What to do when the Santa ruse is exposed

When my four-year-old saw the presents under the tree Christmas morning, the very first thing she said wasn't, "Wow!" or "Santa came!" or anything like that. It was, "Hey Mama? How come Santa uses the same wrapping paper that you have in the closet upstairs?"

Busted.

I know that we only have a year or two before the questions about the big man in the red suit start to get more pointed and that my casual explanations (like yesterday's, "Oh, Santa must have run out of paper and borrowed some of ours.") won't be so easily accepted. It's honestly something that gave me pause before we ever introduce the concept of Santa to our kids. It's a magical myth, but one that can hurt once it's exposed.

Healthday has some excellent tips for guiding your school-aged child through the transition from hardcore Santa believer to serious doubter without ruining the magic for him or her. Recommended reading for every parent who celebrates Christmas with presents from Santa.