Tricks of Santa

I don't wrap the stuff from Santa. I just lay it out when they go to bed. They write Santa a note. I reply to the note using a Christmas border on my computer and type a response. I print it and lay it on the table for them. Don't really do much else. My kids are wanting to believe so when they hear something at school, they just dismiss it. They don't want it to be true.

In my house now and when I was growing up, Santa never wrapped the gift or gifts that he brought. He always brings gifts that the kids don't think we would get for them.

C.

Ok, after all these years I have built up a few tricks.
First of all the questions they ask and the answers I give/gave.
* Why is Santa in all the malls,stores,street corners?
Because you never know which one is the real one.... Santa visits random malls/stores/etc so be careful. The rest you see are helper elves who dress like him to send the requests straight to him on the special Santa communication network.
* How can Santa deliver presents to all the kids in the world in one night?
1. Little kids you just say special xmas magic!
2. Older kids you talk about the space time continum and say that he can stretch time where 364 days his time is one night our time.
* NUMEROUS QUESTIONS ETC.
BEST RESOURCE OF ALL!!!!! The official NORAD Santa Tracking Website. http://www.noradsanta.org/ It is the official government website for national defense. However, every year they have the most awesome Santa tracker based on time zone. It is the BEST Christmas website and has its own questions answer site that answers the TOUGH Santa believe questions. It has a huge website with other FREE features that you can:
1. Write an email to Santa. "He" responds back with the most awesomely sweet email about paying it forward, christmas is all year, be sweet etc. It looks authentic with old time graphics and my 7 year old read it to me and he was amazed.
2. Play tons of different games.
3. See pictures of "real" Santa"
4. Watch Santa tracking real time on Christmas Eve.
5. Questions answered section.. Great for the first time doubters.
Anyways I found it the best place to quell the doubts this year.

Also, when a child is confronted with "Santa isnt real" by friends at school, brothers or sisters, etc or movies. you simply say, "Doubters dont receive and their christmas will be sad unless their parents give them something. They lost the Christmas magic and that is saddest of all."
Also, be sure to watch Polar Express. One of the best doubter movies out there.

hmm... Couple other hints....
1. Whenever it is near christmas find a red light in the sky that blinks like a radar tower and say it is rudolph practicing....
2. When you see those strobe lights that shoot up into the sky during special events all year whenever? Say it is Santa practicing with the reindeer.
3. When you eat the cookies be sure to leave some half eaten... cause Santa gets full pretty quickly....
4. ALWAYS LEAVE A LETTER FROM SANTA!!!! When they are little keep the letters simple and read it to them... Like "Thank you for the cookies. Be a good girl/boy this year!" When they are older like my 7 year old and can read I have already written him a very long letter telling him how proud santa is and his parents, how he is great at soccer and grades, how he could be a "little" nicer to his sister to stay on the good list next year, how his belief is what keeps Santa alive and Santa appreciates it, how christmas is opening your heart and letting his love shine over the world and at the end telling him what a wonderful little guy he is etc. All of this written in first person Santa perspective and decorated with Christmas graphics and reindeer feet etc. You leave it next to the milk and cookies....

Overall, it is how you respond to his questions, how you celebrate the holiday over a period of time not just xmas eve that keeps the magic there.

Have fun the next few years because that is best age for Santa believers. This year my 3 1/2 year old girl finally got who Santa is and sings Santa Claus is coming to town alllllllll day. She puts on Santa hats and says real deep Ho Ho HO! This is probably going to be one of my favorite years. I averted the Is Santa real crisis with the 7 year old and my baby girl loves Santa Claus!

Merry Christmas!!

I think what you are doing is great. I would wait to put their gifts under the tree until Christmas Eve after they go to bed so when they wake up Christmas morning there will be gifts they haven't seen before and give them the reassurance Santa was at their house.

Hi, we also did the presents from santa are not wrapped thing. Also, I figured out there was no Santa because I realized that Santa had the same writing as my dad! So maybe you should have a friend write the tags. Kids are smart, they recognize their parent's writing. Also you can Google what to tell your kids about Santa in case some unfeeling jerk decides to let them in on no santa thing. You'd be surprised how many people out there aren't even going to tell their kids about Santa other than he's a story. I guess to each his own. I think your girls are pretty this year, they won't catch on who Santa is. Happy Holidays!

What do you mean there's NO SANTA! Hello in my house the rule is if you don't believe you don't receive. My kids are 19, 12 1/2, 4 1/2.
At our house Santa's presents are not wrapped and they are sat in front of the tree with their stockings next to their 1 present he leaves. That way we don't have to write who they are to it's obvious because they are by their respective stockings. We hide our Santa gifts and stocking stuffers in our empty suitcases. And we throw away bags just before the trash man comes in the morning so they can't put two and two together.
I will just die the day one of my kids finds us putting stuff under the tree. I don't want anything to ever ruin that for them. I still get stuff in my stocking from Santa and I am almost 40. Like I said in my house if you don't believe you don't receive.
Happy Holidays! And HO HO HO
P.S. Don't forget to leave carrots for the reindeer.
And I love the key thing. We have told our kids that Santa has a magical key that only he has and it works on all of the houses that don't have chimneys and only on Christmas eve.
We can't put the key on the front door because of our alarm system, every time you open a door or window it beeps the alarm. Don't want to wake them or the dog up in the middle of the night.

I was raised Jewish so we never "did" Santa, and my husband had a bad experience as a child, so we decided not to "do" Santa with our kids. (My husband's experience is that his dad old him if he tells his younger brother there is no Santa then he'll never get a present again.) So we have always taught our children that other kids do believe that their presents really do come from Santa so it is never OK to tell any other child what we believe because it would ruin their magic. My oldest is in 4th grade and one of the boys at a scout meeting the other night thought he was being funny and went around to some of the other boys and said, "Do you believe in Santa?" and when they said "no", he said, "You don't believe in your mom and dad?!" And then laughed hysterically. I didn't think about it until later on that some of the boys may have still believed and just said they didn't out of embarassment in front of the kids who were saying no, plus worse than that is there are younger siblings at the scout meetings who may have overheard.

I can tell you that my daughter asked me if I was really the Tooth Fairy and caught me off guard. I put money under my kids' pillows just for fun and knew 100% that they knew it was just for fun and there is not really a little fairy that sneaks in their room at night. (I always knew it was my mom and let her have her fun trying to remember to sneak the money while I was asleep.)Both of my kids were much older than the norm when they lost their first teeth (my daughter was 8-- I think my son was 7). And my daughter is in the gifted program and has an analytical mind... I tested to see if she was kidding when she asked if it was me by saying, "How could I possibly be the Tooth Fairy? Do you think I go around to strangers homes and give kids money??" I was totally kidding and figured she was too... But by her reaction she seemed like she may seriously want the air cleared... so I told the truth and she was crushed!!! I was shocked!!! I suppose that since children blindly believe in God and miracles that they can believe in magical fairies and not see why fairies can't be real if angels are. I actually worry that some day my kids will start questioning the exsistance of God, thinking adults made it all up like Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny... (I hope no one takes offense at the analogy. Email me personally if you don't get my anaolgy and I'll try to explain further.) Anyway, she got over it pretty quickly, but it made me thankful that we never did the Santa thing. I just can't imagine going through picking up the pieces from that disappointment.

Hi B. - When I was a kid, presents from Santa were not wrapped, just sat under the tree (usually in front)...that way you can set them out after you're kids go to bed Christmas Eve. We also limit gifts from Santa to 2-3. I do this now with my daughter. Also, something my husband & I found for the first time last year was a "Santa Key" from Hallmark stores....it is awesome b/c we don't have a fireplace/chimney! My daughter hangs it on the outside doorknob b4 she goes to bed Christmas Eve and we take it off before we go to bed & put it beside Santa's cookies & milk! HTH
K.

dear B.,santa is a very um how do i put it.um very hard to keep real,i guess the best way to put it is,you see there is a lot of mean people out there and they want to force there beliefs on your kids,so you have to keep on,who they are around and make it very clear to the people in your childs life that this is your beliefs and that is how it is.my child santa beliefs were ruined by a unthinking,uncareing school bus driver,which whom had her own way of believing and forced her thoughts on my child.i took my child to see santa and then i thought it would be great if santa wrote him a personlaized letter.so i made him one on the comp.and put his santa pic. on the letter.well he was so happy when he saw that letter.he was proud santa thought that much of him.i was so happy for him.he asked if he could take the letter to school and show his teacher,which whom loved him very much.i didn't think nothing of it and told him he could.when he got home he was in tears. i asked him what was wrong and he looked at me with these ever trusing eyes and said mom is there really a santa,don't lie to me tell me the trueth.i didnt know what to say,i was stunned.he said,did you make this letter from santa.i asked him why is he asking me this,what happened and he said,all his words comming out in a rush of tears.he said,i showed it to my bus driver. telling her all about my visit with santa and she looked at me and said,your mom made that letter and that is a man dressed up in a suit to look like santa.he isnt really santa.he isnt real.that is just a man your momma had dress up to take a pitchure with you.the tears just rolling down his face.my hart broke.he has not been the same sence,very angery at me for lieing to him.now i deal with it on a daily basses.he told me this year you know mom i do believe in santa but i do know he is dead,but he did live at one time. and then he will say see,i do believe in a way.our christmas was ruined he was agry all christmas.yelling and saying haribble things.i was very agry and i went up to that school and had a few words,with them.i could not believe that someone could do that to a child,now i have to still deal with his hurt and anger over it.she ruined my child dreams and his whole way of thinking of christmas.i was in a store and a little girl asked her daddy if santa was real and he turned and said santa is dead.i was so shocked i couldn't believe that came out of his mouth.so it isnt only you that can ruin santa it is those around you.santa is a fragle time of life so enjoy it while you can.sorry this is so long,but i had to tell you my story..thank you T...

my child is six years old and if she asks any questions, I simply tell her that the reason the presents are here and wrapped is because Santa is really busy and asked me to help him. All mommmies know Santa's phone number anyway so we can call him to tell him what the kids want or to offer our help when he is busy. good luck.

Actually, one of the best ways to keep them from figuring out Santa is NOT to wrap Santa's gifts at all (solves the handwriting dilemma too!). My family always said that Santa doesn't have time to wrap presents for every child in the world, so it was always clear that our parents' presents and other family gifts were the wrapped ones, but the Barbie dream house (or whatever) that they had to put together the night before... wasn't and was from Santa. Good luck! Also, if you put out milk and cookies or a PB&J sandwich, make sure you eat it and leave the empty glass and plate with crumbs out until morning so the kiddos can see it. This worked on us for years!

Good luck!
K.

You've received plenty of advice so I'll keep mine brief:
1. Santa gifts aren't wrapped. No tags either. My boys are 6 & 4. They know what they told Santa they wanted so they have no problem knowing what's their's.
2. Santa brings 3 gifts for each since that's how many gifts Jesus received from the 3 kings.
3. The kids track Santa's trip on the NORAD website www.noradsanta.org.
4. Hide the gifts in the artificial Christmas tree box. It's big and the kids never look there since they helped Dad put up the tree.

Hello B.,

I am a mother of 6 children (all over the age of 10 and some grown) and we didn't wrap the gifts from Santa.
We never put any gifts under the tree until they were all in bed and asleep. Then my husband and I would put all of the gifts from us and our relatives that were wrapped, under the tree. The gifts from Santa were either in front of everything else or I would put the children's gifts from Santa with their stockings on the couch and chairs.
Hope this helps and Merry Christmas.
J.

I have 9 and 4 year old girls. Santa wraps in Santa paper and both get 5 things from him. Santa is left-handed and that's what makes his handwriting different here (I am right-handed). I have had one of Santa's elves write back too, and that has been most helpful.

I, the oldest of 4 children, grew up with the "you must believe to receive" adage ... and I still believe. Santa still takes care of me, too.

There are kids at school that tell my oldest otherwise but I tell her that I can still hear the bells jingling (from the movie "Polar Express".

Merry Christmas! I believe in Santa! :)

A friend of mine has a 12 year old, that seems to still believe. My friend has another friend of ours act as "santa" and sign all of the present labels for the daughter. Since the daughter does not know "santa's" handwriting, she doesn't think its her parents. Also, my friend does the same thing my mom did when I was a kid - she hides the presents at work until christmas eve. That way the presents aren't at the house for the little ones to find. Good Luck!

For everyone who lives in the North were you get a white christmas. I remember the night before christmas my dad would say he thought he heard something outside. We would all run to the back door and look out. Nothing was there but we did see Santa's and the Reindeers footprints, and right around were the reindeers were standing we would see reindeer food.(which is made from oatmeal and glitter) Dad said he must have been here to deliver the christmas gifts, but he saw we were still awake so he had to leave. We better get in bed early because Santa will be back soon. I know you dont get snow but maybe you could try the reindeer food.
I had the same thing happen to me with the wrapping paper. I was caught off guard I didn't know what to say but I told my daughter that I leave my wrapping paper out so that when Santa and his elves get here they can wrap the gifts. Then I had to start printing out the name tags. Just make sure you only print certain one for your children only. other relatives name tags should totaly different.
I don't know if this helps but good luck and Merry Christmas.
T.

I have been thinking about your question since I read it this a.m. This is what I am thinking of doing. Santa leaves all his presents unwrapped and out on specific chairs or the couch. We are going to choose some toys from the pile we have :) and wrap them and put them in a large gift bag with a tag that says love Mommy and Daddy. That way they are especially different from Santa's. Our children are 6 years and twin 3 year olds.
My sister and I have not stopped believing in Santa- the Spirit of Giving!
Good luck!
L.

This is cute. My nine year old not quite sure what this Santa business is all about. We have always chosen a different prints of paper for santa gifts and our gifts. We never write anything on the gifts and distinguish presents between children by the paper. My husband hands out the gifts.

My nine year old is convinced that Santa is grandma this year. He figures this because her parents are dead and she never gets Santa gifts but my husband and I do. He thinks he's got this all figured out but then one day he asked me how it's possible that Santa can deliver gifts in one day to everyone. I told him that it's about the time change. My mom's work in Utah is two hours ahead of us and our friends in England are 12 behind. This gives Santa 24 hours to play with if he goes the wrong way around the globe he'll arrive back at the North Pole at the same time that he left. This went way over his head and rather than argue the logic with me he didn't have, he just agreed. He's getting to the age though that he is questioning the idea of Santa. Our 2 year old may be subjected to conjecture next year but I think we are safe this year.

What I used to do for my daughter, and she believed in santa till she was 9, was I would wrap presents and put them under the tree and I always told her she had to be nice, etc. We baked cookies for him and put a cup of milk out. The present for santa was always hidden with no wrapping. I would assemble whatever needed to be assemble, put a big red bow on it and in the middle of the night put it under the tree. Every year she came running yelling mommy, look what santa brought me. And she would see the half eaten cookies and milk.

One year my husband made mud prints from our fire place to the tree, my older son talked about it for the next 3 years!

What we have done every year now since my son was 3 I think is my dad bought an authentic Santa suit and he dresses up every Christmas morning and makes his rounds from my house to both of my brothers now that they have kids as well and we let the kids catch Santa putting the presents under the tree.. The kids are in such shock every year that they don't try to follow him out the door or anything they are just amazed. It is the neatest feeling to see the look on their faces every year. They know Santa is real..Also we have never put any presents under the tree for the kids before Christmas morning. I don't really care if they think some are from me or not, that isn't what is important, it is see ing the excitment in their faces when they walk out and see soooo many presents just for them.

First off, congrats on your pregnancy! We never wrapped the santa presents. I got that from my mother-in-law, she didn't either. Just put labels on each or made piles for each child. They always knew the wrapped presents were from people, everything else from santa. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas!

We don't wrap the presents from Santa, or label them. (It helps if you have them ask for one thing from Santa and then just get that one thing they really want. Then they know who it's for.) Also, my husband likes to put a muddy boot print by the fireplace; but you might want to save that for when they're a little older and it can really help fuel their belief. It's a little wasted on the younger ones.

I think finding out the truth about Santa is part of growing up and though I would hate a 5 year old to find it out, 12 seems really old!
I plan on taking basic precautions such as hiding the gifts and such, and when I was young--Santa didn't wrap the gifts--they were just put under the tree for Christmas morning, so there were no tags, handwriting or paper to worry about(it was just my brother and I so the gifts were separated and easy to figure out which ones were for whom)
I'm not going to go overboard though, because like I said, it's a natural process to realize that Santa doesn't exist and it is a part of growing up.

this is the first year i think my girls will notice too...but, our plan that we made last year is to always wrap from santa in white paper (kids craft paper on the roll or white tissue) that way we always will have that and not have to match paper every year! and we've created a santa stamp - which i sell at www.heatherivydesigns.com - that we will use every year so it will always be different than our handwriting.
my mom used to have an "elf" come every couple of days during the month of december and leave us little rhyming notes about being good and such, with a little piece of candy, and that got us excited for santa to come too:)