Who is Santa? The question we all dread. We’ve fobbed them off with as many mumbled explanations as we could over the years. But now they have reached that age.

The age where the tone of voice and facial expression that accompanies the question: Who is Santa? (or something to that effect), tells you that this is it. That moment. The one when you have to actually explain.

How exactly does one go about doing that – explaining the whole Santa thing? Worry no more, mindfulness has the answer!

The thing is, Christmas is unlike any other time of the year. We all do things we would never do at Christmas. It’s fun, indulgent – magical. As parents, we are wholly responsible for imparting that magic and Santa is at its very heart. So when we hear the question – Who is Santa? – the fight or flight response takes over. We don’t want to kill the magic, ruin Christmas. We don’t want to deal with it.

How To Face The Question

I’m there. It is probably going to happen to me at anytime over the next few weeks and it is terrifying. It’s the unpredictability of the reaction – both of your child and yourself. It is giving voice to the words – I have lied to you for all these years (delivered in more soft and cuddly words). Who wants to face that?

But face it we must, because the Who is Santa? questions hangs over us all every December. So here’s how to answer your children the mindful way.This conversation needs your full attention.

Stop what you are doing.

Take a few moments to gather yourself, then sit down with your child for some quality conversation. This is not a quick, drop the bomb and run discussion. If you haven’t got time at that very moment, make space to do it a little later that day.

Do not plan the whole conversation in your head.

When you sit down, do so to have a discussion, not deliver a monologue. You see, this conversation is a landmark point for both of you. Your son or daughter is growing up and you are going to start to become more of a flawed and complicated human in their eyes. Allow yourself a moment to embrace that bomb. They are growing up and things are changing. It is absolutely acceptable to feel a sense of loss at that passing, but welcome too, the shift into the next stage of your child’s development.

You – yes this is about you too.

The trickiness of the conversation is as much about your child as it is about you. You now have to be honest, open and fess up to.. yes… misleading your child. You are going to have to listen to them – open. That means you are 100% present in the conversation and listening to all your child has to say. And they are going to have a lot to say. You are also going to need to reach into yourself, deep down and be honest in your explanation of why you have continued these Christmas myths year after year.

Who Is Santa? How Do You Actually Speak To Your Kid?

Be truthful and open.

Speak from a place of empathy, truth, kindness and love. You did it out of love for their childhood and commitment to making Christmas as magical as you could, because you love them. It was about building memories and ensuring that their childhood involved all of the rites of passage and experiences that they deserved.

No four year-old wants Christmas without Santa, reindeer and Christmas Eve butterflies. So OK! It is all a bit weird, but it comes from a place of love.

Of giving an exciting, magical experience that remains unmatched for the rest of your life. Giving – the real spirit of Christmas. Giving what we have – and you did.

This too shall pass

Now I imagine that this conversation will end with me feeling a little bit of a gut-wrench deep down inside, for so many reasons. For the child, they will have mixed feelings too. You will both be slightly weirded out deep down for a couple of days, but just like when their teeth fell out or they had a bad fall or delivered a mega meltdown – this too shall pass. Pass on and into the special bank of memories that is childhood.

So when you hear the dreaded – Who is Santa? take a few deep breaths and then do it the mindful way. Open, honest, listening and fully in touch with both of your deepest feelings.

Next year, they’ll still want to all of the normal traditions, except this time, they’ll be on the hunt for where you have hidden the presents!

SparkYourBloom Today And Everyday!