Santa....what do/did you tell your children?

System

i loved the "magic" of FC as a kid, and i happily went along with it for many year after i figured it out as i have siblings who are much younger than me. We basically got to make an xmas list (which usually involved going through the argos catalouge) and then FC used to get those things. Any big or expensive presents came seperately from family (and in the case of the time i got a bike, that was my birthday AND christmas present). I think the last time i got FC presents was when i was 17, an for some reason it stopped for all of us at 17. Though i rememeber my 16 year old sister just asked for the money equivelent so she could go on a spending spree which didnt seem as much in the spirit of christmas :eek:

notanewuser

DD is 3 (just). We don't do Santa. We'll tell her the story of St Nicholas (minus any religious bits) this year or next year. She's not at all bothered about it.

We shan't be doing flying sleighs, mince pies by the fire etc.

We'll tell her that some people believe in Santa, and will teach her that its polite and important to respect other people's beliefs.

ciderwithrosie_2

Mojisola wrote: »

I was agreeing with you - there are too many things you have explain away if all the presents come from FC - toys not available, the way rich kids get better presents, having to thank relatives for things that FC brought, etc.

It's much easier to make only the stocking stuff from FC.

Ah right, sorry me reading it wrong!

meritaten

Stockings were from Santa - Presents were from people.

shegirl

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Father Christmas is alive, well, and keen to know what parents want to give their children. I communicate with him via email, that it is a magic email address that only mums and dads can use. I know this because my son truly believes it. Although he is 15, he has a mental age of about five. He has Down's Syndrome and numerous medical problems, so is always shattered by 9pm, which is his bedtime. His younger brother has helped me to carry everything downstairs since he was about nine years old, but keeps up the pretence for my other son.

When my older son sees presents in my room, I tell him that because Father Christmas is so busy, I am helping him out. FC only needs everything on Christmas Eve, when his magical powers help him to get all the presents to boys and girls all over the world. Of course, tracking FC on NORAD and having night time in Australia when it is daytime over here, helps FC to visit every household.

We always leave out a carrot for Rudolph, with a drink of juice or milk and a biscuit for FC (no alcohol as FC is driving!). They never manage to finish it all, because so many other children are generous enough to leave snacks as well. Mind you, FC is a bit messy and leaves crumbs! They both have their own plates, painted by the boys.

I am up several times a night with my son, so it is inevitable that he notices the stockings. However, he isn't allowed to look at them until we get up, which is no earlier than 7am. Then, both boys and my adult daughter join me in bed with their stockings. I think this year will be the last that my daughter is at home, as she and her fianc! are saving for a deposit for a home of their own. Stockings are opened in my bed before we go downstairs, and yes, we always find that Father Christmas has been

Likewise here with DS Always done Santa for him but it's only the past couple of years he's really felt the magic

Even when he's seen his presents,sometimes wrapped,hidden away in the house,he still thinks Santa brings them all

littlerat

We had a christmas santa stocking like a few others here, all other presents were from the person they were from.

I think my brother and I both worked it out between maybe 5-8, don't really remember when I did... I didn't tell anyone when I had, it was fun, kept going for far longer. It stopped for secondary school and it was made sure I knew it wasn't real.

I don't see it as lying, it's just something to make it more magical, nothing wrong with that

CATS

One Saturday morning we called our 10 year old into our bed as we needed to have a little chat, as we thought that 10 was old enough to know the truth, we proceeded to tell our son that Santa was not real, his reply was "I knew that ages ago but I didn't want to upset you and also I get a present from you and one from "santa". He then proceeded to also tell us he knew we hid the Easter eggs and left him the little puzzle notes of how to find them

Person_one

shegirl wrote: »

Likewise here with DS Always done Santa for him but it's only the past couple of years he's really felt the magic

Even when he's seen his presents,sometimes wrapped,hidden away in the house,he still thinks Santa brings them all

Father Christmas is such a lovely, magical tradition, I really do feel awful for children who never get to join in the simple and genuine belief in him.

A jolly old man, who is kind to children for the sake of it, flying reindeer, elves in the North Pole, sleigh bells, disappearing mince pies, its all absolutely fabulous and I can't understand why any parent would deny their child that.

Some of my happiest childhood memories are of my dad reading us 'The Night Before Christmas' every Christmas eve as we went to bed, even after I'd been told the truth by some poor kid at school. In fact, my parents still have the book and they still ask me what I want Father Christmas to bring me every year! :rotfl:

Oh, and here's last year's thread, although I expect this one will go around all the same circles at least a couple of times! :cool:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/57855651#Comment_57855651

Person_one

Mojisola wrote: »

And how do you explain that Father Christmas always brings rich kids much better presents? Most kids can see how unfair that is from quite a young age.

Do children young enough to have a genuine belief in Father Christmas have that level of understanding of how much things cost?

Octobergirl

My dad does a lot of charity work with the local Lions club, wasn't overly impressed when they came round on their sleigh run last year (a big event, music, lights, reindeer etc) 'Father Christmas' knocked on the door and invited my 3 & 6 year old a ride on the sledge. 3 year old pipes up ' but it's 'grandad'. I then spent days fabricating stories about who gets chosen to be a helper, how, why etc, all got very complicated, but I didn't want to spoil the magic.

On the tooth fairy front, I told my DD that I was the tooth fairy, but got sacked as I am too overweight to get in the costume, kept over sleeping, lost teeth and woke the children up. She still believes me:D helped by those cute rise of the guardian teeth holders given out by mcdonalds.......