Mom, is Santa real?

It started as an innocent family night movie.  Christmas themed, of course, because it was getting close to Christmas.  Myself, Luke, and my husband snuggled up on the couch and decided to watch Silent Night.  Yes, I know.  Silent Night was NOT the best nor appropriate choice.  Hindsight and all that.  We considered turning it off but were like, nah let’s just watch it.

So there we are, side by side, commenting on the excessive use of foul language when IT happens.

The phrase, “Santa isn’t real” was used.

Luke gives me THE look.  The “did I just hear what I think I did” look.  The “Mom, is there something you should tell me” look.  Me being me, innocently asked why he keeps looking at me.  Then he puts his hand on his hip and just keeps staring at me.  I ignore him.  Finally, we get back to watching the movie.  When it was over, Luke asks me if there’s anything I want to tell him.  Nope.  All good.  He thanks us for the movie night and heads to his room.

So now I’m sitting there super mad at myself for watching this movie and knowing I need to go talk to Luke.

I head into his bedroom and tell him I need to talk to him.  He puts his phone down and I begin.

I tell him that no, Santa is not real.  He looks at me with sadness.  I then tell him the story of St. Nicholas and how the magic of giving was created.  So while Santa is not real, St. Nicholas was and over the years the legend of St. Nicholas has evolved into our modern day Santa Claus.  

He then tells me that he’s had a feeling Santa wasn’t real and that he had actually googled it- gee buddy, you could have saved me this conversation.

He starts asking me about all of the big presents he’s gotten over the years and I tell him that it has been either me, his father, or a combined gift from the two of us.  He couldn’t believe that all those presents were bought by his father and I.

Luke has a few younger cousins so we talked about how it is his turn to now keep the magic of Santa alive for his cousins and to help create that magic for them.  I also talked to him about not ruining the magic for those at his school that might still believe.

I told him my hope is that he continues to bring the magic of Santa Claus to his children, if he is blessed enough have any.

He then admitted that he is worried if he doesn’t believe that he won’t get any presents. Typical kid.  I told him that he will still get Christmas presents.  I asked him if he would still like me to write “from Santa” on some of the gifts and he said yes.  So at least I still have that.

I left Luke’s room and joined my husband on the couch.  I started crying because it felt like another ending of Luke’s childhood innocence.  I’ll never again see the magic in his eyes Christmas morning when he thinks Santa has come.  No more Christmas Lists.  No more milk and cookies left out.  No more reindeer dust and carrots on the lawn.  Nobody prepares you for these “lasts” that you will navigate during parenthood.

So there ya have it-Luke learned the truth about Santa Claus from a completely inappropriate Christmas themed movie.

How old was your child/children when they learned the truth and how did it happen?

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