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How to Encourage Your Child to Keep Believing in Santa

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Most parents want there children to continue believing in Santa for as long as they possibly can because it makes Christmas more exciting for them! As the child gets older though they will stop believing in Santa so use this Wikihow to try to keep them believing for that little bit longer!


  1. 1
    Get your child to write a Christmas List to Santa. Make sure you do this while they are still at school. Get them to write a nice letter and then on the envelope, write an address for Santa of your choice. Be sure to use the same address every time. Tell them you will go to post it and get a stamp while they are at school. When they have gone to school, put it away somewhere that they will not find. When they have come home from school, tell them you have sent it.
  2. 2
    On the child's last day of school before breaking up for Christmas, write a note and put it into the mailbox or a far part of your outdoor backyard. When the child gets home from school tell them to do their homework and then you have a little surprise for them. If both of their parents are not at home, wait until they are. After they have finished their homework get them to put their school jumper back on if they have took it off because it is nice and warm, put a warm coat on, put on a scarf, put on a warm hat and finally gloves. Make sure both you and the other parent are wearing at least the coat and some of the other warm stuff. Take a walk with your child, One parent holding the child's hand at either side. You are only going into the backyard so if you have any other children leave them in the house. Now you and the other parent walk the child down to the end of the yard where you have left the letter. However old they are and however much they refuse to be walked down to the end of the yard like that just persist and make sure they actually do in the end. Tell them,"We went out here this morning and we found a note in the yard and it is addressed to you." Get the child to open the letter there and then, If they can not read yet then read it to them.
  3. 3
    On Christmas Eve, leave out Milk, Mince Pie and a carrot out for Santa. Maybe take your child for a walk at about 5pm in the same style as to collect the letter you left. Take them to look for Santa, You will not see him and you tell them after 15 minutes that he must not be around and go inside. If your child wonders why you never see Santa tell them it must be too early. If they ask to go out later then tell them if they go to bed late Santa won't come and they will not get presents.
  4. 4
    Have the child in bed, tucked in, lights out at 8pm at the latest. Tell them that any later, Santa won't come regardless of age. Let them sleep until they wake up naturally. If it is earlier than maybe 8am, tell them to go back to bed, Make sure you have a secure stair gate which will not allow them to be able to go downstairs, This is to get them more excited of what they might get. Make them have breakfast, their bath and clean their teeth before they open their presents which will help make them more excited. Only allow them to open their presents when you say they can. If they try to begin opening their presents before time, pick them up to stop them and take them to sit onto the stairs for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes is up allow them back into the room, Do the same procedure as many times as it takes until they sit there and wait until you tell them they can go and open their presents. If they are still not behaving appropriately and waiting patiently for their presents when Christmas Dinner is ready, make them eat before continuing to get them to behave so they can open their presents. Tell them clearly when they are made to sit on the stairs for the first time that every time they go for their presents before you allow them to means a longer wait and bedtime 2 minutes early, If the total time is only 2 minutes forget about it in the end. If the child has not managed to open their presents because of misbehaviour before 7.30pm when they should be getting ready for bed tell them that they will have to open them tomorrow and go through the same procedures. This will help with listening to when you tell them they are allowed to do something, and the first part will get excitement up.

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  • Do not try this with a child over 10 or 11 years.


  • Do not use this on children nearing adulthood like 14+ because they may continue to believe in Santa in their adulthood and wonder why their own kids don't get presents from Santa.
  • Older children like maybe 10+ years old will not like being walked down in the yard with both of their parents at either side holding their hands.
  • Children may get moody during this procedure particularly the part which is for enforcing good behaviour.

Things You'll Need

  • Patience
  • A child
  • You and another parent
  • A good punishment and reward system already in progress with the child

Article Info

Categories: Christmas for Kids

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