"Children will accept guidelines and Dr David Coleman says warning them in advance that a present they have asked for is unlikely to arrive will soften the blow"
"Your six-year-old son has asked Santa for a Nintendo Switch. Santa may not have a problem delivering, as it might be within his capacity, but perhaps you have an issue with your son receiving it. Perhaps your six-year-old daughter has asked Santa for skincare products that you don't want her to start using yet."
"So, what do you do when Santa is being asked to deliver something that you, as the actual adult in charge, don't feel is right? Because Santa is involved, the stakes feel higher. You are not only trying to manage a values-based limit in your home, but you are also trying to manage the magic of Christmas."
Children accept clear guidelines more readily when given advance notice about likely disappointments. Warning a child before Christmas that a requested gift is unlikely to arrive reduces shock and eases acceptance. Parents may face requests that conflict with family values or developmental readiness, such as age-inappropriate skincare or gaming consoles. Adults must balance setting values-based limits with preserving seasonal wonder. Framing boundaries around what Santa can bring lets children retain belief while understanding household expectations and learning to manage disappointment constructively.
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