The Santa Question

Ohhhh boy. Break out the eggnog, because I have a Christmas-themed problem.  I am trying to raise my daughter to be empathetic and compassionate, and fortunately, that finally seems to be bearing some fruit. One way that I've tried to encourage her to think about and do for others is by participating in an annual toy drive at my school.  I take her to Target, and she picks out a nice toy to donate.  I have explained to her that some children aren't as fortunate as she is, and that their families don't have enough money to buy Christmas presents.  Since we can help, I tell her, we do.  It's a small gesture, but I hope it has an impact. Well, clearly it doesn't.

Two weeks ago, an American Girl catalog arrived in the mail.  She pounced on it, grabbing a marker to circle all of the things in the catalog that she wanted.  So, pretty much everything.  I explained to her that she had circled a lot of things, and that most of them were pretty expensive, so she shouldn't expect to actually receive all of this stuff for Christmas.  Her response? "But Santa will bring it for free." Uh-oh.  I don't even remember what I said to this, because really, what do you say?

A couple of days ago, I mentioned that we needed to go to the store to pick out something for the toy drive.  She asked why, and I once again told her that some kids' families can't afford Christmas presents.  She informed me that that couldn't be right, because of Santa and all the free stuff he brings. My husband and I then had a serious conversation via two expressions:

Me (Read: Oh God, we have to tell her.)

Him (Read: Oh no you betta don't!)

Note that she believes in Santa Claus; she's not asking me if he is real.  But she is having some cognitive dissonance: if Santa brings toys to all the children of the world, how can some children go without? I don't know how to answer her question without telling her that there is no Santa Claus.

I know that some people take issue with Santa, but I'm a fan. I want my child to have the imagination, innocence, and wonder that it takes to believe in Santa Claus.  If she doesn't bring it up again, I'm leaving well enough alone. But if she does, I feel like I need to be truthful. Thoughts?