Recently, Tami asked Kenzie to start thinking about what she wants Santa Claus to bring her for Christmas. Kenzie thought about it for awhile and then told Tami: “I know you buy the presents.”

That’s right.  Kenzie has learned the truth about Santa Claus. She’s reached that milestone in her life where she found out that there is no Santa Claus!

I suspect it won’t be long until she stops believing in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny as well.

What bothers me about her discovery is that she learned about Santa from her little friends at school. I didn’t even get to have “the talk” with her.

You know, what I mean: the “there’s-no-Santa-Claus-that-flies-all-over-the-world-in-one-night-in-a-reindeer-driven-sleigh-to-deliver-presents-to-all-the-children-by-sliding-down-the-chimney-of-their-home” talk.

Finding out there is no Santa Claus is one of those “Puff the Magic Dragon” moments that you want to be there for your kids. Right?

You remember, Puff, don’t you?

The Peter, Paul and Mary folk song about Little Jackie Paper’s imaginary childhood friend, Puff the Magic Dragon. The song  wistfully describes how little Jackie grew into big Jackie and then one day quit coming to play with Puff.  In the end, Puff despondently retreats back into his cave as the song concedes: “Dragons live forever but no so girls and boys. ”

You know that nostalgic, sentimental feeling you have each time you realize your kids are losing another little fragment  of the innocence of childhood. This was one of those moments.

And, you want to be the one to reduce the shock of knowing and provide the emotional support for your child.

But, instead, she had to hear it from her little friends at schools.

She didn’t seem to be upset or anxious about this newly unveiled truth. Maybe no longer believing in Santa Claus wasn’t as traumatic an event in her life as I remembered it being for my other kids (or was that me?).

It just makes me wonder what else her little friends at school are telling her. It may be time to have some other “talks” with her before she hears the nine-year-old version of some of the other realities of life.

Meanwhile….

“Shhhh, don’t tell your big brother about Santa Claus!”

Click here to listen to the Puff the Magic Dragon song.