How to Keep Your Kids Believing Santa Brings the Gifts

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas! Are your kids starting to question who actually put the gifts under the tree on Christmas morning? Are you beginning to suspect that they’re beginning to suspect there is no Santa Claus? Part of the magic of Christmas is having people in your home who believe in old Saint Nick. Read the steps below to learn some tricks to keep your kids believing Santa brings the gifts.

Step 1: Start talking early in the year about Santa. Retell the story of Santa and his reindeer and remind your kids that Santa makes a "naughty and nice list."

Step 2: As the holiday season approaches, have your kids write a letter to Santa asking him for presents and detailing how good they’ve been. Make sure you address the letter and put a stamp on it. Before mailing it, sneak a peek at what your kids have written so you know some of the gifts they’d like to see under the tree. Then, make a big show out of mailing their Santa letter. Take a family walk to the mailbox and drop it in.

Step 3: Once you’ve purchased the gifts for your kids, find a great hiding spot. When kids become suspicious about Santa they become great snoopers. If they do find the gifts and confront you about it, you can tell them they were the gifts you were going to give them and now you’ll have to return them to the store because they’ve violated your trust!

Step 4: As Christmas approaches, rent a few Christmas DVD’s such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Charlie Brown Christmas. Talk about the stories and have your kids tell you about the story of Santa and his reindeer in their own words.

Step 5: On Christmas Eve, let your kids stay up late and read them The Night Before Christmas. As they get older, they should be able to recite many of the lines with you. This Christmas Eve reading can turn into a nice tradition for your family.

Step 6: After you’ve read the book, have your kids pour a large glass of milk for Santa and put some cookies on a plate. Encourage them to write another little note to wish Santa and the reindeer safe travels. As you tuck your kids into bed, remind them that they need to stay nestled in bed until morning.

Step 7: In the middle of the night, you or your spouse need to get out some bells and if possible, walk on the roof. (When my father in law did this during my husband’s childhood, it kept my husband believing for several years!) In the morning, your children’s faces will be lit up with excitement as they tell you what they heard in the night.

Step 8: On Christmas morning as your kids are opening gifts, act surprised at all the things they are receiving. Act curious about the gifts they chose and ask to see them and look at them as if for the first time. After all the gifts have been opened and the wrapping paper is cleaned up, encourage your kids to write a thank you letter to Santa for all the generous gifts he brought.

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