The Benefits of Believing in Santa Family traditions strengthen bonds, provide a sense of belonging for children and create memories that last a lifetime. More importantly, family traditions tell children a story about who they are and the importance of family.
It's important for parents to understand that most child development specialists, medical specialists, and therapists agree that the vast majority of children will not experience negative, long-term effects after learning the truth of Santa Claus.
Santa is real in the sense that he was an actual person. Otherwise known as Saint Nicholas, his story goes all the way back to the 3rd century. He was a monk who was born in 280 A.D. in modern-day Turkey. As an only child, he was given great affection by his parents.
Believing in Santa is not only harmless fun, it can actually help children as their brains develop, experts say.
"It's not an overnight shift in thinking," says Laura Lamminen, Ph. D., a pediatric psychologist at Children's Health℠, "and there's no set age where children should know the truth about Santa Claus." Dr. Lamminen says each family and each child within that family will be ready to talk about Santa at different ages.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.
Research shows that kids who are lied to by their parents are more likely to lie themselves, so it is always a good idea to tell the truth if possible. Don't use Santa as a tool for motivating your kid. Letting them grow through fantasy and imagination is positive.
In 2019, House Method surveyed more than 4,500 families across the United States, and found the overall average age for no longer believing in Santa Claus is 8.4 years old. (But it varies by state: Kids in Mississippi generally believe until they're 10, while kids in Oregon stop believing at 7.)
And for all intents and purposes, the Elf on the Shelf is real. It's a real doll, after all. The real question is, though, do you think the Elf on the Shelf is real? And I'm here to tell you that, yes, it is.
Adults should not lie to children about Santa. When a child asks the question as to whether Santa is real or not, they're already at a developmental stage to distinguish between reality and fictional characters.
To perpetuate the Santa myth, parents must lie to their kids. To buoy belief, adults often stage elaborate deceptions, laying traps for the child's developing intellect. The myth encourages lazy parenting and promotes unhealthy fear. The myth makes kids more acquisitive, not less so.
Santa advises that no family member touch their Elf on the Shelf, but he does describe a few rare instances when an adult may use tongs or potholders to help an elf in an urgent situation. Parents: read on to learn about special, few and far between cases where emergency help will be required.
The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a magical story that explains how Santa's scout elves help him manage his naughty and nice lists. Each book comes as part of a box set that also includes one of Santa's scout elves, whose job is to watch during the day and report to Santa every night.
Each morning, the elf chooses a new vantage point from which to keep an eye on the kids. The night before Christmas, the elf flies off one last time to spend the year with Santa until reappearing next season. Every night, a parent hides the elf in a new place.
When it comes to discovering the hidden "truth" about Santa Claus, let's get one thing out of the way: Santa is real. Historical records detailing his story stretch all the way back to the third century, when St. Nicholas became the patron saint of children.
Some tweens hold onto their childhood beliefs for as long as they possibly can. The truth is that if your children are asking questions like "Is Santa real?", they probably already know the truth or have an idea about the reality of the tradition. They may just be looking for validation from you.
If your elf didn't move, they may be trying to communicate an important message to you! If your elf is accidentally touched, they may have just enough energy to get to the North Pole but not enough magic to create a whole new scene in your home.
Elves need to wait until everyone is asleep before they can move around. If there was too much activity around the house last night, perhaps your elf only had time to get to the North Pole and back, but not enough time to find a new position. Make sure you get to bed early tonight to help them out!
While there are many benefits to protecting children's belief in Santa, it's not OK to lie to children about his existence. Discovering the truth about Santa is part of growing up and a sign that the child is developing critical thinking skills.
Krampus is the counterpart to Santa Claus. He is a devil figure that scares naughty children back onto the path of good behavior. The legend originated in European Alpine folklore where he would descend from the mountains.
New survey looks at how former children feel about being lied to by parents about Santa. 72 percent of former believers keep the Santa myth alive for their own kids. At press time, about 1,200 people have taken the survey.