Gingerbread cookies, carols, lights, ornaments, wrapping paper, ribbons, presents…..finding the right present……Santa, Santa, Santa …… QUESTIONS!!!  “Emma got 3 REAL American Girl dolls for Christmas!”, “Jimmy got a Power Wheels and so did his brother!”, “Tommy got a Wii AND a new DSi!” …. and then what we all dread … “How come WE can’t have all those cool things???”

Yes, we dread it, but it’s part of the deal.  If it’s not related to Santa, it will be on the next birthday, when they turn 16 and want a car like a friend has, or when they’re an adult and have worked their butts off for a long time but still aren’t living in luxury.  The only option is to perfect your technique for answering their questions.  Avoid the urge to just give some flippant answer that they can (and WILL undoubtedly) shoot holes in as soon as they gain some new knowledge that can hurt us.

Ok, so starting at the beginning, back to Santa.  The jolly old fellow.  He has all the money and time in the world, he knows everything, like if I’ve been naughty or nice  and what I really want for Christmas and most of all, he MAKES the toys, so why can’t he make enough to give to every kid who wants one of them?  Ugh.

Well, we’ve had to set the record straight around a house with 4 children who know many privileged and other simply spoiled kids.  We’ve been forced to be completely and brutally honest with our kids and put to rest some of these silly, childish ideas that have been circling around for years about Santa Claus.

Myth #1  Santa makes all the toys

No, he doesn’t.  He used to make all the toys way back when they were carved out of wood and very simple and there weren’t so many children on Earth.  Now, he has to buy them in the stores just like everyone else.  He gets better prices since he’s such a good customer, but he can only buy what the toy manufacturers make and then, only if it’s still in stock.

Myth #2  Santa knows what I want, so I will get it

No, it doesn’t.  Santa might know what you want, but, Santa respects each family’s wishes and traditions and most definitely, the parents’.  He won’t get a child something that the parents don’t approve of.  So, that’s why some children receive things that our children do not.

Myth #3  Santa can afford anything.

No, he can’t.  You see, Santa’s job isn’t exactly a highly paid one.  He does what he does out of pure love.  So, when it comes to buying the toys, he needs a little help.  So, parents send Santa the amount of money they have in their budgets for Santa toys and then Santa uses it for that family’s children.  He decides what toys to give and makes sure everything is fair and equally distributed for everyone in the family.

It’s really pretty simple and straightforward.  We don’t find ourselves weaving together little white lies and half truths that we need to keep track of or keep tweaking every time they find some little thread to pick at just to keep the whole thing from unraveling.  So, stay away from stories full of fantasy and magic and just stick to the truth of the matter.  And always remember, It’s OK to Believe!

You have just stumbled upon the opening post of a blog that has been many years in research and stalled for about 3 years in the creative department! I own and operate The Rosey Bear Boutique (www.RoseyBearBoutique.com). How is this relevant? Well, our vision is to provide service to our customers and not just throw product into boxes as fast as possible and have it rattle it’s way to the customer’s door. We assist with everything from choosing the appropriate item, determining proper sizing and even finding hard-to-find items. Through this personal service, we have spent many hours talking to parents across the country.

The years of research (also known as life experience), are what sparked the first idea, some years ago, of sharing tips and techniques that have made the difference in some of the more impossible situations in my home. Often asking the question, “Where IS the manual for this child?!”, we’ve turned to other parents for suggestions or just a little reassurance that we aren’t the only ones experiencing the same kind of struggle.

Well, knowing that many out there are going through the same sort of things, it only makes sense to share any successful methods that we find along the way. Now, we get to the point! (finally, you say?) So, we’ve extended our service to include this blog. If one customer found a tip useful, isn’t it likely that others might? Just because someone isn’t a customer, aren’t they just as likely to be interested in tips that could potentially make some small aspect of their lives easier? Although it’s not certain, it is possible. So, here we are at the Mom 2 Mom Tips blog. Maybe you won’t find anything here useful, but we hope you do. If we can save just one gray hair for just one parent, then I guess it’s worth it!