Dad Finds Heartwarming Way to Prove Santa Visited Them On Christmas Eve

A doting dad has shared heartwarming footage highlighting the lengths he is willing to go to, to keep the magic of Santa Claus alive for his young son.

Believing in Santa is a special part of Christmas for millions of children all around the world. However, there comes a point in every young child's life when the truth is revealed.

According to Thalia Goldstein, an assistant professor of applied developmental psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, there's a key period in every child's young life when the sense of wonder and excitement around Santa is at its strongest.

"It's very strong when they're between about 4 and 8," she told CNN. "Then, at 8 years old is when we start to see the drop-off in belief, when children start to understand the reality of Santa Claus." Yet during this period, there are some notable benefits to maintaining a child's belief in jolly old St. Nick.

University of the Sunshine Coast senior lecturer in psychology Rachael Sharman has spent over two decades researching children's brain development. She told the Brisbane Times that discussing Santa and Christmas sparks activity in the pleasure centers of the brain and provides a hit of "anticipatory dopamine."

Dr. Matthew Lorber, a child psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, sees other benefits to believing in Santa. "I don't think it's a bad thing for kids to believe in the myth of someone trying to make people happy if they're behaving," he told Live Science. "Imagination is a normal part of development, and helps develop creative minds."

While parents can't prevent their kids from coming to their own conclusions about Santa, research suggests they can play a part in keeping the myth alive.

A 2004 study published in Developmental Science concluded kids were more likely to believe in Santa if parents leave evidence around the house to support his story.

Father-of-one Jamie Murray from Scotland has certainly been putting in the effort in that regard. For the past five years, Murray has dressed up as Santa on Christmas Eve and "visited" the family home once his 7-year-old son, Oliver, has gone to bed.

Then, on Christmas morning, Murray uses the footage captured on his Ring security camera and doorbell cameras to show Santa visiting the house, much to Oliver's delight.

A pediatric physiotherapy technical instructor in the NHS, Murray has spent the last two Christmases helping patients amid the COVID-19 crisis, but has always found the time to bring something unique to his family's festive celebrations.

Murray said: "It's all worth it for the excitement on his face. We're planning on doing it for as long as we can, and I might end up just doing it for myself!

"The first year, he understood a little of what was happening, but not properly. Now, it's a family tradition. We don't have a chimney, so it's great that we have a Ring Doorbell that can capture Santa coming in through the door."

Not only does Murray dress up as Santa, but on December 1 it's now a family tradition for him to pay Oliver a visit dressed as Balthazar the elf to remind him he needs to be on his best behavior in the run-up to December 25.

Murray said: "Over the past couple of years I've worked on NHS wards with COVID, so this year, now that people can spend time with their families, it feels very special, there's not that fear."

Commenting on the video, Murray urged other parents to follow his example and create the kind of memories that will last a lifetime. "This year a lot of families will be looking to have fun without spending as much money and if you have a video doorbell it's a great thing to do—you don't need to get an expensive camera or a tripod," he said.

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