Q. How do I truthfully explain to my ten-month old daughter that Santa Claus isn't real and why she shouldn't celebrate Christmas? (Submitted by: M. J.) A. When our children were young my wife and I had to deal with the same problem you are experiencing. We found that children learn more by example than by words. Years ago, while walking in the shopping malls before Christmas, our family would invariably see several "Santas" along the way. Since my wife and I didn't celebrate Christmas, we would simply walk past any Santas we saw without making any comments. One year a lady asked our five year old what Santa brought him for Christmas. He simply replied, "We don't keep Christmas." Your daughter won't understand explanations for not keeping Christmas, such as its obvious pagan background, nor reasons why Santa is not real, for several years. My advice is for now don't try to explain this subject with your child. That way, she won't think anything wrong about children who believe in Santa. Eventually your daughter may feel like she's missing out on the presents, but again, just don't bring it up. Besides, relatives will likely bring gifts. You might want to discuss the situation with them, and ask that they bring only one gift each, and let your daughter know who it's truly from. | 