You would have thought that if your children are 17 and 23....

[BertrandRussell]

....you wouldn’t have to write a letter from Father Christmas in the special magic writing and wait til they are asleep to put out the presents under the tree and fill the stockings? Well, wouldn’t you?????

DD1 has just come home. She was staying at her boyfriend's house but wanted to be here for Christmas breakfast. DDog is wandering about in reindeer horns enjoying the fuss being made of him. DS has found his penny whistle. I can hear him working out how to play it. he has had it for about 30 minutes and I have already heard recognisable tunes!

All is well.

Happy Christmas

Same here DD is 19 and has left (without any discussion with me or her dad) a mince pie, glass of JD & carrot before traipsing up to bed hand in hand with her boyfriend! Total contradiction of I’m a child but I’m also an adult! What can you do?

love this thread should be in classics

ds1 is at the awkward teen stage of wants Christmas magic but thinks he should be more grown up.

I left their Santa sacks ready to trip over outside there doors. as they are night owls at the moment. it's was funny hearing ds1 discover it and knock on his brothers door to tell him.

25 yr old DD currently waiting for her DB 21 to wake from his heavy night last night, so she can open her Christmas sack.

The advantage of older ones is...
The 11yo is just waking the older ones up.

We still do stockings here - best part. DCs 25 and 21 help fill them though!

Mine are 16 & 13 and so are of an age where they stay up much later than I do. I told them I was doing their stockings when I went to bed (hanging on their bedroom doors) but that they were under strict orders to not touch them until at least 6:00 this morning.

Both are still asleep and both stockings still in place.

I have a 28yo. He had a joint birthday party for his 26th and DD's 9th. I asked if he wanted a party bag, he said "ooh yes please! I haven't had one of those in forever!"

AuntieStella festive molecules????

Oh I think it's cute they still like the magic and the tradition.

Dd is 16y and loves it all. Still excited and giddy. Still has a special Santa gift (we don't have stockings) in addition to other gifts. The Christmas Fairy still has to bring new PJs and a chocolate snack to my parents house in Christmas Eve too.

Obviously she knows it's not real but she likes her childhood traditions. And where's the harm?! I love that she enjoys Christmas so much.

And yes we've never had the chat either. There was just no need. As a child we were never told either. Doesn't mean we aren't able to just go along with the fun. Obviously a 16yo doesn't really believe, but who cares!?!

Dd was still up for 7am, as was dh!! Big kids in our house :) perfect.

We are all sat now exploring new gifts with a glass of champagne.

Santa didn't stop delivering the stocking to the end of my bed until I had my own baby and that was at 31

Lark DS 7 would be devastated if someone said that to him! I think the whole of his yr3 class still believe. I think some of DD's yr6 class might still believe too. Nobody talks about it.

We suffered many losses before and after having our ds and he is a real miracle.

He's only 5 now but I can't imagine not doing a stocking a Christmas stuff for him.

My mum sent me an advent calendar every year when I was away at uni - and to my boyfriend and best friend too who were also from far from home. Aged 30 I would still have to wait on my dad checking if Santa had been.

We've been tracking Santa - that's him finally finished and back at the north pole.

Life is tough. We should take any opportunity for fun and nonsense and grab it by the antlers. Merry Christmas all!

DM did a stocking for me until she died when I was 29, at which point DH and DSis took over - and I took over DSis's. One Christmas I was sent to bed with the words "Mummy Christmas is getting tired, so if you want a visit tonight then I suggest that you go to bed NOW" 😁

I'll keep doing stockings for my DC for as long as they spend Christmas in my house. It's part of Christmas as far as I'm concerned.

DS 13 went to bed without doing a Santa snack last night so when I went up to say goodnight I mentioned it. He said 'OMG I forgot' and shot out of bed to do it. Stocking hung on the door, which makes navigating later bedtimes easier. I hope he's still like this forever tbh - he maybe doesn't believe in Santa, but he does believe in home and love and magic and traditions. Perfect.

Age 9-90 here. All got a giant santa sack full of gifts.