Keeping The Santa Scam Alive

It's really fun to pretend you are Santa Claus. I'm not talking about getting dressed up and putting strange kids on your lap. No, you and your wife get to play Santa the  behind the scenes way: you get to eat the cookie leaving a few crumbs in the plate. You get to write special notes to the kids, trying to disguise your handwriting. And, you get to play up the "Santa's watching you, so you better behave" bit. (See my previous article on Using Santa To Manipulate Your Kids)

Unfortunately, your kids will get older and smarter and they will come to realize that there is no way Dad would let a strange man come down his chimney. And Mom doesn't even let us walk into the house with dirty shoes. They will find out one way or the other that Santa is fake, and you are a liar.

If they are smart, they will pretend to not let on at first. I remember being told by a friend (who had an older brother) that there was no Santa Claus in 3rd grade. I went through the motions for another 3 years before I finally revealed, I knew the truth. I didn't want to sacrifice the few more years of presents. Little did I know at the time, that my parents would continue "acting" as Santa well into my high school years. They got just a big kick out of it as my sister and I did.

{mosnooad}There is a time in your kid's life where they will be unsure. Their friend might have said something but they are still ignorant enough to not believe them. This is a time that should not be handled lightly. Do not fret! There are a number of proven techniques that can keep the Santa Scam going for you and your kids.

Footprints in the House
This is something I am trying this year. My kids know how incredibly OCD I am about a clean house. But on Christmas Eve, I will take my boots outside, squish them in the mud and then bring them inside and put footprint tracks out from the fireplace. It will be incomprehensible that Daddy would do that. Or that Daddy would let Mommy do it. Santa Scam still intact.

Footsteps and Presents on the Roof
This technique is especially golden if you and your family go somewhere during Christmas day. The night before Christmas, take a ladder and climb up onto the roof of your house. Don't worry about stomping too loud: it only adds to the ruse. Place a wrapped present upside down wedged in the gutter. As you pull out the next morning from your garage, happen to notice the present on the roof. The story is Santa must have dropped one of the presents. Brilliance in a bottle. Santa Scam still intact.

Santa For Hire
Get a friend, neighbor, relative to dress up in a Santa suit and make crazy amounts of noise downstairs. If the little buggers get out of bed, they will see Santa (clearly not Mommy or Daddy) downstairs filling stockings. Make sure the Santa for hire is someone that understands a clear exit strategy. If you have a kid who likes to approach strangers, they might reveal Santa is really Uncle Bob and then you are screwed. Santa Scam still intact.

Santa While You are Out
This is a technique a co-worker told me about. If you go to a midnight mass, have someone come into your house when you are gone and put all the presents out. Any type of scenario where presents re put out and it can't possibly be you or the wife is pure gold. Santa Scam still intact.

Use these techniques and you may very well continue this scam into their college years. Good luck noodads.