christmas morning, we take turns opening one present at a time, to appreciate what each person receives!
Letters to Santa - This was my favorite tradition growing up. Every Christmas Eve my sisters and I would write a letter to Santa and every Christmas morning we’d wake up to a thoughtful or funny response. We continued this tradition long after we knew Santa wasn’t real. It was a way to reflect, be silly, or just ask questions we never asked out loud. I’m looking forward to starting that with our children when they get a bit older. My mom made a book out of our letters, which is one of my favorite books to read through each Christmas now.
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