Have your kids asked any questions about how COVID-19 is going to change Christmas this year? If so, you're not alone. Our little ones have done a great job at being resilient in the face of so many changes this year. That said, it's still hard when staying safe means sacrificing some of the biggest fun of the year.
The questions can also be hard for parents to answer. Questions about COVID, staying home, and more have already proven difficult without throwing Santa Claus into the mix. Still, kids will wonder how Santa can get around the world when the world is dealing with so much.
Of course, kids aren't worried about just their gifts but about Santa himself. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci has commented on Santa to help ease the worries of concerned kids. “Santa is exempt from this because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity,” Dr. Fauci told USA Today.
“Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.”
Here are some tips for answering kids' burning questions about how Santa will work this year.
The holiday season is going to look different this year.
There's no denying that the holiday season will look different in 2020. Families aren't able to engage in larger get-togethers. Some celebrations will have to happen virtually. It's a lot for a child to adapt to, and there are bound to be some questions.
Is Santa quarantining in the North Pole?
Santa is one of the safest people to be around to begin with. He spends all year at the North Pole with only his closest associates. Let the kiddos know Santa has been quarantining all year so that he can keep spreading the holiday cheer to families all across the globe.
Can Santa still visit kids this year?
The good news is that yes, Santa is still making the rounds this year. He's being extra safe about it, wearing masks and requiring his elf helpers to do the same. Reassure kids that Santa is taking the same measures as your family to stay safe, and maybe even more!
Is it safe to send Santa letters?
Of course! Santa looks forward to letters from kids around the world each year. Parents will also be intrigued to learn that many kids are venting about their COVID-related anxieties in these letters as well. A representative of a French post office that handles the country's Santa letters shared what she had seen of the letters with CP24.
"The kids have been very affected by COVID, more than we think. They are very worried. And what they want most of all, apart from presents, is really to be able to have a normal life, the end of COVID, a vaccine," she noted.
"The letters to Father Christmas are a sort of release for them. All this year, they have been in lockdowns, they have been deprived of school, deprived of their grandpas and grandmas. Their parents have been occupied by the health crisis and whatnot. So we, of course, can tell that the children are putting into words everything they have felt during this period."
Can we still take pictures with Santa?
Here's even more good news! You can still take pictures with Santa, regardless of what precautions your family is comfortable taking. For families that are OK with heading to the mall for classic Santa pictures, many retailers are finding ways to make that happen. You may not be able to sit on Santa's lap, but you can take photos with the help of invisible partitions that are sometimes decorated to give the photo a little extra something.
If you're not looking to leave home, you can still get sweet Santa photos for your kids. There are many apps out there, like Santa Pics, that allow you to get pictures of the kids and Santa using augmented reality and other neat photo tricks. Kids can even video chat with Santa using services such as HireSanta.
Can I help Santa stay safe?
Of course you can! If your kids are worried about Santa staying safe, leave him some reinforcements along with the milk and cookies. You can leave an extra mask or some hand sanitizer so that kids feel like they're doing their part in helping Santa stay well enough to deliver gifts all over the globe.
Should we leave Santa a different snack?
If your kids have been taught to avoid sharing food, they may wonder if milk and cookies will put Santa at risk. If that's the case, brainstorm with your kids to come up with some safer snacks for Santa. It may feel silly, but if it helps your kid feel better, it's as worth playing along with as any of the magic of Christmas is.
Can we still track Santa?
COVID can't get in the way of kids' favorite Santa trackers giving them the blow-by-blow of his trip around the world. NORAD Santa Tracker starts counting down to tracking Santa as of December 1. Google Santa Tracker offers fun browser games in the lead-up to the holiday.
What's the truth about Santa?
While you'll be able to talk through Santa worries with your kids, there's a time every parent is faced with telling kids the reality behind Santa. Only you can know for sure when it's the right time to talk to your child about it. Know that the magic of Christmas is as much about the magic of family coming together and creating memories as it is about the mystery of Old St. Nick.
