Is Santa Anti-Montessori?
A version of this was originally published on The EveryMom.
In Montessori education, the child’s developmental needs are at the forefront of any new concept or information being presented. Children under the age of 6 are concrete learners, meaning everything they see/hear/learn is accepted as real. As an AMI trained Montessori teacher, I adhere to this and try to present my own children and students with factual information, reality based books and photographs that depict the world around them. In the classroom and at home, I strive to expose the children to a variety of cultures and celebrations during the holiday season. Through books, storytelling and family sharing, we discover the traditions of Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and winter solstice. Most importantly, I emphasize that depending on culture, people believe different things.
But what about Santa Claus and some of the make-believe traditions that surround the holidays?
In some countries, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas may be part of your cultural traditions. Children have a craving to understand the world around them, they want to know the history of why we celebrate this way. Simply put, “Santa Claus is based on someone named St. Nicholas who was generous and kind and brought gifts to people so they would feel happy.”
Montessori also puts respect for the child first. Respecting your child means checking in with them and assessing their comfort level. Offer choices; “would you like to sit on Santa’s lap or just wave from afar?” If you notice that the fabricated magic of the holiday is creating nerves or anxiety, maybe just focus on ways to bring the holiday magic, without the make-believe. If you notice your child seems bewildered about a man coming down a chimney, re-direct the focus to decorating the house instead. Instead of talking about “nice versus naughty,” focus on the generosity and excitement in writing holiday cards and invite your child to give small gifts to people of their choosing. Listen to festive songs, decorate the house together, bake and cook holiday treats!
It might be a good time to determine your own holiday traditions as a family. If you are a family that loves posing on Santa’s lap, enjoys leaving cookies out for reindeer or writing letters for Santa, then you should decide together what your traditions will be. And if you want to keep it reality-based, but still enjoy stockings by the chimney, it’s ok to do that without the backstory of Santa delivering presents. Follow your child and decide as a family what your holiday traditions will be.
When your child reaches the age when they begin to question the reality of Santa, you again get to decide what works best for your family.
You can always return to the mention that “people believe different things.” But the truth about Santa doesn’t necessarily mean the magic may disappear. Your child will hopefully continue to appreciate the spirit of the holidays and enjoy the kindness and generosity of our culture. They will also carry with them the traditions and celebrations that your family has decided upon together.