An Arizona man has revealed what happened when his 8-year-old daughter discovered the truth about Santa Claus.
It’s arguably the biggest dilemma the average parent will face during the festive season: deciding when is the right time to break the news to their child that Santa is not real.
One of the biggest joys for moms and dads with young children is encouraging them to believe in the magic of Christmas. However, there comes a point in every young person’s life when it’s time they learned the truth.
Quite when that point is, is a matter of some debate. In 2020, a YouGov poll of 1,200 U.S. adults found that 17 percent think children should stop believing in Santa at the age of 10. However, 35 percent felt the truth should be revealed earlier.
Derek Rogers from Gilbert, told Newsweek he and his wife always “leaned into the magic of Santa and Christmas” when it came to their 8-year-old daughter.
“Our daughter had an Elf on the Shelf who was a kind elf and a Christmas friend. She also had all the Elf Pets from the same story. She wrote letters to Santa, and sometimes he even wrote back,” he said.
That was until last week when, according to Rogers, she said to them: “A boy at school said Santa isn’t real. And that elves on the shelf aren’t real either. And that the only people who still believe that are me and my family. Mom, Dad… is it true? Is Santa real?”
Rogers and his wife had prepared for this day. “We had always agreed that once she was old enough to ask directly, we wouldn’t lie to her. So, just a week before Christmas, it was time to have the conversation,” he said.
“We explained the legend of Saint Nicholas, the Spirit of Christmas, and how parents all over the world keep the magic alive by giving children the joy of believing in Santa. We told her that when a child grows old enough, they get to learn the true story and become part of the tradition by helping to keep the spirit alive.”
Rogers said they went on to “gently” confirm to their daughter that the Elf on the Shelf and Elf Pets weren’t real either. When they were finished, Rogers was left with the sense they had done a good job of explaining the truth. He quickly discovered how wrong he was.
Instead, his daughter broke down in tears, crying out between sobs: “You lied to me for eight years?!” Though they attempted to comfort her, Rogers said his daughter told them: “I have to say some things that might not be nice, and I don’t want to say them out loud.” She stormed off into their home office returning a few minutes later with a note which read:
Rogers ended up sharing the letter, which was written in two parts, with a friend who, with his permission, shared it to Reddit under the handle u/ITookYourGP. It’s been upvoted over 4,000 times.
“While it was heartbreaking to see her pain, we couldn’t help but smile at the tenderness and sweetness in her writing,” Rogers said.
After giving their daughter some time, Rogers and his wife went into her room and hugged her. “No words, no talking, just holding her and letting her process her feelings,” he said.
Once she calmed down and was ready to talk, something special happened. “We ended up sharing some of our favorite memories of Santa’s magic from our childhoods, and she recounted some of her own magical moments,” Rogers said.
Though his daughter said she was “still mad” when she went to bed that night, in the days that followed, she was able to process the news and find a new way to enjoy the festive holidays.
“She’s back to her cheerful, happy self,” he said. “She’s even excited to help wrap presents, put them under the tree, and carry on the spirit of Christmas. She started moving the Elf on the Shelf herself and giggled when we discovered the new places it appeared around the house.”
It might not have gone the way they had planned, but in telling their daughter the truth, Rogers may have helped her discover the true magic of Christmas.
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