Every year, I read threads between parents in various online groups about lying to kids about the existence of Santa. While some parents are vehemently opposed to the Santa myth, others don't see it as more than a harmless tradition.

I let my kids believe there was a Santa. I never told them one way or another, but they latched on to the idea eagerly and suckled on the Father Christmas concept long after the real magic ran dry. I was comfortable with how it played out because, well, believing in Santa is fun.

But I did wonder from time to time – particularly when other parents brought it up – how my kids would react to the truth.

While on vacation Up North this summer, my family spontaneously had the "Santa talk." I'm not exactly sure how it came up, but before long, the kids, ages 9 and 10, were admitting for the first time that they didn't believe in Santa anymore and hadn't for a long time.

They said they knew that Santa was parents and grandparents. My older kid said  it was a "kind of a buzzkill," a word I had once (accidentally?) used to describe him when he was whining and complaining at a theme park.

"Yeah," I said. "The truth about Santa is a buzzkill. Sorry, guys."

But they weren't sad or mad, just chatted about fake mall Santas while sitting at a picnic table eating watermelon. And then they buried each other up to their necks in the sand.

Once again, I learned that so many "issues" in parenting we create aren't really there. The older I get, the more I realize there will be plenty of real stuff to worry about and the existence of jolly old St. Nick just ain't one of 'em.