Naughty or Nice?

Our family has had a problem remembering to hang up their coats and backpacks after school, so we started a reward system. I can check at anytime to see if it's hung up and if things are away, the kids get a piece of candy. (We've gotten a lot of motivation out of a tootsie roll!) Well yesterday tragedy struck when Sydney did not earn her candy because she left her shoes in the middle of the back hall. She insisted that she was going to do it, but was just taking a break. So she spent some time lamenting in her room about her poor choices. OK...when I say lamenting I mean screaming and kicking the walls and yelling that nobody loves her anymore.

She did finally come out again and with a tear on her cheek she told me that she was very sad that she wouldn't be getting any presents this year. Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake, because I really didn't know what she was talking about. Then she let me know that Santa knows that she's been naughty and that everyday she has done something naughty and now she won't be getting any presents.

I assured her that Santa will be checking his list twice, so there is still time before Christmas to make a come back. I did feel really bad for her. She really believes in Santa even though none of the boys believe. She just told Ethan he was lying when he told her there was no Santa. She's confident in what she thinks she knows.

Moments like this make me feel blessed in the simplicity of a child's innocent belief in Santa...even if Santa is not the reason for the season. It's still part of the magic of Christmas!