*lighthearted * we have had the chat - what now?

[Howcanwehelp]

Discussions with my twins separately this weekend means that they both know the truth about Father Christmas. So no more leaving things out etc.
WHAT do people people do now? Before we had children we didn't really care about Christmas eve but I think I should still do something? Also who knows what it will be like? I'm not sure if we can do church but maybe it will be online. I still want todo stockings as I enjoy them, is that silly?

How old are they? Everyone has different traditions and they just evolve.

Mine were around ten years old, they still want to leave a glass of milk and a mince pie, they still love stockings, they still write letters to Santa and they play along with elf on the shelf

So nothing much changed on the "reveal" - but then we kept Santa fairly low key.

We still kept putting things out! Even when my sibling and I went out until 2am. We would put it out before we went and then there would be a stocking when we emerged from bed at 10am! Keeping the tradition going was important to us as a family and we never uttered the words about him being made up even though we all knew the truth. It might sound a bit crazy but we had fun with it and I hope to do the same with our DC.

We never stopped with FC after the kids knew - I just stopped worrying about getting caught!

The main question I had was why I'd lied about it. I said it's what grown ups do to try & keep the magic of Christmas alive - you'll understand when you have kids

My teen DD still enjoys putting stuff out for Santa and checking on the Norad site.

This is the first year that my DD’s don’t believe.

They have both already said that nothing can be different.

Just the other day I received an email from PNP about the FC videos and so I said something about not needing to do that now, I was met with a resounding yes you do mum!

So for us, this year at least, it’s business as usual... and I love it

They are 11 and just started secondary school. So it seems I can still do stockings etc, but dial back on other stuff. For the first time I haven't been given lists already so I guess they're won't be piles of presents either, just one or two things.

We still had stockings and presents from Father Christmas and left things out even when we knew it wasn’t real. All part of the fun of Christmas!

To this day my mum writes that all presents are from Santa. And up to until a few years ago we went to the panto on Christmas Eve.

You could dial it back a bit but I wouldn't lose too much of the Christmas magic. You could maybe do some baking on Christmas Eve morning. Have a film marathon with Home Alone, Elf etc?

The dc have all known the truth about Santa since reception. They still leave stuff out ‘for Santa’ in the knowledge that their parents will enjoy a mince pie and glass of Sherry once they’ve gone to bed

My 31yo DB still gets a stocking at home and the only reason I don't is because I'm at home Xmas eve and Santa only comes to residents

Mine are 23, 20 and 18. We no longer leave out cake and milk for Santa (stopped that when the youngest admitted to no longer believing).

We still do piles of gifts "from Santa" left out in the sitting room. They still get up early to see what he brought. They know what the big present is and will often have been involved in its purchase but I still do stockings and number of little things.

Ds1 may not be here this year (depends on his work schedule and covid) but his presents will wait for him. He will hopefully get a few days off together over christmas.

Mine are almost 21 and almost 16 and nothing ever changed, we still put everything out as usual. We now celebrate the spirit of Christmas and all the love and family traditions even more not just Father Christmas. Christmas is more than just Presents and Father Christmas

I would go online and look at the story of St Nicholas, and also at Winter solstice traditions. They give background to why we give gifts, have stockings etc. Older DC may like to adopt some new traditions in addition themselves, they can still have stockings, just a bit differently. Sometimes they may wish to spread a little festive cheer themselves by donating to a toy or food bank in the run up to Christmas. If they want to keep going with the stockings and any other of the things you used to do, fine.

We still play the game, though that’s partly because mine found out when they were younger than yours.

But we’ve shifted the emphasis to giving now. Before we couldn’t really discuss poverty at Christmas because santa sorted that. Now they fill shoeboxes for homeless children, but a gift for the supermarket giving tree, and make up a box of craft supplies for the local hospital.

They’re still hanging on to the traditions and I’ll let them go when they’re ready to. Up to now we’ve only had stocking for them but I’m considering adding stockings in for me and dh and letting each person add a couple of gifts.

I got a stocking until DM died 5 years ago, and now DSis and I do one for each other (with help from our respective husbands).

In fact, I was sent to bed on Christmas Eve on one occasion with the sentence "mummy Christmas is getting tired, so if you want a stocking I suggest you bugger off to bed NOW". It had the desired effect 😁

So, I'd say nothing needs to change unless you want it to.

My friend's daughter and son now participate in stuffing the stockings. They each buy something small and inexpensive for the other family members, wrap it in tissue and their mum puts it in the appropriate stocking when the kids have gone to bed.

Everyone staying at our house on Christmas Eve gets a stocking, regardless of age. Dogs included!

I still leave a glass of sherry and a mince pie out for Father Christmas. 🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄

Why don't you get them to help with each other's stockings? That might be something fun to do

Ours are 16 and 12. For the last two years we've given them a set amount of money and they make stocking for me and their dad. They love going to town together and buying funny stuff that we wouldn't ever think of! This year we're thinking of an escape room board game for Xmas day!

My teens take turns moving the elf, and help with stockings for the others. We will always do stockings, and a mince pie and baileys for Santa (god knows “he” deserves them). The only thing we stopped was Santa visits.

My DM still gives me presents from Santa. I'm mid 40s

Pre kids when I came home for Christmas we always put a minor pie out for Santa, well into my 20s.

DM told me about Santa when I was 9.

In our house ‘if you don’t believe then Father Christmas won’t visit’. So everyone keeps up the pretence - the mince pie, carrot and Guinness get put out with the stockings. However if you are out late on Xmas Eve your stocking may be filled before you get home because FC likes an early night these days.

We still leave things out on Christmas Eve and still do stockings and our two will be 20 and 22 this Christmas

Mine are 21 & 18, we have never had the chat - I still insist Santa brings everything and they roll their eyes and indulge me ! 😁