Remember, you are a special person, so make it a special holiday with less stress by planning well and involving others. Those with whom you share duties and experiences can be your personal, private support system. Herbert G. Lingren, Ph.D., Extension Family Life Scientist. Cited in Enriching Family Relationships , University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, December 1998. Right after Thanksgiving, millions of small children begin to fixate with zealous fervor on that omniscient, toy-bearing visitor from up North Santa Claus.
Parents do their part as well to reinforce the myth of the jolly old elf.
From sneaking the desired toys under the tree late at night to drinking the milk and eating the cookies, parents provide proof that Santa really was there. Parents relish this chance to relive their own childhood Christmases. Yet, as parents we also remember the moment when the awful truth that Santa Clause was only make-believe finally dawned on us, or worse, was thrust upon us by an older child or sibling. It marked a certain loss of innocence, and, in some cases, it caused real pain as we were forced to relinquish such a perfect fantasy. Naturally, as our own children approach the age when reason or a taunting schoolmate is likely to explode the Santa Claus myth, parents wonder how they can soften the blow.