Keeping Santa alive

Christie - posted on 12/23/2012

Mine is three and I really Trey to keep Santa alive and well. I remember the magic PG Santa and want to keep it up for my baby. I wrap the presentes in a different paper, this year my step Dad is ringing bells outside the house, we have an elf on the shelf. I really enjoy seeing the excitement and wonder on her,little face!!! ♥ ♥

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/30/2011

My 9 month old woke up at 5:16 Christmas morning and showed no signs of going back to sleep so near 6 my MIL's boyfriend got up to let the dog out and I woke up my 7 year old while DH held the baby. I had my 7 year old wake up my MIL and we opened gifts until nearly 7:30 because Santa delivered gifts to the grown ups too! Luckily my MIL and her boyfriend were nice enough to let DH and I go back to sleep while the girls played.

Dh also wrote our 7 year old a nice note thanking her for the cookies and milk and the magic dust. I think next year she'll be able to figure out her step dad's handwritting and mine.

Teresa - posted on 12/30/2011

We never really put alot of effort into it but we did have fun. I say "did" because at 8 years old this is probably the last "Santa" Christmas for my son. He has said that he knows Santa shops at WalMart and that my husband is Santa, but we think he's been playing along with us. We put out pecan pinwheels and milk for Santa this year but my husband and I fell asleep BEFORE Santa came so about 7:00 am I bolt up and freak out. The kid didn't wake up until about 10:00. Oh well, we have another on the way so it will be even more fun having big brother keep the magic going for the little one. Maybe there will even be more effort put into it.

Becky - posted on 12/27/2011

Cole asked for a "big Mack" - the Mack truck from Cars - for Christmas this year. I told him Santa might get confused and bring him a hamburger. :P Anyways, on Christmas morning, that was the first present he ripped into, and he looked at me and said, "See Mommy, I told you Santa would know what I wanted!" So I guess he does believe in Santa! Although, he said Sherrif (also from Cars) was the one who brought his brother his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse... :)

Sal - posted on 12/27/2011

Yes has fun with Santa this year, my daugter gave him a banana she thought he'd be sick of cookies and cake, and my 3 year old was amazed he used Princess paper christmas is so exhiting anyway but Santa is just magic at this age when the complete magic is still there

Becky - posted on 12/27/2011

My daughter is 10 now and I know she doubts, but she still plays along. I honest think she knows that Santa's not real anymore. She didn't even bother to look at who presents under the tree were from this year (us or Santa). She talks like she still believes, but the certainty of past years has left her voice. Then again, we have another baby on the way and I'm sure in another year or 2 she's going to love helping to share the magic of Santa and the holidays with her baby sister.

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/26/2011

My MIL even keeps Santa alive for the adult kids. Yesturday DH and I along with my youngest BIL and his GF and my MIL and her BF had gifts from Santa along with gifts from eachother. It was cute except for the fact that I got a red lace thong (I am strictly a butt cheek coverer) from her and she blamed Santa

Elfrieda - posted on 12/26/2011

It sounds like you have fun with this Santa business! :) Hope it all went well for you yesterday.

(My parents never did the Santa thing, we were told it was "a game" that some families played, and if there was a gift for the whole family like a board game, it would be marked "from Santa" but we knew it was our parents)

I don't think I'll do Santa, either, but you guys are making it sound like a lot of fun! (still have time to decide - my son is only 24 months)

Ashley=) - posted on 12/24/2011

We have done snow prints and glitter in the house.We have put chewed carrot in the garden from the reindeer.Our oldest told her sister they reindeer must of dropped it off the roof.
I remember getting gold paper and writing a web address on it for Santa north pole video.I sprinkled the glitter and left in in the fireplace.
I called the girls and said what is this.We typed the address in the computer and there were two videos just for the girls from Santa.They were full of excitement and wonder.It was magical.(free video message from santa..type in pnp(protable north pole)

♥♪Megan♫♥ - posted on 12/22/2011

I think my older daughter (7 years) is starting to loose interest in Santa because last night she asked if I believed in Santa.

When she was about 3 or 4 she asked me why there were so many Santas and I told her they were Santa's helpers and were finding out what boys and girls wanted for Christmas and she believed it. This year though one of the mall elves told her they had the real santa. My husband said it was because we're closer to the north pole than we were in NY.

Last year my mom left a note from Santa to my daughter because her and 'Santa' had used the same wrapping paper. This year my daughter's grade one teacher sent home 'magic dust' to help Santa find her and my MIL sent her a letter from Santa

Tracey - posted on 12/22/2011

We have snow footprints on the stairs and in bedrooms (until it creeped the kids out so now presents are left under the tree) wisps of beard get caught on the tree, Santa leaves a thank you written in chocolate chips next to a half eaten cookie.
Had to draw the line when my son wanted to leave reindeer droppings on the rug to make it look realistic!

Jessica - posted on 12/21/2011

My kids are 18 months and 3 months, so we are just starting out with the Santa stuff but I will definatly be keeping the magic alive! I am actually Pagan and I plan on teaching my kids about all the different beliefs and reasons on why people celebrate Christmas. I hope they believe in the magic of Yule for as long as they live. :)

Corinne - posted on 12/21/2011

My kids love Santa. This year they did special letters for him complete with pictures, we put them on the fire to send them to the North pole. The kids faces when the fire turned red (little bit of flash powder in the envelope). Then yesterday when we had our big Christmas dinner (Mike's working xmas day) Santa sent a letter back with an early gift for us all to enjoy. I also have a Christmas 'Fairy' that checks on the kids, it's just an L.E.D in a stick bounced off a mirror so it looks like shes in their bedrooms at night. :)

Janice - posted on 12/21/2011

My kids are quite young 2 years old and 3weeks old. This is the 1st year my daughter gets it and she is very excited by Santa and reindeer. I plan to keep up Santa for as long as the children believe but if they really start questioning once they are school aged I dont plan to do much to keep Santa "alive." Of course only time will tell. I think the holidays can still be fun and magical even after children stop believing.

Ashley - posted on 12/21/2011

Love Santa and I hope to keep him alive for my sons a long time. Although tomorrow my son may for the first time question Santa... My dad is going to be Santa at his school and I know he will recognize his granpa

Sherri - posted on 12/20/2011

We also do the portable North Pole videos.

Danielle - posted on 12/20/2011

We do the portable north pole videos too! They're awsome!

Rebecca - posted on 12/20/2011

Have you seen the portable north pole videos? Those are pretty cool, although we are a non-Santa household. We tend to follow Jen's philosophy.

Jen - posted on 12/20/2011

I did Santa but I never really pushed that he was a real person. I just told him that Santa lives in our hearts. when he was very small, Santa brough the presents. I don't think it's ruined any of the magic of the holidays. My son thinks Christmas is the best time of the year all on his own and we're a totally atheist household. He can't wait every year for the music to start on the radio and pushes me every year to decorate the house as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are washed.

Jodi - posted on 12/20/2011

We LOVE Elf on the Shelf!!! Our elf just brought us breakfast the other morning, and my oldest (nearly 3 yrs) drew a picture for him to send back to Santa! He ate her cookies she made and so forth. He is a GREAT way to keep the spirit alive and it's so fun on my part too!!!

I too wrap with different wrapping paper, and use really pretty bows and ribbons for the gifts from Santa. We went and saw Santa, although I think in a few years I'll start telling them that the mall santa's are santa's helpers because the "real" Santa is just too busy to be everywhere. That's what I grew up with, and I totally bought it! We feed the reindeer and I even have a hoof stamp thing on a stick to put a few hoof-prints in the yard! lol It's fun, and I think, especially in this day and age, it's important to give kids the chance to wholeheartedly believe in something magical and wonderful and just for them. I can't wait to see her eyes on Christmas morning when she sees that Santa brought all these presents just for her (and her sisters of course, but they're babies!!!) and that Casper (our Elf) was listening and reported back to Santa...so magical!

Danielle - posted on 12/20/2011

Have you heard of Elf on the shelve? We started it last yr but it's really big this yr. We got an elf doll that we told the kids came from Santa's workshop to keep an eye on them during the holiday season. Ours is very mischievious and likes to steal ornaments or hang snowflakes, play hide & go seek and even make snow angels in flour. The kids love it b/c he does something different every night and they never know what he's going to do next. He even snuck into my purse so he could take pics with Santa and the kids this yr. Not only is it fun for the kids, we have alot of fun coming up with new ideas for him to do. =)

Rebecca - posted on 12/19/2011

My girls are still really young, 3 (with Autism so she's behind with her development) and a 10 month old, but I tell you what. I will work my hardest to make it the most magical time of the year for them for as long as I can.
I remember when I was a little girl on Christmas eve my mum, dad, sister and I were on the swings just on dusk quietly swinging when my mum stopped abruptly 'Oh my, girls can you hear that?'
'What mum , what?'
'Shhhh, oh my it is. It really is!' She whispered
'What mum?'
'The bells. Can you hear Santas bells. Just listen.' She whispered.
Sure enough, to this day, I know what started as a sound in the wind, which became more and more distict, were santas bells. 'Yes mum I can, oh wow, that's the sleigh bells.
My mum and dad just smiled from ear to ear.
It's one of my most favourite memories of all time and to this day I swear I heard them.
I want to pass that magic onto my own girls

Sherri - posted on 12/18/2011

We keep it going big time. We bake cookies for Santa & pour milk, We make and sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn, we leave a carrot for Rudolph. My oldest two believed until they were 12. My youngest still believes and my husband and I and his older brothers go all out to keep it that way.

Jurnee - posted on 12/18/2011

I use different paper to wrap gifts from Santa, and Santa comes to our christmas eve party and briings one gift. We have used the same Santa for years and he is really good at remembering all the kids. My youngest is 9, and I am pretty sure this is the last yr he will believe.

Becky - posted on 12/18/2011

We're pretty half-assed about Santa here. We try to visit him, but the boys are both afraid of him for some reason. Maybe we have creepy Santas here, lol! :) Cole figures he will come in the front door, instead of down the chiminy, since our fireplace is glassed in! We don't do presents from Santa, but he fills the stockings. Although Cole did say once that Santa was going to bring him his presents. We haven't done the milk and cookies in the past, but might this year. Depends whether the kids are into it or not. I guess, since we're kind of ambivilant on Santa, we will take it as far as the kids want to take it. We don't not let them believe, but we don't go real far in encouraging it either. Whatever they want to do and is fun for them.

Sally - posted on 12/18/2011

We go all out. I will do anything I can to keep the Santa magic alive. I leave a bit of glitter and crushed candycane by the fireplace so she can see & smell some of santa's leftover magic. We leave carrots out for the reindeer and cookies for Santa.
We only see Santa at one place, an event at a special location. We try and avoid the mall Santa's.
We did have an incident at school this year where a child told her his dad said Santa wasn't real. She is so firm in her belief she came home and said "its sad he doesnt believe mommy. We know Santa is real." I love the wonder in eyes. We also use special paper for the Santa gifts.

Hope - posted on 12/18/2011

We go all out as well. My MIL found this online and got the kids to fill it out. http://media.mytalk.com.au/4bc/podcasts/...
If we are staying somewhere else on Christmas eve we leave a letter for santa on the kitchen bench telling him where we are. Love it, it is such a magical thing. Love the the look on my childrens face on christmas morning when there stockings are full. I will be keeping that magic alive for as long as posible. Although I did inform my eldest that when you reach 13 years santa no longer comes but we still have 13 years of santa because it is my youngest first christmas.

Sal - posted on 12/18/2011

Ohhh my daughter said that too, can we text Santa and tell him I love this toy, it is so 2011

Carolee - posted on 12/18/2011

My son loves Santa. Santa visits Grandma's house or my sister's house and leaves our presents there for us. My son gets so upset because he gets shy when he visits Santa that he forgets to tell him what he wants. He always ends up saying he wants "a surprise". But, thankfully, all mommies have Santa's number and can text him.

Johnny - posted on 12/18/2011

I had never really thought about it to that extent. It does not seem like that big a thing for us. We do the Santa visits, presents and all but we.do not go all out. When I figured it out ad a kid I was still happy to play along with the whole thing. It really didnt ruin the magic for me at all. I still love it all to this day. For me, Santa is wonderful whether one is a "true believer" or not.

Michelle - posted on 12/18/2011

We go all out in our house my kids love the magic of Santa Clause. My son who is 10 I am quite sure has figured things out but has not actually said anything to us about it because he loves the magic that the idea brings. Also he has a 2 year old sister and he gets right into seeing her get excited. Both my kids sit on Santa's knee we have one mall where it has been the same Santa since my son was little and so we go there every year. My daughter who is 2 will tell you that the guys with the fake beards are not Santa to which we tell her they are Santa's helpers. I have Santa send my kids special video emails each year which my little one loves my older one hasn't checked his out this year which is why I am thinking he has clued in but for us the magic is in your heart and we as a family like to have fun with it.

Esther - posted on 12/18/2011

We do Sinterklaas (the Netherlands) here. My son is 2 1/2 and I do buy special wrapping paper for those gifts, we had a friend knock on the door and leave the sack of presents, we saw Sinterklaas at the store and went to shake his hand. We act as if he's real. I'm not sure how far we'll go with trying to keep it real, I guess we'll keep doing these things, but as soon as he starts to question it, I'll be honest with him.