Third-grader Tess McDermott is coming to terms with the fact that this might have to be the year to break it to Mum and Dad that Santa Claus is a fictional character.
The Melbourne girl said she has been putting off the chat for years, given how important Santa seems to be to them. “They talk about him constantly. They say things like ‘I wonder what Santa is going to bring this year?’ and ‘Do you think Santa is getting his sleigh ready yet?’ – they seem totally convinced he’s real. So it’s going to be a hard conversation to have, for sure,” McDermott said.
She said seeing the joy on her parents’ faces as they asked her to help them put out milk and cookies and write a note for Santa each year was adorable, but believed they were now old enough to learn the truth.
“Being 44 and still believing that a man in a red suit travels around the world in a sleigh pulled by reindeers and then slides down our chimney to deliver presents is a bit much – I should’ve told them earlier. But then, most of their friends still seem to believe in him too”.
