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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

How do you make Christmas special for children who no longer believe?

38 replies

LyraBelaqua · 07/09/2019 18:03

This year is the first year that my children aged 7 & 9 do not believe in Santa. I’m feeling rather sad about it and want to bring in some new traditions to accompany the old ones to make sure Christmas continues to feel magical for them. Could you give me some suggestions please as to what we can do? We will still do Santa sacks, cookies and milk and a carrot for the reindeer etc, I’m just looking for new things too. Thanks very much.

OP posts:
Rachelover40 · 07/09/2019 21:33

Children enjoy Christmas without Santa. Mine never believed in it, neither did I but Christmas was still good.

LyraBelaqua · 07/09/2019 22:04

Thanks everyone, I’m feeling more positive Smile petiteonion what a wonderful thing for your daughter to do. So thoughtful.

OP posts:
BogglesGoggles · 07/09/2019 22:07

We invite family up to stay as soon as everyone is out of work (up to a week before) and gorge ourselves on cheese, mince pies, etc and go out on nice Christmassy outings. Feels pretty special to me. Christmas scented candles and a fuckton of decorations also help.

Barbarara · 08/09/2019 00:14

I asked mine if they still wanted to “play the Santa game” and they did, so we do.
I go through all the usual motions, and still talk about Santa bringing presents. You’ll have to see if Santa will bring that etc. I refuse to be drawn on where the presents might be hidden, insisting that they come from the North Pole on Christmas Eve. It’s actually more fun now that they’re in on it. I was also stressed that I’d slip up and I’m a terrible liar. It’s so much more fun now that it’s tongue in cheek.

They pick things for each other’s stockings and I’m thinking that this year I might add in stockings for me and dh and let them fill them for us.

We only started elfing about when they stopped believing. It added a bit of fun without any real pressure to remember to move him. Dd set him up herself a few times.

They still wanted to visit Santa which surprised me, although the one we go to see is absolutely fantastic. He makes me doubt the non existence of Santa! When they stop going I’m going to have to borrow kids or go on my own Grin

I’ve also included them in the charity side of Christmas. Before they would have been confused by the idea of buying poorer children gifts because obviously Santa looks after that, but they took a big interest last year. We also filled shoe boxes for the homeless. We’ve always emphasized giving at Christmas in the form of making gifts for relatives or sending a hamper of art supplies to the children’s hospital but it was nice to see them becoming a bit more socially aware.

I was devastated when they rumbled Santa, particularly as they were so young, but it’s not been as desolate or bleak as I imagined. It’s just a different kind of magic now. And in all honesty, I prefer not carrying the burden of secrecy anymore.

LyraBelaqua · 08/09/2019 06:52

Barbarara thanks so much, that’s just what I needed to hear.

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sawyersfishbiscuits · 08/09/2019 10:55

My youngest are coming to that point too. There won't be a Santa visit this year but we have some beautiful events at local arboretums and castles with Christmas lights. We'll definitely book one of those and drink mulled 🍷 and feel festive. We also enjoy going to the local carol services. Last year we had a trip to London, which was fab!

We also have a Christmas tv series that we watch every Sunday on the run up to Christmas. An old fashioned one. It's our family tradition each year.

I'm loving everyone's ideas.

BrokenWing · 08/09/2019 23:01

We just continued as normal, but every mention of santa was followed with eye contact and a knowing smirk. Still magical.

NotEnoughTime · 18/09/2019 11:01

We've always enjoyed making a gingerbread house. It always looked like a disaster but that was half the fun!

Do you have any Christmas light trails near you? If so you and your DC might enjoy these.

drspouse · 18/09/2019 13:55

I find this so sad, Father Christmas is such a minor part of Christmas.
They have a visit at school but we don't take them to see him.
We have the parties and plays before term ends, advent calendar, Christingle.
Read a special story during Advent.
Advent candle.
Nativity scene, Baby Jesus comes on the 24th and the Wise Men on the 6th.
I put up a stocking as a child though I never believed.
Decorating the tree on the first day off school.
Secretly buying presents for each other and us.
New pyjamas on Christmas Eve and we usually also go swimming that day to tire them out!

We only open some presents on Christmas Day and we often go to church.
When they are 10 or so I'm looking forward to taking them to midnight communion.
We open one present each on later days.
We see a family play at a local theatre.
Beach trip on a fine day wrapped up.
Decorate a gingerbread house.
Probably a cinema trip.
I sometimes get some crafts in for the DCs to do.

BaconAndAvocado · 18/09/2019 19:59

My two are 11 and 12 and this will the first christmas the younger one doesn't believe but I won't do a single thing differently.

Long live FC!

BiddyPop · 19/09/2019 08:39

After the year that DD hung over my shoulder as I sat on the carpet (slightly merry) on Christmas Eve evening laughing as she tried to get DH and I to admit which one of us was Santa (aged 11 - and waited until shops were closed to be sure of her gifts!), we're at the "knowing smirk" version as well. We still claim he comes, she is clearer on what exactly she'd like him to bring, but she's still insistent on baking his cookies on afternoon of 24th Xmas Grin.

We have done a Christmas Eve hamper for years, quite a few things that come out every year (like the copy of "Twas the Night before Christmas" that has been bedtime story on 24th since just before DD turned 1 - she's about to turn 14 and still asked for it last year) and a few things that we need anyway like new PJs for everyone and a couple of treats (basically Lush festive bath bombs for the females, naice shower gel for the male, and the "lump of chocolate on a wooden spoon" versions of hot chocolate, maybe a Christmas beer for DH). DD has always known that I do that rather than any Elves - and has helped buying PJs for DH on more than 1 occasion (with vouchers she had from her FHC, she bought them completely herself one year!).

We still have an afternoon after school going into town to get any shopping she still needs to get and to enjoy a hot chocolate and buns stop in a coffee shop to see the excitement. And she always still wants to visit the Live Crib outside the Lord Mayor's House.

We used to go to the school fair until she left primary school, and we also go to a couple of craft fairs locally.

And we take time to go for some crisp wintery walks whenever we can get good weather, which are usually enjoyable even with the teenage hormones and the "I'm bored" refrain thrown in (cos she forgets these once she gets going, and then starts to talk to us like a human again Xmas Shock

BiddyPop · 19/09/2019 08:40

BTW It's always DH who gets quizzed about the cookies on 25th, I am NOT ALLOWED to touch!! Xmas Grin

Toomanycats99 · 21/09/2019 19:48

I don't know where you live but we have an overnight trip to London.

£48 Travelodge including breakfast for 3 of us so not as expensive as you might think. We will go and see the lights. Maybe book the circus at winter wonderland. Maybe a trip to Harrods to oooh over the gigantic tv's! Just wander taking in the Xmas spirit. We have done it before when I had some hotel points from staying away with work and they loved it.

Maybe lunch from one of the borough market street food stalls.

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