2 | Thursday, November 25, 2010
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
Unique gifts for the art lover can be found in New Britain
mon are discovered by shoppers in these places. When the day for exchanging presents arrives, these particular items are First comes the allotment of savings for treasured by loved ones who particularly gifts, next the review of everyone’s lists, enjoy receiving offerings that feel like they then the shopping bags filling the trunk, were crafted just for them. and finally the wrapping paper and assortThere are a few of these mom-and-pop ment of colorful bows to adorn the season’s locations around this locale that specialize purchases. in different gadgets, pieces, knick-knacks, Stores are just trinkets and souvebeginning to prenirs. You name it pare for the rush and they just may of customers that have it. have begun to The following are arrive this holiday two wonderful sites season by decoratin New Britain. ■ The New ing their buildings Britain Museum of and arranging their American Art has holiday best around a holiday special their stores. starting Friday and The specific elecrunning through tronics, furniture Sunday offerand clothing that GREATER NEW BRITAIN ART ALLIANCE ing 15 percent off make up family members’ and friends’ wish lists are often merchandise. The museum shop sells found at the chain stores in malls, but the ornaments, entertaining items like wine unique and unconventional are found at stoppers and platters, Christmas books for children, and both Christmas and neighborhood gift shops. Jewelry, handicrafts, artwork, imported Hanukkah cards. Shakkea Brister, who runs the shop, is goods, and all that is quirky and uncomBy ERICA SCHMITT CORRESPONDENT
“The unique works of art in the exhibition are designed to be affordable so that as many people as possible can enjoy giving art and receiving art as gifts.”
offering members an additional discount on top of the holiday special as well. Besides the seasonal items, a wide collection of books, jewelry and toys are also offered. The museum is having a Community Holiday Party Dec. 12 with festive art activities and music, featuring the Main Street Singers. The museum shop’s product line can be viewed and ordered online as well, at shop. nbmaa.org. For affordable, unique artwork visit The Downtown Gallery in New Britain, hosting “$mart Gifts: A Holiday Exhibition Featuring Works by Andrew J. Bobik, Nancy Brockett, Dan Collin, Peter Grip, Patricia Tanger and Anna Zatorska” through Dec. 22. “The unique works of art in the exhibition are designed to be affordable so that as many people as possible can enjoy giving art and receiving art as gifts,” according to the Greater New Britain Art Alliance’s site. For more information, go to newbritainarts.org. The Downtown Gallery is located at 66 West Main St. in New Britain and $mart Gifts will be open Monday through Friday Erica Schmitt 9-5, Thursday until 8 p.m., and Saturday A variety of ornaments can be found at the 10-2. New Britain Museum of American Art.
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New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Thursday, November 25, 2010 | 3
Visit Bristol for eclectic novelty gifts for the holidays
t-shirts, fairy figurines, Steiff Bears, jewelry and vintage art work. It also has a room dedicated to global artist Glo Sessions, A store in Bristol has some eclectic gift with many of her whimsical paintings for ideas. Wasteland Gift Shop at 320 Terryville sale. Rd. has a wide selection of leather goods, While shopping, families can browse bohemian-style clothing including band through the museum exhibits, festively decot-shirts, glass pipes, jewelry, handicrafts, rated for the Christmas season. and handmade, intricately-detailed wooden The annual Santa Sunday, Nov. 28, kicks boxes. off the holiday, with the The store is stuffing The book ‘Flying arrival of Santa at 3 p.m., Christmas stockings this refreshments and other Horses,’ which holiday season with a varientertainment. ety of gifts for the creative contains photos and The newly released book person in your life who you “Flying Horses” is now information about can never find the right featured in the museum the horses exhibited shop for the holidays. It gift for. The shop also sells the contains colorful photos is featured in the popular Pandora bracelets and historical informaand Tiffany jewelry, two Carousel Museum tion about all of the horses items that will be on the exhibited. shop. wish lists of many this year. The Bushnell Park Wasteland Gift Shop is Carousel will be the highopen Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to light of New Year’s First Night celebration 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.. in Hartford, where memberships to the the Bring the kids along for a fun shopping New England Carousel Museum will be experience at the New England Carousel sold as well as ticket books — both creative Museum at 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol. gifts for families. The museum’s shop has a wide variThe New England Carousel Museum is ety of novelty gifts, including miniature located at 95 Riverside Ave. in Bristol and carousel horse replicas, decorative plates, will be open Monday through Saturday 10 wind chimes, rocking horses, music boxes, a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 12 to 5. By ERICA SCHMITT CORRESPONDENT
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Mike Orazzi | Staff
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
4 | Thursday, November 25, 2010
New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
Shop in Plainville for trendy gifts and American-made crafts By ERICA SCHMITT CORRESPONDENT
One of the trendier gift shops in the area is the Old Blue Barn at 270 N. Washington St. in Plainville that has been in business for the past 16 years. Its merchandise includes the newly popular Chamilia beads and Pandora bracelets, Yankee candles, Boyd’s Bears, and many more chic brands that offer well-known but hard-to-find products. The Old Blue Barn is hosting its annual Holiday Open House this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. Owner Fran Krysiak has been hard at work to present her customers with a fun-filled experience. “We are offering a few different specials, featuring the
Chris Richie | Staff
Delilah the cat, at the Old Blue Barn on 270 N. Washington St. in Plainville.
Chamilia beads this year,” she said. One of these is with a $100 purchase of any Chamilia product the customer will receive a free bracelet, drop necklace, earrings or two ($27) beads.
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Baked treats from Modern Pastries in Hartford will be served as well, and customers are asked to bring a non-perishable food item with them to benefit the Plainville Community Food Pantry. The store has been completely transformed into a holiday wonderland for the season, and festive gifts are exhibited throughout. There are a number of Christmas trees beautifully decorated with
Christmas ornaments, glassware and china perfect for the holiday dinner table, teddy bears, and of course, peppermint bark. To order one of the Old Blue Barn’s specialty items online or to learn more about its products, go to www.theoldbluebarn.com. It is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Another local, more unusual specialty store is Artisan’s Marketplace, about a mile away at 120 East St. on Route 10. For the past 30 years, this family-owned business has offered American handicrafts from over 400 talented American craftsmen and women. It is currently run by Diane Couture, inspired by her mother, Martha Couture, who established the business in 1980 with the old-fashioned customer service approach that is nonexistent in chain stores. Her sister, Cynthia Couture-Logan, an experienced glass artist, is also a part of the team. “We’re all about made in
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America, and that’s why people like to come here,” explained Diane. “We are also a refuge for those who work around the area; they often come in for a peaceful break.” Almost all of the products featured are accompanied by small cards with the artist’s bio, product and usage information. Many different unique crafts garnish the store, and their assortment of jewelry is particularly special. “We are definitely here for those who are looking to support the American craft movement and small business,” said Couture. The Artisan’s Marketplace has won Connecticut Magazine’s award for the Best Craft Gallery for the past three years. Store hours for holiday shopping are Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Product photos and information on the artists who created them can be found on its website at www.artisansmarketplacect. com.
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
New Britain Herald| The Bristol Press
Thursday, November 25, 2010 | 5
Gift wrapping can make a gift personal and distinctive ASSOCIATED PRESS
A gift-giver’s thoughtfulness is as apparent in how a gift is wrapped as in what’s inside. “In our world of ubiquitous merchandise, wrapping can make a gift distinctive,” says Wanda Wen, author of “The Art of Gift Wrapping” (Potter Craft, 2010) and owner of Soolip, a gift-wrap show in West Hollywood, Calif. “When you wrap a gift, do it with grace and consciousness.” MAKE IT PERSONAL Wen approaches every gift she wraps with two things is mind: She is honoring the recipient and giving a little piece of herself. Select things that speak to you, she says, and consider the person receiving the gift. For a nature lover, for instance, wrap a gift in a big, beautiful leaf, or use a bundle of twigs for the topper instead of a ribbon. “Be resourceful,” Wen says. “Create your own wrapping paper by stitching or taping photos on
REUSE AND RECYCLE craft paper, or even on a brown grocery bag.” The best-wrapped present Being mindful of the earth’s that Leslie Carola, author of resources, as well as your own, can “Wrapped with lead to inspired gift Style” (Universe wrapping. Publishing, 2009), “Think Green — ever received was reuse and recycle,” one from her Carola advises. “Keep husband wrapped your gift wraps out in paper decoof the trash. Use the rated with their tissue paper from the children’s fin- WANDA WEN dry cleaners, pretty gerprints. The ‘The Art of Gift Wrapping’ tea containers, recybest-wrapped gift cle a beautiful ribbon she ever gave was when she was 8 presented to you.” and wrapped a gift to her mother Go outside and look for pine cones, in her mitten. pebbles, stalks and twigs. Particularly
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after a storm, you may find all sorts of beautiful leaves and twigs on the ground. Wen says you can “turn any object into a gift topper using thin wire and a little ingenuity.” In her book, she gives stepby-step instructions for creating toppers with wire, or by putting pressed flowers and herbs under clear packing tape. Susan Swan, an illustrator and paper crafter whose designs are included in Carola’s book, suggests, “Make the wrapping part of the gift.” “A beautifully collaged card or tag can be part of the gift, and may be framed afterward as a memento,” she said.
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“Use your imagination and your heart, and don’t overdo your wrapping,” Carola advises. Wen likes to create “high and low” juxtapositions, such as topping a gift wrapped in an imported $32 sheet of paper with a bunch of twigs, or using a rock as a topper for a colorful box. “In our highly digital world, people want tactile things,” she says. To make even a simple gift wrap look professional, Wen suggests folding in all the edges and using See WRAP, Page 6
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
6 | Thursday, November 25, 2010
New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
Give a special someone a gift wrapped with personal touches Continued from Page 5
CELEBRATE THE SEASON
double-edged tape so it doesn’t show. When you’re finished, she says, pinch the corners for a crisp look. “It’s like architecture for the gift,” she says.
“Red berries make a perfect holiday gift topper,” Wen says. Or create seasonal ribbons using plastic wrap filled with rows of red-and-white peppermint candies. Gray likes to use knotted, clear cellophane bows instead of ribbon for Christmas presents. For gift cards or cash, Swan suggests a handmade envelope. You can download a template from the Internet (thepapermillstore.com has some), cut or tear the shape out of festive paper, insert a card coordinated with the envelope, and seal it with a holiday sticker.
THINK ARTFULLY With inspiration from surrealist artist Salvador Dali, Kaaren Gray of New York created a big, black cardboard telephone with a bright pink ribbon for a friend convalescing from a broken leg. Attached was a gift certificate for a dozen dinners from a neighborhood caterer, “Call Cuisine.” For a special birthday present, Gray — a former editor at House and Garden, Elle Decor and other magazines — devised a box with half a dozen collages, each representing a gift from which the recipient could choose. For her father’s birthday, Gray took inspiration from the artist Jim Dine to make a box that looked like the gift inside: a striped robe.
BE ORGANIZED “Keep a stash of things you love to use for your gift wraps,” Wen says. “If you are short on space, keep your gift wrapping supplies in an under-bed storage A doll ornament hanging from a red ribbon on a gift-wrapped box from Leslie Carola, author of “Wrapped with box with wheels, which you can Style.” find at Target or The Container Store. When you use things you love, it becomes a joy rather than a chore.”
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
New Britain Herald| The Bristol Press
Thursday, November 25, 2010 | 7
Ditch slippers for grandma and give time instead HIKING, BIRD WATCHING
By LEANNE ITALIE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The world is a crazy busy, crazy big place for grandparents and grandkids looking to connect, so why not ditch the slippers for the holidays and focus on gifts grandkin can enjoy together? Somewhere between cozy, affordable footwear and the other end of the spending spectrum — grandparent-grandchild cruises — lies a wealth of gifts, projects and memory-making activities both can enjoy. According to a Pew Research Center more than half of grandparents surveyed said they most value extra time with grandchildren and other relatives as a positive in getting older. Whether they live far away or are onhand for day-to-day care of their grandkids, grandparents likely outgrew the ubiquitous tie-andslipper gift tradition long ago. So grandchildren willing to give the gift of quality time as part of their holiday offerings this year can try one of these ideas:
Walking sticks and canes have come a long way in durability and style for a stroll around the neighborhood or hardier hikes. Build the perfect one at fashionablecanes.com, which offers a broad price range, then suggest a regular weekly adventure outdoors. For extra fun, wrap up a handheld GPS device and get the grandparents into geocaching, a hightech treasure hunt. A new walking stick would come in handy. How about a pair of binoculars for bird watching, or a kit to build a birdhouse? Backyard-birdz.com has links to bird books, plans for houses, bird feeder kits and pre-made versions. SNAIL MAIL, PHOTOS Present a grandparent who lives some distance away with a stack of homemade stationery in a fancy box with some hand-picked stamps from the post office. Include a declaration with a gold seal that you’ll write back. Or just buy some fancy writing paper and add a special pen.
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A needlepoint and acrylic backgammon set, a gift grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy together.
in the new “InStyle Ultimate Beauty Secrets” for tips and shortcuts. Or buy a perfume-making kit to create a hers-hers signature scent. Brambleberry.com has kits and samplers for DIY scents, soaps, bath products and other toiletries. Looking to spend a little more? Create matching grandmothergranddaughter pearl necklaces or other pearl jewelry at thepearlsource.com. You can learn about pearl grading, shop by price, and choose your own colors of pearls, along with clasps and chains.
For older kids, offer to sit with a grandparent to label and digitize precious hardcopy family photos. You can help ship them out in e-mail to relatives or print multiple copies for snail mailing. MOVIE HOUNDS, GAMERS Or suggest working together on the family tree, presenting a special Spring for a Netflix membership, binder as a gift. Zazzle.com has or use your family’s membership plenty for genealogy projects. and schedule a movie night with the grandparents, switching off who gets to choose the movie. Pick up a PRIMPING, PEARLS fancy DVD box set of your grandIf grandma likes to primp, put parents’ old favorites and let them together a makeover kit in a special be your guide through yesteryear as bag filled with her favorite cosmet- you watch the movies together. ics (ask mom which ones). Throw Declare a game night. Teach a
new board game to a grandparent or track down a fancy version of a favorite. Jonathan Adler has a needlepoint and acrylic backgammon set in green, blue and white at Jonathanadler.com. Thingsremembered.com has an affordable playing card set in an engravable silver plate box and two decks of plastic cards with silvercolored backs. KITCHEN MEMORIES
Bang around in the kitchen learning a grandparent’s favorite recipes. Offer to write down the ones that never made it out of grandma’s head. Littler kids can make a recipe box. Older kids can collect the family history of desserts and dishes and put together a cookbook that a grandparent can re-gift the following year. Baking cookies is always fun, but so are newfangled sandwich, pasta and ice cream makers. Cake molds and cookie cutters come in all shapes and sizes.
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
8 | Thursday, November 25, 2010
New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
Amato’s Toy and Hobby makes every eye go wide with wonder By LIZ NEWBERG CORRESPONDENT
NEW BRITAIN — Every day feels like the holidays inside Amato’s Toy and Hobby store, the New Britain landmark every kid and kid-at-heart is happy to see on Main Street. Amato’s kicks off the holiday shopping season with its Annual Holiday Sale going on now through Nov. 28. On Sunday they will host a Chris Richie | Staff special train event with one-day Model trains for sale at Amatos Toy and Hobbie Store. The New Britain specials, holiday activities for landmark on Main Street sells a wide array of models, trains, board games, kids and a free train clinic. puzzles, even old-style toboggans. Their train technician will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to clean and lube up to two engines of any scale for free. Unlike the big box stores, Amato’s is the place to shop for that unique gift that makes eyes
go wide with wonder. No other store is quite like it, with a wide array of models, trains, board games, puzzles, even old-style restored wooden toboggans. In many ways, a visit to Amato’s is like going back to the future. Shoppers will see everything f rom old-style restored wooden toboggans and electric steam trains to modern-day STEVEN AMATO science kits and Cobi building owner blocks. The toy emporium sells everything f rom high quality
“Kids learn while playing with their toys. These toys we sell help develop all sorts of skills and imagination. They are interactive and not all laid out on a computer screen.”
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radio control helicopters to collector quality model cars to Lionel train sets and nearly every accessory imaginable for model train making. Dress-up sets to fit out your mini-chef or soon-to-be fire chief are for sale, as well as circuit sets that will spark the interest of any budding scientist. “From here out through Easter we are busy,” says Steven Amato, the store owner. “The biggest draw for people is more than our huge selection; it’s the old-world feel of the store and the employees who know the toys and the product.” Amato prides himself on knowing his customers and his product well enough to help make good decisions when it comes to buying the right toy to suit the child, their age and skill level. “People who know us, trust us and realize we know the products and are not just trying to make a sale,” he said. “Kids learn while playing with their toys. These toys we sell help develop all sorts of skills and imagination. They are interactive and not all laid out on a computer screen.” DECEMBER SPECIAL
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New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Thursday, November 25, 2010 | 9
The savvy shopper’s essential list of purchasing facts You’re protected under the implied warranty of merchantability law. According to the law, merchant means seller; so it’s the seller (retailer) – not the manufacturer – that is responsible for making things right. Speak to the manager if you need to. ■ Re-stocking fees: Some stores charge you if you return an item. They are allowed to do it, provided they post a notice of their restocking fees in a conspicuous place in the store. ■ Price matching: Stores often promise to match their competitor’s advertised price, and on smaller items like games, toys and namebrand clothing, these can be a timesaver. But for electronics, entertainment systems and appliances, you could have difficulty finding the exact same model in competing stores, so the price match won’t apply. If you see an ad for the exact same item at a lower price, check all the conditions in the ad before you shop. ■ Lay-a-way: This helpful service is making a comeback as shoppers try to reduce credit spending. Connecticut stores must give you a lay-a-way statement that includes the amount of your deposit, length of time the items will be held, total purchase price, a description of each item, and a notice of cancellation policy. Pay attention to the terms or you
Chris Richie | Staff
Artisan’s Marketplace on 120 East Street, Route 10 in Plainville specializes unique gifts made by American artists.
could forfeit your deposit. ■ Extended warranties: These are not warranties at all. A warranty is something you get free with the product. These are service contracts that you pay for. Store salespeople are encouraged to sell these plans; the profit margin is often greater than that for the merchandise. Usually not recommended, since service contracts often overlap the warranty period that comes with the product (when most repair problems occur). Many contracts are full of loopholes, and some are so expensive that they offset the cost of repairing or replacing the item.
■ Shopping online: Online shopping provides lots of anonymity for fraudulent marketers, making it much harder for enforcement authorities to help you should something go wrong. Use only well-known online retailers. Also look for privacy and security seals, which indicate that their security and privacy measures
have been verified. Read all the terms, including delivery date, return policy, and warranties. ■ Shopping by mail: Only use tried and true retailers for shopping by mail. Otherwise, you may not get what you ordered, may not get it in time, or worse, may not get it at all. Read all the terms, including delivery date, return policy, and warranties. ■ Gift cards: Still a holiday favorite, and with careful purchasing and use, this is a gift that can’t miss. Under State law, gift cards sold in Connecticut do not expire, even if an expiration date is printed on the card, nor can they accrue inactivity fees or penalties if not used by a certain date. Local store and restaurant cards usually cost nothing to buy, have no monthly fees, and often allow the user to carry over a balance if not used all at once. “General purpose” gift cards offered by some malls or financial institutions can be purchased nearly anywhere, cost a few dollars to buy and often have monthly fees attached after the first six months.
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Organization is always helpful – even essential — during the busy holiday season, so start off with a list of what you’re hoping to buy this year. The Department of Consumer Protection has a “shopper’s list” too — a list of facts you should know before you hit the stores (or catalogs). ■ Refunds: The shopping complaint that tops our list each year is one that can be easily avoided. In Connecticut, retailers can impose any refund and exchange policy they wish, but it must be conspicuously posted at the store entrance, where the items are displayed for sale or at the checkout counter. Look for it before you buy and keep all sales receipts. If there is no posted policy, you have seven days to return almost any new, unused item, with its original packaging and the sales receipt. Exceptions include customordered or custom-made items, plants, clearance, “as-is” or anything otherwise permitted by law. ■ Holiday return policies: Some stores offer extended holiday return policies. Look for this, and if it’s not printed on your receipt or on a store flyer, get it in writing, preferably from the manager. This is particularly important for big-ticket items. ■ Defective merchandise: If an item you buy is defective, you have the right to return the item for a replacement or a refund.
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
10 | Thursday, November 25, 2010
New Britain Herald | The Bristol Press
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and spell out contingencies when something doesn’t go as expected. 2. Budget properly. Don’t guess at costs. Visit venues ahead of time, and calculate the amount of food and liquor you will need, with some cushion in case guests have big appetites. 3. Practice, practice, practice. Whether it’s test-driving a new recipe a few days before or simply hosting enough parties to become comfortable, practice makes perfect — or at least it makes you
more at ease with imperfect. 4. Let guests help resurrect the party and contribute solutions. 5. Maintain your sense of humor. 6. Consider hiring a professional. An event planner, caterer, bartender, disc jockey or florist will have experience coping with the unexpected.
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Thursday, November 25, 2010 | 11
Experts say to be gentle but truthful about Santa When Liz Anderson’s 9-yearold son asked her if Santa Claus was real, she froze. Only days before, she had been lecturing him on the importance of telling the truth. Now here he was, tears welling in his eyes, and his younger sister playing nearby. Anderson, a public relations consultant from Waco, Texas, took her son to another room and told him the truth. They both cried. But a few days later, when her 7-yearold daughter mentioned a gift she wanted Santa to bring her, Anderson’s son winked at his mother. A year later, her daughter still believes and her son is still winking, happy to be in on the secret.
Santa can be magical for 2. Santa can actually help. From world in black and white. world is a safe place and people children but can leave parents birth to around 8, children are Kids like an all-good character are loving,” said Dana Dorfman, See SANTA, Page 12 conflicted. concrete thinkers who see the like Santa, who “conveys that the Is it lying to perpetuate the myth? When should you tell the truth about Santa? What should you say? Here are some things to think about as you navigate St. Nicholas this holiday season: 1. There’s no harm in Santa. Parents tend to set him apart, but he’s just one of many makebelieve characters in children’s minds, says Rebecca TimlinScalera, a neuropsychologist in Norwalk. “Don’t think of it as a lie or a hoax. It’s really an extension of all the magic and make-believe they have when they’re kids,” she said. Eventually they figure out how to separate fact from fiction, with no harmful consequences.
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a New York-based child psychotherapist. As kids get older, they understand that people can be a mix of good and bad, and they have less need to believe in characters like Santa. Santa shows kids generosity and kindness and other behaviors they can emulate. And Santa can also help kids develop problem-solving abilities. Many a kid lies awake thinking through tough questions like how Santa can get all those gifts to all those children in one night. 3. Is Santa real? When a child asks you about Santa, experts suggest bringing the conversation back to them to figure out where they are emotionally and what kind of answer they want to hear. Robert Resnick, a psychology professor at Randolph Macon College, says some kids want a yes-or-no answer, and you should give it to them. But he says kids rarely ask outright, since they want to keep getting presents. If they seem to want to keep things ambiguous, you can too, with a comment like, “Santa is someone we all like to think about.” Bring kids off the magic as gently as you can. Timlin-Scalera suggests telling kids that Santa is about giving. If they want a more concrete answer, a parent might say, “Santa is a make-believe idea, but the story of giving and generosity is real. It’s just that Mommy and Daddy take on that role.” With some kids, you can have fun with it and problem-solve together. Thinking aloud about whether reindeer can really fly, for example, can let a kid down easily while reinforcing that the story is a fun fantasy. 4. Respect kids’ limits. While it’s fine to
let kids believe for as long as they want to, parents sometimes take things too far when they force kids to sit on Santa’s lap, for example, or make kids write a letter to Santa. Santa is a stranger, and kids may not want to be overly familiar or trusting. Another no-no is telling skeptical kids that they won’t get presents unless they believe in Santa. Kids should take Santa only as far as they want to. 5. Don’t use Santa as a weapon. Parents should avoid generalizations like “If you’re good all year, Santa will come,” because “good” is too vague and general a term for a young mind to grasp. Charles Smith, a Kansas State University child development professor, says that threatening kids — saying Santa won’t come if they don’t eat their vegetables, for instance — undermines the family’s shared enjoyment of Santa. He remembers a student whose father would take him driving on Christmas Eve to look for Santa and would laugh when his son couldn’t find him. Instead of having a shared, joyful moment, the student felt betrayed, Smith said. 6. Involve the family. When older kids know, ask if they want to participate in playing Santa for younger kids. Many kids — like Anderson’s son — are so proud to be in on the secret that they’re quick to get over learning the truth. It’s also good to let older kids see the pleasure you have in playing Santa. 7. Don’t overthink. Kids will find out about Santa one way or the other and it won’t be the end of the world. “Don’t negate the fantasy, don’t think too much, just be kind and open and loving with them,” Resnick said.
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