Is he or isn't he?

Santa Claus

The age old question, is he real?

The 411 on that subject in my kindergarten class is this; I happen to be privy to a conversation at one of the tables at center time. Johnny and his friends are discussing Santa and little Joey pipes in that there is no Santa Claus. There was nothing to be heard except stunned silence. Finally one students says "there is too Santa Claus!" Meanwhile I'm giving the shhhh sign to Joey so he will stop saying that. No luck with that. The kids then ask Joey how he knows this and he replies that "his mother told him so, there is no Santa, he's not real." Johnny fires back, "well your mom is stupid!" Now I have to step in. I explain that it's not nice to call someones mom stupid, it's rude and it hurts feelings. Apologies are made. I then take little Joey aside and tell him that if his mother told him there is no Santa that's okay. She's certainly not stupid. It's just that the other kids believe that he's real so let's keep this between us and let them think he's real.

There is a pretty good age gap in kindergarten, we have some kids that are a solid five years old, some that just turned five in the months since school started and some that have just turned six. But geez at any of those ages they should still believe in Santa! I'll never forget when my oldest asked me that same question. I asked him did he really want to know and he said yes he did. I told him there is no Santa. The look on his face crushed me. I should have lied. I then told him I'd kill him if he told his little brother.

I did go on to explain that there is a little bit of Santa in everyone. If you like to make people happy, give gifts to your friends and family as well to others less fortunate then Santa lives in your heart.





Cheesy, yes, but I believe it.




That same little boy I told so long ago that there was no Santa is on his way home from New York City today for the first time in 5 months! I'm so excited, it's the best Christmas present ever. Now if only Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey would get out of my head, the day would be perfect.