The magic of Santa is still alive in our home ... Santa has done such a great job reinforcing his presence all these years, it's no wonder. :-)

I know this will most likely be one of the last years, if not the last year, my younger daughter still believes that Santa is a jolly old fellow with a bushy beard who somehow gets his big ol' self down the chimney each year without fail. And flying reindeer? Oh man ... my heart aches thinking this tradition will be short-lived in our home, although the spirit of Santa will continue to fill the stockings and leave special presents for as long as I'm around.

When my children were little, I actually had reservations about starting the Santa fantasy ... wondering if "lying" to my babies, who I swore I would always be honest with, would come back to haunt me. Somehow, this isn't the same as outright lying. It's creating holiday magic and reveling in the joy that fantasy brings to children. Santa is hope and love, Santa is joy and Santa is a big part of what makes Christmas special.

On the page of my Christmas site "Is Santa Real?", the author explains that Santa is, in fact, very real and encouraging our children to love and look forward to Santa's yearly visit is perfectly OK because what we are actually teaching them is the art of giving and that acts of kindness, good will and compassion are valuable characteristics to uphold and honor throughout their lives.

Parents will eventually have to come clean and acknowledge that there really isn't a big ol' jolly guy scraping himself raw by dragging presents in a sack down chimneys every year. When the time comes, try to remember what Santa Claus represents and let your child know that his spirit will continue every Christmas, no matter how old they become.

Allow kids the innocence of believing in Santa for as long as they will. And while they still believe, make Santa as magical and outrageously fantastical as you can. After all, the spirit of Santa is what parenting is all about.

Is Santa Real?