Santa Claus is Coming...

Now is the time of year that we should start to prepare for the Christmas season. I have always loved the Christmas season and Santa has always made it great fun. Now is the time we begin to tell our children that they must be good little boys and girls if they want Santa to bring them gifts. You know, the part about Santa making his list and checking it twice, to see if they are naughty or nice. I remember with my oldest child I would start early, as early as possible, using the season as a way to keep him in line. Santa has always made a great tool for discipline in my house.

As the season would approach I would warn my child "Santa is watching" so you better be good. As soon as he would begin to complain or do something he wasn't suppose to be doing I would say "Did you see that!?". "What momma?" he would say. My reply would be, "In the window, I thought I saw one of Santa's elves!". His eyes would get really big and his behavior would suddenly improve. Oh how I loved Santa and his little elves. If only they were around all year long....

Santa can also be a very effective potty training tool. When my oldest son was getting ready to turn three years old, he still would not potty on the big boy potty. He knew how and he knew he was supposed to, but he was a stubborn child and refused. You would ask him, "do you have to go potty?", he would say no and then proceed to find a hiding place where he could have privacy as he messed his pants. The Christmas season approached and I became more and more frustrated. So when we went to visit Santa, I quietly snuck up and whispered to Santa about the situation I was in. My son got up on Santa's lap and it went like this.

Santa said "one of my elves told me that you have been going potty in your pants instead of the big boy potty." My sons eyes got great big and he looked over at me with a look I can not even describe. It was priceless, I only wish I had a picture of it. Then he said "if you want Santa to bring you toys for Christmas, you need to go in the big boy potty, OK?" My son shook his head in agreement and then began to give Santa his Christmas list.

Potty training accomplished! He had one accident before Christmas which sent him into a fit of tears. He was afraid that Santa wouldn't bring him anything because of it. I lovingly reassured him that I was pretty sure there were no elves looking in the windows, that Santa would know it was an accident and he would still bring him gifts. That was the last accident and my son was forever a big boy.

I know that Santa is not the reason for the season, that it is all about Jesus Christ. We are very clear about that at our house. We read the story of the birth of Christ and bake a birthday cake for him. We also have a tradition where we write a card to him each year. We write about what we will commit to do for him in the upcoming year. Each person takes a card, fills it out and seals it up. It is kept in a box until the next Christmas when we get to read what we wrote last year.

Santa is not the main focus, but he sure is a lot of fun! And in my opinion, whats wrong with a little fun?!?