Mum, Charity Hutchison, thinks there is, sharing what she calls "the best idea I've seen about telling your kids about Santa" in a post to her Facebook page.  And, judging by the response to the concept - the origin of which remains unknown - she's not the only parent who thinks it's a winner.

So what exactly does it entail?

In a nutshell, the idea involves kids transitioning from receiving from Santa to becoming a Santa.

"This way, the Santa construct is not a lie that gets discovered," the post reads "but an unfolding series of good deeds and Christmas spirit."

When children are around six or seven years old, or starting to harbour suspicions about Saint Nick, that's when they're ready to be let in on the secret.

"I take them out 'for coffee," the post continues. After ordering drinks and taking a seat, the child is given the following message:

"You sure have grown an awful lot this year. Not only are you taller, but I can see that your heart has grown, too." The author of the post adds that children should be given examples of their good deeds, empathetic behaviour or occasions when they've shown consideration for another's feelings during the year.

They should then be told:

 "In fact, your heart has grown so much that I think you are ready to become a Santa Claus.

"You probably have noticed that most of the Santas you see are people dressed up like him," the author continues. "Some of your friends might have even told you that there is no Santa. A lot of children think that, because they aren't ready to BE a Santa yet, but YOU ARE."

Children should then be asked to share the best things about Santa and "what Santa gets from his trouble". As the author notes, children should be lead from the answer "cookies" to "doing something for someone else."

At that point, kids are ready to be Santa.

Parents are then encouraged to "maintain the proper conspiratorial tone," and help children choose someone they know to secretly deliver a gift to.

"Find out something that the person needs," the author writes, " and then provide it, wrap it, deliver it--and never reveal to the target where it came from. Being a Santa isn't about getting credit, you see. It's unselfish giving."

The author writes of one year when her son polished up his bike, put a new seat on it and gave it to a friend's daughter. 

"These people were and are very poor," the post continues. "We did ask the dad if it was ok. The look on her face, when she saw the bike on the patio with a big bow on it, was almost as good as the look on my son's face."

Another special element of this idea is enlisting an older sibling's help when it comes to "inducting" younger siblings into the secret of Santa.

"When it came time for Son #2 to join the ranks" the post reads, "my oldest came along, and helped with the induction speech. They are both excellent gifters, by the way, and never felt that they had been lied to--because they were let in on the Secret of Being a Santa."

Ms Hutchinson's post has gone viral, shared more than 6,000 times.

"I am actually a bit teary eyed reading this," wrote one commenter.  "What a genius and beautiful way to transition through this stage. You have enriched mine and my children's lives with this post. You could consider this your 'santa' gift for this Christmas."

"What a beautiful story!" wrote another. "One they pass along for generations instilling the joy of giving! I love it!"

While the response from parents was overwhelmingly positive, others expressed their hope that their kids would be a little older than six or seven when they discover the truth about Santa.

"Aww I love this!" wrote one parent. "But I hope we have a bit longer than age 6-7."