

Small kids struggle to understand the idea of a symbol, so you need a physical man to embody the idea that Christmas is about joy through selfless giving.

When they're bigger you can explain that Santa is not a living man, but an idea. https://twitter.com/laurahelmuth/status/1076242727942189056 Urgh, it's not that deep.Small kids struggle to understand the idea of a symbol, so you need a physical man to embody the idea that Christmas is about joy through selfless giving.When they're bigger you can explain that Santa is not a living man, but an idea.

Yes, once children reach a certain age they are more than capable of reasoning and understanding. That's why they are capable of understanding that it's not a lie to tell them about Santa, it's a personification of a set of ideals that symbolise the season.

Once they understand that Santa is an idea, rather than a real person, you can explain to them that they have a responsibility to live that idea by themselves giving selflessly during the holiday season.