I know its really early but for those who tell their children about Santa/Father Christmas, how do you explain him?

[babyblue2]

DD1 (4) is now talking about Christmas and is asking if she can have 'everything she sees on television'. We've previously told her santa delivers the presents but I need to make it a bit more believeable and would like to know what other people tell their children when asked. I want her to believe in santa so not involving him is not an option at this age. I did find another thread but it didn't really satisfy my curiosity.

Our son is almost 6. He knows we buy presents for grown ups, which makes it easier to do some Christmas shopping and have wrapping paper lying around the house. He believes that Father Christmas sorts his presents and delivers them on Christmas Eve... but occasionally when he is given a present directly by a friend, it's because Father Christmas is very busy so we're helping.

Santas that we see out and about are all Father Christmas' helpers; he's too busy at the North Pole to see every child in the lead-up to Christmas. And he MUST go to sleep on Christmas Eve or Father Christmas quite simply can't come to our house! Furthermore, for the past few years the Christmas Elves have put up our tree and decorated the house. This one may have to drop this year or next, but we'll have a letter from the Elves explaining that now he's a bigger boy they will move onto little children and would he like to decorate instead?

And finally, we do occasionally call Father Christmas. His telephone number is 123 and his wife very kindly tells us the time

I don't know who gets a kick out of this more - us or him - but we'll keep up the magic for as long as it may last.

Thats what I want to do, keep up the magic for as long as it lasts. They're only young once.

My dd has her doubts about FC but is clever enough to keep them to herself. She sent her letter to him last week! Too bad I didn't get to read it before she posted it - I guess she can't be that clever after all!

Well i'm really glad i came back to look at this thread cos you've given me some good ideas - especially frannyandzooey. I think with dd3 i will just go with the flow then, not over-do it, and when she's about 8 or 9, i'll gently prod her in the direction of realising that it's really me - if she just know already. That was pretty much how it went with dd1 and dd2 anyway.

Children aren`t children for long these days (huge sigh ).
We waffled as much as pos to make the whole thing entirely magical-believable or not !
We write to Santa and behave for him and daddy phones him up if ds is being particularly naughty.
Love tracking him on the internet Xmas eve too !
Oh yes-fairies in the lights from about Nov and will report back to santa on behaviour !
Love it-dh gets as excited as the kids

ds(7) 8 in Feb still firmly believes. Stocking pres's from father christmas and other pressies (tree ones) from mummy and my dp. He made me laugh tho as he is asking santa for nintendo ds as he said that he knows we wont have much money as baby due around thn bless him. Obv santa will not get credit for nintendo!

Santa brings one present - he only has enough time and resourses to bring one each. Santa also gets annoyed if you want to much as it weighs his sled down too much.

You communicate with him all year by shouting up the chimney.

I find the difficult thing is remembering to eat the reindeers' carrots and Santa's mince pie and leave santa footprints in the hearth!

In our house Father Christmas is a delivery service more than anything else. He delivers - by magic - the gifts from family memebers, although there are always some family members who aren't organised enough to get their presents to him in time! FC also brings one special present of his wn to the child too.

This is the same thing we believed when I was younger, and we never felt the need to question it. Hoping DD will be fine with it too.

He uses magical dust to make the presents ift in his sleigh - that's why you can sometimes spot a big of magic sparkly dust around the presents after they have been left

In our house FC only bring the stockings.

In DH's house when he was younger his parents used to say they bought the presents and FC came and collected them.

Knowing DD she would NEVER fall for that one! She is 10 and still believe (I 'think' lol)

DS is 4 and this is the first year where FC has featured for him!

do you sign presents from santa?

I think what we'll do is say the stocking is from santa along with a couple of smaller under tree presents and say the rest is from us but that he delivers them.

Don't children talk about what happens with Santa with their friends and don't they get conflicting stories. What then? I mean everyone has different explanations don't they.

Father Christmas comes to our house and gives the stockings, however the list that goes to him about all the presents, which we choose what to get them from is told to us by the elves. So we know what was written on it as well.

I love doing the whole 'santa' thing, weuse huge dirty boots to come in the house and flour for snow from his boots and fingers where he ate the mince pie, and drank his milk/beer depending on whether dad wants a beer or not Santa is a rather messy old man, as he is in such a hurry so he always leaves crumbs and spillages.

Of course kids talk to each other - but they all think THEIR parents are the ones who have it right - and everyone else is just silly