"This is a question that you really should think about a little later in your daughter's life. At this point, your daughter doesn't know the difference, and the confusion-or maybe I should say dilemma-will actually come when she's old enough to talk and goes to school or day care, where she'll interact with other kids who might believe in Santa."
"But kids can have holiday magic with or without Santa. Once your daughter is about 3 years old, she might start to indicate to you and your husband what she's interested in. If she's starting to ask about Santa after being exposed to the idea, maybe consider being a Santa house. If she expresses no interest whatsoever, it might not be necessary. You'll just want to make sure she's not a kid who's going around telling all the other kids that he doesn't exist."
"Dear Care and Feeding, You might also land on a solution that's a mix: Maybe one or two gifts come from Santa, but all of the rest are from parents and other family and friends. That's how it was in our house growing up, but the current kids in our family don't really think about Santa. We just follow their lead! After all, it's really all about them. So the magic is what they want it to be."
Decide whether to present Santa when the child begins to show interest, usually around three years old. At 19 months the child is too young to distinguish realities and will encounter the Santa idea later at school or daycare. Parents can choose to be a "Santa house" if the child asks after exposure, or opt out if the child shows no interest. A mixed approach can work: designate one or two gifts from Santa and attribute the rest to family. Monitor the child's conversations with peers to avoid telling others Santa does not exist. Let the child's cues and enjoyment guide holiday practices.
Read at Slate Magazine
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