Santa Claus Doesn’t Cost Money
In the wonderful world of children, money has no real place. Children's imaginations conjure up all kinds of images about Santa and about the gifts brought by Santa. The stories about good children being rewarded and bad children losing out are well known to kids. What isn't always known to them is that when Santa Claus comes, they should be fast asleep, because Santa doesn't like being disturbed on his rounds. This makes playing Santa, even on a budget, very possible for parents and with a little ingenuity, they can perpetuate the myth of Santa in their children's eyes simply by adding to the mystery of Christmas and wonderment of the event of Santa visiting.
Getting priorities right
Children will probably be aware of the limits parents are under as far as Christmas is concerned. These will be the same financial limits they are accustomed to and most children instinctively know whether their parents are rich or poor. When writing out Christmas lists, the children should be taught not only to think of themselves, but to think of others who have very little. Santa gives to kids but it isn't the amount of money spent that is important. It's more important that children can think of things they want more than anything in the world that doesn't cost a parent too much. Some parents these days limit the children to one reasonably sized present and small stocking fillers, and talking through the little things that kids like is just as much fun than listening to demands for iPads and expensive items beyond most parent's budgets.
Make the myth magical
It costs nothing to write out the lists and to spend quality time with the children. Children who are at an age that believe in Santa aren't usually the most demanding kids. It's usually the older children who make demands beyond the limit of a parent's budget and, as stated above, those children should instinctively know their parent's limits. It's the younger children who need to have the myth of Santa made into something very real. For them, it's important and possibly more important than the amount of money spent. When the lists are made and have been read through by the parents, place them into an envelope and address the envelope to Santa. Theofficial addressfor Santa is:
North Polar – Santa ClausP.O. Box 56099North Pole, Alaska 99705-1099
Making the addressing of the envelope official, the children get to believe this really is something magical. Take them to the postbox to post the letter if you wish. If they ask how Santa will find your house, say that Santa knows where all the kids live.
Buying the gifts
Santa gives away a lot of gifts, but they don't have to cost the earth. Get the kids little stocking stuffers and that one toy they requested. If you are short of funds, a good way to make extra at Christmas is to hold a garage sale and to get rid of all the extra things around the house that are no longer needed. This can be held earlier in the year and the money put to one side for Christmas. Avoid credit card use, since this costs more in the long run.
Creating the illusion of Santa
A lot of people go to too much expense to create their illusion of Santa. It costs money to hire a Santa outfit or to make one, but since you have already instilled into the kids that good children must be asleep when Santa comes, and will encourage them to hide under their blankets so he doesn't see them watching, you don't actually need the outfit. To create the illusion all you need is a set of jingle bells. You can tell them a bedtime story about Santa and reinforce the idea that the first thing children hear are the bells of the sleigh. As soon as these are heard, all good children must hide under their covers because Santa won't come to houses where children are waiting or expecting him. He likes to be very secret in what he does.
Leaving a treat for Santa
This is a tradition, and can include anything from a plate of mince pies, to a lump of cheese and piece of Christmas cake. Let the children guess what Santa would like as a snack, and leave a nice glass of cola for him, so that he isn't thirsty in his work. The parent removes these before going to bed and leaves the empty glass and plate, so that kids see that he actually came. A good tip here is to leave a short note of “Thank you” from Santa, but parents should be careful that it's written in a handwriting the children know isn't theirs.
Wrapping the parcels
Always keep this away from prying eyes. Find a place to hide them where curious children cannot find them, as this really does spoil the illusion. To create a lasting illusion, the magic comes in the planning and if they have never seen gifts before Christmas, they are much more likely to believe them to have been delivered by Santa on Christmas night.
Making a perfect Christmas without spending a fortune
It really is true that children can have fun without it costing too much. They enjoy participation in making homemade decorations, felt Christmas stockings and generally get a buzz out of seeing the magic of the first lighting up of the Christmas tree. The illusion of Santa is one which becomes real once the timing is sorted out. For example, wait until the early hours of the morning to put the gifts into their rooms, or by the Christmas tree. Don't ring the sleigh bells at night as this makes children curious enough to want to get up to see what Santa has left behind. Ring them in the morning, when the children are waking up, because at this time of day, they will be more anxious to run to the gifts rather than the window to check to see if Santa is visible.
Playing Santa on a budget really isn't hard to do. With the imagination of children being honed to belief in Santa, often all that's needed is a little prompt, such as the jingle bells, to make that character come to life. A note left on an empty plate, and a plethora of parcels containing small but very enjoyable stocking stuffers helps to reinforce that belief. Fill up the stockings will fruit and nuts and add little homemade chocolates or small items of confectionery that don't cost a fortune, and what you give to your children is indeed an illusion they can believe in. When the baby Jesus appears in the crib in the creche next to the Christmas tree, and the kids descend on Christmas morning, they won't be thinking of red Santa outfits and the sound of “Ho, Ho, Ho.” They will be too engrossed in Christmas to worry about whether you spent out on an expensive Santa costume, and will have their belief in Santa very much intact.
