How can I get the magic of Christmas back for DS? I think I've ruined it

[raininginbaltimore]

DS is 3. He has decided that Santa is a bad man. He doesn't want him to even leave presents outside our house.

I think I'm to blame. He decided he wanted to give his dummies to dummy fairy in the summer as lots of his friends were. It was a disaster and after 2 weeks of howling we gave one back. He knew he would give that one to Santa at Christmas and all was fine.

DD was born in August, and we have had a rough time as a family. She has been ill (been in hospital), has reflux and cmpi so very high maintenance. I have been ill with pnd and have spent 7 weeks in a mother and baby unit. So the comfort has been important to him.

I have told him that he doesn't have to give the dummy to Santa, but it doesn't seem to help. I am gutted that I might have ruined this for DS.

Have you tried the PNP portable North pole message from santa. www.portablenorthpole.com/home

Or a letter we used to write a letter and address it to my DS though he couldn't read he'd know it was for him. We never did it from Santa but from other people - the sleep fairy for example when he slept poorly - we'd say that if he slept well he'd get a prize you can imagine. You could write that a mistake has been made and since he is being such a good big brother he can keep the dummy a little longer. You can make up whatever you think will work wording wise.

Truly I'm sure you can fix it.

I agree with Pateran - it might seem counter-intuitive, but along with a letter, could you buy a new, speial dummy which Santa has 'sent' for being a good boy?

Worry about the dummy at a later stage - accept that, for now, he uses one and gets comfort, and in January, or when things are calmer in your lives, you can focus on weaning him off. For now you need to get him loving Santa, so be over the top about Santa sending him a letter/gift ready for Xmas.

Maybe major on Santa once Dec hits - get him a Santa advent calender, or have him talk to/kiss goodnight a Santa ornament, or buy him a Santa which is his new tree ornament, that he gets to place on the Xmas tree himself.

Happy Xmas to you and your family - 2012 sounds like it might have been a tough year, but I hope you get to enjoy Xmas. With you as his Mommy, Xmas will be magical for your little boy xx

Tell him that Santa sees all boys and girls so he knows that your DS has a new baby sister and how important his dummies are to him right now, so he knows not to take them off him - rod for own back but could Santa leave DS a Christmas design dummy to go away with the decorations. You could sit down with him and write a letter to santa to this effect, or take DS along to see Santa in a local shopping centre so DS can tell him.

Could Ruddolph drop the presents off instead?