How to Tell Kids About Santa and Easter Bunny

If you do Santa and the Easter Bunny in your home, then your kids probably really love Christmas and Easter. Tons of candy and gifts from this person that somehow is able to visit all of the homes across the world in one night. It’s pretty crazy how believing kids can be when you stop to think how big the world is.

At some point, your kids are going to start figuring out that these characters are not real. They’ll start becoming suspicious and wondering how it’s all possible. For every child, this time will be different. When the time comes, you’ll need to be ready to tell them the truth about these holidays and characters.

When to tell kids the truth?

As mentioned above, the age of your child will depend on many factors as to when they are ready to know the truth. You’re generally looking in the 6 to 12 range for the age of the child. Some kids will become suspicious much earlier than others. Depending on if they go to school and have older siblings or not can also affect the age at which they start learning the truth.

Many kids will continue to pretend to believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny if you haven’t told them the truth. The reason is that they’re scared and/or ashamed that they know the truth and they don’t want you to know that they know. You’ve been pretending about these characters their whole life, so they’re simply unsure what to do. This is one of the primary reasons that some parents choose not to use these characters in their home.

It’s important to talk to your child, and try to pick up on the signs of whether or not they actually still believe in these characters. Every child is different, but as a parent you should be able to see signs that they no longer believe: if you ask them directly about what they want from Santa, or if they want to write to Santa, watch how they respond. Obviously, if your child starts asking if Santa is real and continues to push, then they are likely ready as well. If you have younger children, letting the older ones know so they don’t spoil it for the younger ones may also be important to you.

How to tell kids the truth?

When your child is ready, simply sit them down and tell them that Santa and the Easter Bunny are not real (you may have separate conversations about them). Explain to them that Santa is simply a character that was used in the home to help bring a magical feeling to them for the time of year.

You should then explain that Santa actually does exist. However, Santa is not a person but it is an idea or way in which one acts. Santa is actually everyone. The neighbor who gives presents just to see someone smile, the grandma who gives presents to the grandkids she rarely sees. Everyone who gives a present is Santa to someone else.

Santa and the Easter Bunny are simply ideas or ways of acting that are built into a physical form. Breaking down what those forms actually represent, and reiterating the importance of continuing to show those ideas at their respective times of season is important. If you are religious, this would be the time to make sure they remember the importance of the religious meanings of the holiday as well.

Conclusion

You’ll need to tell your kids about Santa and the Easter Bunny at some point. Be on the lookout for when it’s right for them to know. Make sure they remember the purpose of these characters so that your child can continue to emanate the important characteristics.