Kids tend to have a lot of questions about Santa and they can really tough to answer. Read below to learn the best answers to all your kids’ questions.
How can he get all over the world in just one night?
Santa has more than 24 hours due to the earth’s tilt and all the time zones—when New Yorkers are setting out the cookies, children in Australia have already opened all their packages.
We don’t have a chimney. How will he get in?
He’ll walk right through the front door! It’s that simple. Sometimes families with a chimney make a fire and Santa has to use the front door then, too, because—well, ouch. (He’s also been known to skip the chimney if he’s eaten too many cookies.)
Leave him a key! Mr. Claus can let himself in with a special key only he can use. Have your child make your own using any old key (add sequins for festiveness), ribbon, and paper.
How does he really know if kids have been bad or good?
Santa has eyes everywhere. Elves—the one on your shelf and the ones at the North Pole—are always watching, but mommies and daddies, teachers, babysitters, and bus drivers are all part of Team Santa too. They report to the man in red on a daily basis, which means, just to be safe, you should probably be on your best behavior everywhere you go, all the time, no matter what.
Why does Santa have the same wrapping paper as my mom?
Every once in a while, Santa reaches into his sack to pull out a present and discovers it’s not wrapped. This means that some elf didn’t do his job and will probably be demoted to cleaning the reindeer pen on December 26, but in the meantime, the big guy keeps his cool and goes into your mom’s wrapping-paper stash to borrow just a little to wrap the gift.
Is the mall Santa the REAL Santa?
Santa is still at the North Pole making his list and checking it twice. He couldn’t possibly sit outside Anthropologie all day smiling and ho-ho-ho-ing. So, who is that jolly old guy whose lap you sit on every December? One of Santa’s many helper Santa’s, that’s who. You should still take your visit seriously, though, because the helper Santa reports back.
The beard, the belly, the long line—it can all be overwhelming. Before you hit the mall, check out Facebook photos of your friends’ kids meeting Santa, or dig up yours from previous years to reacquaint yourselves with the routine. And don’t go straight to the back of the line—walk by Santa first to take a peek. Try to catch his eye so you can smile and wave and build excitement for your turn.