Holiday Magic/Is Santa Real?

Recently I talked to a mom that said she wasn’t sure if she was gonna continue to do the whole “Santa thing” with her kids. She was a little down about the economy and said she didn’t think it was right that Santa get the credit for her hard earned money and gift giving.

For me, it’s just the whole essence of giving my kids something to believe in.

I can remember how excited I got around the holidays and the magical feeling of waking up Christmas morning to see the tree lit and filled with presents underneath. (I won’t mention the one Christmas where I complained about the gifts and called them “crap” only to be sent back to bed until I was a little more appreciative for Santa’s efforts).

Anyway, I realize what that mom was saying, but once you grow up and have kids, you really appreciate the efforts your parents make to help you feel special. And I’m sure your kids will feel the same way.

If it brings excitement and a smile to my kids, I don’t mind giving “Santa” credit for the gift giving.

Just as adults need distractions from things such as the economy, relationships, job situations, etc, children need the same. They too get frustrated with life’s little curveballs: making friends, doing well in school, excelling in sports, fitting in, etc.

So, I choose to let the holiday season be a happy time for me and the boys.

It’s a time to celebrate togetherness and create traditions to remember for years to come. I can only hope that when they get older they will look back and appreciate my efforts just as I do now with my own folks and them giving me the gift of something to hope for and believe in.

Now that Mo is 7, he is starting to question the validity of Santa.

The other day I almost cracked under his Law and Order Santa interrogation.

I quickly turned to the internet for help. Here are a couple of cool sites I found that can help Santa live on for another year with your too dayum smart and cynical children:

Claus.com: The coolest thing about this site is the “Naughty and Nice Rating“. You type in your name and get a report from what Santa has concluded about your behavior. Here’s what Santa thinks about me:

Nora Moore
Nice, but with a few naughty marks. Neatness needs improvement. Behavior has been good sometimes, not so good other times. Manners could still use some attention. Was very nice last Monday.

Hmm…Santa really is watching…Guess I better get my butt in gear if I want to get that new Chole!

SantaClaus.com: For $9.95 you can get a personalized letter from Santa with a stamp “Mailed from the North Pole”. For $6.95 your child can get a phone call the big guy personalized with their name. This sounds like a Flip worthy moment for when your kid is on his way to the Senior Prom in the years to come.

NoradSanta.org: Wanna know Santa’s exact location right now? Need to show the kids Santa is en route on Christmas Eve? This site can pinpoint Santa’s location around the globe as well as a detailed countdown til the thrilling day. There is an amazing FAQ’s section that answers your kid’s most common questions that we seem to make up the dumbest answers for:

How does Santa get down chimneys?, How old is Santa?, When will Santa arrive at my house?, How does Santa travel the world in 24 hours?etc.

So in between your holiday shopping and baking, hop on over to these sites. I’ve gotta go work on raising my niceness quotient!