How to explain

[happylittlechick]

This isn't a thread about Father Christmas. In our house he brings a stocking and one main present.

I always buy a gift or two for a charity that gives gifts to children who won't receive much at Christmas. Now my daughter is 5 I'd like her to be involved and understand how fortunate she is. But when I explained her first response was why doesn't Father Christmas give them gifts? Now I'm not sure what to say. Anyone got a good explanation or do I just do it myself and let her help when she's 9/10?

Santa brings one present to every child. That's all the elves can make, as there are thousands of children. Family also give presents
Other people help Santa out by sending him extra gifts to give to the children whose family can't get them lots of extras.

Probably best to do it yourself and let her get involved when she's older and able to better understand.

I just did it myself until they got to the age of questioning. Then I encouraged them to become Santa to someone else by picking out gifts for other children.

At a younger age I encouraged them to make gifts for family and friends, so that Christmas wasn’t just about receiving but about them being thoughtful and generous too.

Some families don’t have enough money for food/ heating. So to them those things are needed more than toys. Santa gives them money for food and you help out by giving a few toys.

We had this when we did the ‘fill a school bag for a child in a refuge’. DS1 had had a scientific calculator from Santa aged 6 (he’s a strange child) and couldn’t see why the child in the refuge didn’t just ask Santa.

My response was that for children whose families didn’t have much money, Santa bought fun things like glitter pens that their parents couldn’t afford so Santa couldn’t bring them school stuff. This was apparently an acceptable excuse. I can see that won’t quite work but could you go for Santa bringing them a little more because their families can’t quite run to it?!

Santa does bring them gifts. He brings a stocking and one gift the same as in your house.
Your DD also gets gifts from you/friends/family. You buy a gift to help out the friends/family part of other families who don't have as much money. Nothing to do with Santa.

The spirit of Christmas in one of giving, not receiving. Santa brings the stocking plus one gift but paretns and relatives also give more gifts. We must also giveto our family and also to those in need. Santa also wants us to give, help each other and feel they joy of giving.

Parents have to send Father Christmas money to make the gifts and some Mummys and Daddys don’t have any money to send?

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander

Santa does bring them gifts. He brings a stocking and one gift the same as in your house. Your DD also gets gifts from you/friends/family. You buy a gift to help out the friends/family part of other families who don't have as much money. Nothing to do with Santa.

This is pretty much what I went with at the time but I'm not sure she bought it.

@Howmanysleepsnow

Some families don’t have enough money for food/ heating. So to them those things are needed more than toys. Santa gives them money for food and you help out by giving a few toys.

I quite like this idea. I really want her to understand that Christmas is about giving as well as receiving and to realise how fortunate she is.

We lived in an area of high deprivation when my children were young. Those children not getting gifts were very likely to be their friends. I always told my dcs that mums and dads have to send money to Santa and some parents couldn't afford it. This explained why some children got lots for Christmas and others got very little. Especially as where I live, Father Christmas brings all the gifts that children wake up to on Christmas morning.

My children befriended a family of refugees and so we used to buy them gifts instead of the toy appeal.

It never spoiled the magic of Christmas for my DCs, but if you were worried about that, maybe ask your child to pick a gift for a child who is sick in hospital to cheer them up.

I told my dd, also 5, that some parents have so little that Santa needs some extra help.

I also told her that part of what Santa does is to remind us of how important it is to be kind and to give to others.