This is something that I shared at work this week and a few people found it interesting/helpful so you might too. We were talking about Christmas and what presents Santa brings.

One of my children is very scientific minded and asks questions about everything. Endless questions. All the questions. Questions three levels deeper than you’d think would be necessary in any case.

So this child was very doubtful of Santa in any case. I didn’t try too hard with the convincing and figured we’d just do whatever goes. But I did not factor in the worldwide conspiracy that is Santa. Everyone asks children in December if they’re looking forward to Santa visiting. Everyone talks about what Santa brought them as a child. Everyone tells children, “of course Santa is real!” So we went with it, although there were so many questions and doubt.

But here is what Santa brings in this house which accidentally turned out to increase the belief in Santa:

• Mini cereal packs. If you’re not sure what I mean, there’s the Kellog’s Variety Pack which has the healthier cereals (but let’s face it, no one is eating the Sustain, it’s like chewing sticks) or the Fun Pack with which you get sugary cereals but less little packs for Santa’s money. Santa started this one year because I kept refusing to buy Cocoa Pops for them to eat. I think Santa brought the Variety Pack that year which is how I know that Sustain is like chewing sticks.
• Annoying things. Clag glue instead of glue sticks (easy to knock over and spill everywhere). Glitter (ugh). New felt pens to replace the one that dried out when the lids were left off and will just dry out in a few days time when the lids are left off these ones too.
• Lightning McQueen band-aids instead of normal ones. The kids know that mum would never buy the band-aids that costs four times as much and don’t even stick as well. Santa and the elves though, they go for that. (This is an example. It is not band-aids every year! But something small that they ask for at the shops and I say no too because there’s a better and cheaper alternative and they don’t need it)
• There are some toys in there too! (And toothbrushes)

The upside of this is that there’s a little bit of doubt over Santa in the house. I mean sure it would be hard to move all those presents in the one night (but it’s not one night, I say, children in Europe get theirs in early December! It’s a staggered schedule) but see… last year there was Clag glue in the Santa sack which annoys Mum so much she puts it on a high shelf and Cocoa Pops for breakfast and they got to try Froot Loops for the first time and that seems to be more proof that something magical is happening than all the adults in the world telling them that Santa is real.