Question about 4yr old meeting Father Christmas

[Gemzee]

Me & my husband have the week off work and our 4 year old home. I just booked a visit to Father Chrismas & story time today at 2pm (too much TV all weekend so wanted something to do!), lovely. However, we also have already had a visit to Father Christmas booked on Christmas Eve. Obviously the 'Santa/Father Christmas' will be a different on Saturday and now I'm worried he is gonna ask why it's a different guy! Or at age 4 will he not notice? Advice please. Thanks.

That's never been the real santa in our house, they are helpers.

Yeah easy - Santa is really busy now packing everyone’s presents

So these are his helpers

My 5 year old noticed, if I told my kids it wasn’t the real Santa and just “helpers” they wouldn’t want to go to see them, I don’t understand that one I’ve heard people saying it recently, why on Earth would kids want to go to see Santa if you told them it wasn’t actually the real Santa

We tell ours that they are helpers but might be the real one! So there's still a bit of magic around it, they get excited wondering if that was the real one or not.

He might realize, my son realized the guy playing Blippi changed.

Just say it's probably a helper, Father Christmas is very busy.

Come on, OP! Everyone knows that FC is busy at this time of year. These are helpers he has approved himself and sends out to meet children in his place.

It's what my parents told me 40+ years ago so not a new thing. My children accepted it. Just knowing this was a real life person who had personally met, and been approved by, THE Father Christmas - when no one else has met Father Christmas was enough.

It's how you present and sell it that counts.

We also do the helpers thing.

The whole magic of Santa is that no-one sees him/it's mysterious etc. It's hardly magical if you know he works in a garden centre/department store is it? He might as well knock on the door Christmas Eve, like an Amazon delivery if you've already met him!