How do I explain Santa and presents? ALL he talks about is when SANTA comes he's going to bring me the Mickey Mouse Rocketship and Cars 2 dvd and more toys. He goes on and on. He''s almost four and a half and REALLY gets the concept of the PRESENTS part of Christmas.
How can I slow him down about his WANTING and TALKING about presents all day long?
I have a feeling the next three months are going to make me go INSANE!
Have him write down his wishes in a letter and then post that letter by the calendar with a post-it saying "do not mail til December 1". Then when December 1 comes, mail it to Santa, but tell him that since he's already written down his list and Santa is watching, he doesn't need to say it every day.
We emphasize to the kids that a wish is a wish, not a demand, so if Santa comes up with another idea, you should appreciate that one,too.
I have 3 girls, 2, 4, and 8. I understand!! I have tied our faith into the gift thing explaining that Santa brings us gifts so everyone on the same day can celebrate the birth of Christ. I also volunteer with the girls so they can understand the giving back part and have them pick out things to give to others!! There are many ways you can go about it!!
We always said Santa gave one gift. Everything else was from each of us to each of us because giving to others is one way to show them you love them.
Santa brought one special thing and it wasn't wrapped because Santa doesn't have time to wrap. That way our kids didn't spend time making huge lists and focusing on Santa. He was just a small part of what Christmas was about.
Oh to be a child again with an active imagination. Just go with it and enjoy his innocence. Be four with him while you can, they grow up so fast and then reality kicks in.
Why not switch the conversation and get him making presents for other people? Also, find a place to volunteer at, etc.
Maybe if you make a list for Santa and have everything written down, he won't feel the need to keep talking about it. That's what I do with my kids and it seems to work.
Good luck :)
I've told my daughter that "Santa is too busy giving toys to children without a Mommy or Daddy, and that he helps us parents by telling us what you really want. Sometimes tho, Mommy and Daddy and even Santa, cannot always get you what you want"
About the slowing down... let him know that children who ask for too much sometimes end up with nothing.
Sounds appropriate for his age. Just make sure you tie what Christmas is all about with the gift giving. I think it is a phase and he'll move onto something else. After all Halloween is coming.
I did something similar to Bobbi. First of all I sat with my daughter, and we would write a letter to Santa together. That way he knew what she wanted and so did I. I taught her that Christmas is about giving, not getting and that we all give each other gifts and that it's not just Santa who gives. Also, Santa is in a hurry, so he has no time to wrap, and gifts were just tossed and stayed wherever they landed. We made sure the cookies and milk were placed on a table cloth because he got cookie crumbs everywhere and left milk rings on the table. The reindeer left chewed vegetables all over the back yard. Quite a mess actually. She was always very good about helping me clean up after Santa and didn't let me know that she stopped believing until she was 13 because the tradition was so much fun.
Tell him Santa doesn't' bring anything if you talk about it too much, and that all Mommies and Daddies have to report to Santa about what their boys and girls are doing.
We started having my daughter give gifts to shelters at this age and to go there to see what other kids didn't have like coats and gloves, etc. I have to stretch a dollar so a lot of things are from the dollar store, but some of that stuff is just as good as a dept store.
Now that she is 8 she really enjoys shopping and getting things for other kids who don't have as much. I don't think you can stop them from making lists as my daughter has already started, but we put a limit on it. She doesn't get everything on her list, so she needs to really think about what she wants. Santa also tends to bring a lot of necessities in our house, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, underwear, pjs, bathrobe, slippers, and then just a few good presents from her list.
Get the poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and sit down and read it to him. Also get a copy of the newspaper article, "Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus." Read that to your child.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Santa gives us gifts, like Christ was given gifts. And like the gift Christ gave to all of us.
Santa gives all of us the chance to give gifts that are really enjoyed and where someone else gets the credit. I wanted that to last as long as possible in my family.
Good luck to you and yours.
