Do You Believe? How Do I Explain to My Child About Mythical Beings?

This Is Need-to-Know Stuff! So, Sit Down & Listen-Up…

It’s only September, but Halloween costumes have been in the stores since July and there is already lots of Christmas stuff on display to buy. It seems that each year the retailers push the holiday paraphernalia earlier and earlier. However, once October comes, all I can think about is how magical the feeling of the holidays is. I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and all of the nostalgia that surrounds them, especially now that I have my own children.

With the approach of Christmas, there comes the inevitable talk of Santa. However, there are many people who don’t celebrate Christmas. I was a teacher in a large city, where there are a multitude of different religions, and, therefore, traditions. As a teacher, I had to navigate how to explain to my young students why some people don’t have a visit from Santa (or from the Easter bunny) without making children feel bad for not being a part of this, or ruining things for the children who do believe.

Funny as it may be, the day will come when your child will ask for the truth about their favorite mythical characters, and how you answer depends on a few different factors.

So, how do we deal with this issue with our own children? How do I respond when they have children they go to school with who don’t celebrate the same holidays or answer older children who are beginning to question whether they still believe or not?

I think for the younger ones, simply explaining that different people around the world celebrate different holidays and have different traditions. Most importantly, they are not better or worse than ours. If there is a large population of a certain religion in your community, maybe take some books out of the children’s library that would explain the other traditions to your child. That way, your child would be educated about what is going on around him.

If your child comes home saying that someone in school told them Santa or the Tooth Fairy isn’t real, this is a time when you need to decide how much you are ready to tell your child. Based on their age, you have to determine how much they are ready to hear. If it is a young child who heard it from a friend at school who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, you could tell her that some families don’t believe in Santa, and therefore, Santa doesn’t come to their house. Then explain the importance of your own traditions and that just because someone else doesn’t believe, it doesn’t make it not true. If your child is older, you will need to make the difficult decision of whether to tell them the truth about the various mythical beings who have “visited” them since babyhood.

If you feel your child is old enough to be told the truth, the best advice I have heard is to include them in the spirit of giving without expecting anything in return. If they have younger siblings, perhaps they could help to choose and wrap the stocking stuffers for them. Or, you could ask them to choose some of the toys they have outgrown to donate to children in need. Remind them of the way Santa started, as an anonymous Good Samaritan who gave to others without expecting to receive thanks or praise. You can share with them how much is fills your own heart with joy to be the giver and that they are now a part of this special “club”.
 
 
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.

Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brillent tips!