This Mom Is OK With Her Kid Telling Classmates The Truth About Santa
“She is 100% allowed to voice her opinion,” the mom says of her daughter in a viral video.
Parents approach the concept of Santa Claus in many different ways when it comes to celebrating Christmas. Some will play along with the magic of Santa and Christmas, leaving out cookies for the big guy and carrots for the reindeer. Some will explain that Santa is not, in fact, real, but more of a fun story to learn about around the holiday season. Some will avoid Santa Claus all together.
Whichever way a parent chooses to navigate the holidays and the tradition of Santa, many believe that it should be noted that just because your kid doesn’t think Santa is real doesn’t mean they need to ruin the magic for other kids.
One mom on TikTok, Anali Perez, learned that all too well after she posted a video of her daughter explaining to her that she let one of her classmates know that Santa was not real.
Perez, aka @anali_1110, uploaded a video of her daughter, Elliana, telling her that she broke the bad news to her friend in class after her mom got a text from the teacher about the incident.
“What were you telling kids?” she asks her daughter.
“That Santa wasn’t real,” her daughter responds.
“Why?” Perez asks with a giggle.
“Because they thought that Santa was real. And I said, ‘No he is not real,’” she explains with a smile.
Her older brother, Jax, concerned for the kids who just learned Santa is not real, says, “Now those kids are going to go home and have the worst Christmas ever.”
To which Elliana responds very matter-of-factly, “Today’s not Christmas.”
The video started a bigger conversation about the idea of letting kids decide for themselves about Santa — and if it was right or wrong of Elliana to voice how she felt about the Christmas magic.
“Thoughts on Santa?” Perez wrote on her now viral TikTok. “How do you break it to your kids when they find out it’s a lie and no longer magical? I honestly don’t care either way HOWEVER, be prepared to explain yourself knowing your kids will be around other kids who are not believers ... I tell my kids to not ruin it for others but I’m also not going to be mad when they state facts.”
The video, which has now garnered over 5 million views and over 400k likes, had people in the comments going back and forth about if this mom is in the right or wrong when it comes to her reaction to her daughter’s truth-telling.
“Ugh! I’m glad the teacher reached out. As a teacher myself it’s always sad when a kid ruins the magic for others. I hope you had a talk with her,” one user wrote.
However, many were supportive of the daughter’s realist attitude.
One user wrote, “Exactly we don't do Santa either and man people get so mad.”
The mom responded, “So worked up about a man that literally does not deliver presents or eat what is put out. Kids literally think someone is placing all of that out.”
After the video went viral, Perez made follow-up videos, further explaining why her daughter did what she did. “Her classmate said Santa was real, and in her eyes, she was also telling the truth,” Perez wrote on a follow-up TikTok video.
“Everyone has different beliefs. Her intentions were not to offend or hurt kids feelings. However she is 100% allowed to voice her opinion as well,” she captioned the video in which Eliana explains what happened while also grappling with the concept of Santa herself.
Most of the people leaving comments on the video took issue with Elliana telling other kids about Santa rather than staying quiet to let them believe. “That’s not her place to tell tho so all the parents and people are agreeing are fried asf. You need to teach her it’s okay if other kids believe,” one wrote.
Another wrote, “ok yeah she can voice her opinion but telling kids santa isn’t real is a whole different thing… you should tell her not to tell kids that, selfish.”
Perez responded, “That is her opinion 😂 kids said he was real and she said he wasn’t. Both opinions.”
