How to save your kids' letters to Santa

Those letters to Santa are priceless mementos of holidays gone by. Here's how Jill (creator of countless parent hacks) manages to hang onto them:

If you'd like to keep the letter your child writes to Santa, but like mine he wants to put it in the mailbox and send it off, try some sleight of hand.

My sons write letters/picture letters and put them in envelopes, write Santa's name on the front and take them to the mailbox.  I write Grandma's address on a blank mailing sticker and put it in my pocket.  Then I "check" to see if the mail has come yet (way too early) and stick the address onto the front of the envelope.  Grandma holds onto them and returns them to me.  I know there are lots of places that will postmark the letters or even respond, but Grandma and I have enjoyed our tradition and I have the letters to share with my sons when they're older.

Or, if you have one of those all-in-one printer/copier/fax machines, make a photocopy (although the original handwriting is a big part of the appeal).

Comments

[Shelley]

I have never done this personally because, number one, my child is only two years old, and number two, we don't have a fireplace.

A friend of a friend has her kids write their letters to Santa, then they throw the letters into the fireplace. The point being their letters go up the same thing that Santa comes down - the chimney.

[Samantha]

Great tip! My mom would somehow always tell me that she'd mail it later. :-P

I will def. keep this in mind for when my daughter gets older.