Dec 19, 2016 10:41 AM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

At some point, every child who is introduced to the idea about Santa Claus will wonder if he is real. And as parents, it's a bit hard to say "no" to your kids outright. This can be an uncomfortable time for any parent especially when you have to decide whether it's time to tell your child the truth or not. But according to Glen Elliott, Ph.D. an associate professor and the Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco, there's really no perfect time for you to tell your kids that there's no Santa Claus. But here are some tips you can follow:

Wait for your child's lead

When your child starts asking questions if Santa is real, that means that they are starting to have doubts that he may really not be real at all. And this is a good chance for parents to open up the discussion about the truth about Santa Claus.

Explain the rituals associated with Santa

As parents, you're not going to have to be the ones to break the bad news because your children may also be able to get it from their peers and when they do, you can just explain how the Christmas spirit and tradition is linked to Santa Claus.

Tell the real story about Santa

It will be a lot easier to explain who Santa really is rather than telling your kids that he is not real at all. Tell them about who Saint Nicholas really is. You also have to explain why you had to participate in the story of Santa Claus so that your children will not misunderstood your decision and will not think that you intentionally wanted to break their trust. Let them know of your sincere intentions.

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