“But Mom, We Have No Chimney!!”
I was six years old when we moved house. It was a move upwards too, as
this home had more bedrooms, a much bigger yard, a swimming pool and room in
the garage for two whole cars!!!! But
there was one thing missing. As we carried boxes of toys into our new home on
that mid-December day, this missing item became a matter of grave concern to
me.
“Mom, where is the chimney?”
“We now have electric heating honey. We no longer need one.”
We were days away from Christmas, and this crushing realization that we
were now a chimney-less family came as a devastating blow. I was on the verge
of tears, yet remain composed enough to continue my interrogation.
“Does this mean Santa Claus won't leave toys under the tree this year?”
“Of course he will.”
“But Mom, We Have No Chimney!!!”
I could no longer contain myself, and I dissolved into tears. Mom put
her arm around me and explained that Santa didn't always need a chimney to
leave gifts for good little boys and girls. There were other ways for Santa to
get in, and in our case it was the golden Magic Key. So, if you live in a home
without a chimney, let me tell you about the golden Magic Key and other ways
you can answer your kids when they ask how Santa is going to get into your
place this Christmas.
The Golden Magic Key
Mom told me that Santa Claus always carries a golden Magic Key. (** note
the capitalization and that it is made of gold. It must always be thus.) When
his sleigh lands on the roof and he notices there is no chimney, he simply uses
the golden Magic Key which is magic because it unlocks every lock in the world!
This explanation worked for me, and I have used this one on my own kids...yes,
our place has no chimney either.
The Portable Chimney
Of course the golden Magic Key is magic and all that, but the thought of
Santa simply unlocking a door and walking can come across as a bit ordinary
when you think about it. There's something more romantic about the thought of
Santa squeezing his ample frame down a narrow chimney, so you may want to tell
your children that Santa carries a Portable Chimney, which he straps to the
side of his sleigh. If he visits a home with no chimney, he simply uses the
portable one. And if your children say they have never seen a Portable Chimney
strapped to the side of a sleigh in all the pictures they have seen, you can
turn the Portable Chimney into the Invisible Portable Chimney, designed by the
people behind Wonder Woman's invisible plane.
Santa's Secret Knock
Santa's Secret Knock avoids awkward questions such as “ How can Santa
install and uninstall a Portable Chimney without anyone hearing?”. The Secret
Knock is a much more fool-proof affair. The beauty of Santa's Secret Knock is
that only grown-ups can hear it. When Santa does use it, only a parent can hear
it and only a parent can let Santa in. (You might want to remove your door bell
at this stage, to avoid an awkward question as to why Santa doesn't use that
instead.)
He Just Can!
Not really a creative way to explain how Santa gets into a chimney-less
residence, but it is nice and simple, and emphasizes the magic of Christmas.
Any man who can fly around the world in a sleigh, and provide presents for
millions and millions of kids AND stay happy and jovial at a time of year when
the rest of us are feeling the strain, has to be pretty special. So when he
arrives at a home with no chimney, he'll get in regardless. Because he's Santa.
He just can!
You Could Always Move...
Older children might be a little skeptical about these explanations, so
the ultimate way to get around it is to move to a home with a chimney.
Expensive, but 100% effective!
AUTHOR BIO
Sophie Olver is a
mother of two daughters and co-owner of MADC’S, designers and creators of the
best quality children's sleepwear available in Australia, if not the world. At www.mad-cs.com.au bedtime is not the end of
the day but rather the beginning of the next adventure!
This is such a nice post - It is amazing how kids will believe in the magic of Christmas and Santa Clause, It is our duty as parents to make them enjoy the season and your ideas are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. I always thought about how I would explain it to my daughter.
ReplyDeleteknickgirl_3 at yahoo dot com
Whenever the Santa question came up with our children, whether it was how he go in or if he was real, we stressed the importance of the spirit of Christmas. Santa was a part of us all and as long as we kept that spirit of giving in our hearts, he would find us and stay alive to us.
ReplyDeleteSo true! I have never loved in a home with a chimney - so it was always understood that he could get it (although we did not have a magic key) and since he is magical and the how do reindeers fly sometimes comes up - it was just understood, but I really like these explanations, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cute idea! We recently bought a electric fireplace and my kids are only 3 years old and 18 months old so I do not think we need to explain much. I love Chirstmas...I love the magic of it all....the meaning. I love how my kids are mesmerized by everything. Love the post!
ReplyDeleteErin K. (erinknack08@yahoo.com)
We have never had a chimney in any of the homes I either lived in or even rented while in college! I grew up in Florida so you don't get too many down here. I love the Magic Key and will have to try this with our daughters, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, my daughter is 3 and has so many questions about everything right now! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 3 and has so many questions right now about everything that's for the idea!
ReplyDeleteWe have the opposite questions right now. This is the first year we've had a chimney, and my 4-year-old is worried about Santa getting burned when he comes down the chimney (even though we haven't built a fire yet).
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the Golden Magic Key is the best I've ever heard. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLiving in the age of electronics Santa Claus texts me when he is close by and I open the door for him. If they hear the door open they cannot leave their beds cause then Santa Claus will run away and they won't get their presents! LOL I can't believe these things work so well!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea and in fact I ended up ordering one - and I can't wait to get it so we can use it, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the Golden Magic Key idea. My oldest has started asking questions...this solves the problem. Thanks!
ReplyDeletei loved the ideas very informative and got to learn a lot. I keep getting questions asked by my daughter so now i now where to look for answers
ReplyDeleteI love that kids come up with these questions. Makes me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteAwww...what a sweet post. I like the portable chimney! Hahaha!
ReplyDeleteThis is a cute post!
ReplyDeletelove the post we have a chimmy and have lived here since our kids been born so im lucky i dont have to do anything like that
ReplyDelete