As I put KZ to bed tonight, she asked me, "Mommy, will Santa Claus be coming tonight?"
Her face was glowing as she asked me. I wasn't sure what to say. How does one tell the truth to a three year old, and what exactly IS the truth when it comes to Santa Claus and a three year old?
When I was a child, I remember very clearly when I discovered there wasn't a Santa Claus. My first clue was that when Santa was at our house, he had Coke, not milk, and cookies. My mom was, and still is, a Coke-a-holic. Second clue, well, I just saw my parents putting the gifts under the tree. What I really remember was a sense of shame that my parents thought it was ok to lie to me. It hurt that they thought I was dumb. I don't want KZ to feel that I lie to her. She is not dumb. We do not lie.
My answer to her this night,
"KZ, I don't know if Santa will come tonight, but I do know that there will be presents in the morning. Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Papa, and many of our friends love you very much. They all have sent presents, and you'll have them in the morning."
She seemed ok with it, but the glow was gone. I'm not sure what is worse, lying to my child or taking away her glow.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
No comments:
Post a Comment