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Original poster

What do you tell kids about father Christmas?

45 replies

lancslass17 · 26/08/2021 06:57

My Ds is 3 now so understands I want some magic but don't want him to think he can ask for anything, also how does FC get in your house (we have a log burner) and how do you explain if you are at relatives on Christmas?

Trying to get my story straight!

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 26/08/2021 08:52

We used the magic key as don’t have an open fire place and we only ever said Santa was the delivery person for what mummy and daddy buy. That way, they knew things cost money and some children may not get as much or different items etc. Relatives gifts went under the tree as wanted them to thank the actual giver for them.

MrsSkylerWhite · 26/08/2021 08:54

Never explained anything. FC is magic sufficed. He also continued to come as long as you believed. Our 26 year old still does, apparently. Never really thought that policy through Grin

LadyDanburysHat · 26/08/2021 08:57

FC only brings stockings in our house, that way you don't get to ask him for presents. Never explained the no open fire thing as none of them ever asked.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 26/08/2021 09:01

Santa has only ever bought one present here, plus the stocking.(otherwise how does it all get on the sleigh?) Not piles of stuff. Big stuff comes from real people.

Having lived in multiple houses, DDs became adept at working out how santa could get in each one. Fireplaces, air conditioning vents, special keys... their imagination filled it all in.

We also took DDs to buy a present each for Santa to give to children who couldn't get much from other people... one of the places we lived had a scheme of Santa coming around to do the Charity Toy Collection and the thought stuck with them.

MindyStClaire · 26/08/2021 09:03

We have a gas glass fronted fire, I think Santa will use magic to get through.

In both of our families we wrote to Santa for one present and then he brought a stocking of little surprises too so we're sticking with that. It's not nice to ask for something too expensive, just the same as with relatives.

Basically, don't overthink it.

ShowOfHands · 26/08/2021 09:05

Father Christmas brings a present (modest) and a stocking. Everything else is from relatives. How does he get in? We don't know. It's magic.

Natsku · 26/08/2021 09:10

He brings some presents but not all, and he comes in the front door on Christmas Eve afternoon (Finnish thing, no coming down chimneys in the night here), or if he's in a rush he leaves the presents on the doorstep (last year, because no hired Santa in a pandemic), and he doesn't give you everything you want.

jendifer · 26/08/2021 09:12

He brings the Stockings. Presents under the tree are from family and friends.

LittleFroggie · 26/08/2021 09:14

In our house Santa brings all the presents. DH has to make a big display of going down to see if Santa has been yet whilst the girls giggle excitedly on the end of our bed. He comes down the chimney. We previously left stockings on the fireplace in our bedroom but moved house this year and now we don’t have a fire in our room so not sure what to do with them this year.

GoodnightGrandma · 26/08/2021 09:14

FC has a magic key to open our patio door.
They do a list but don’t get everything off it, they get some things and some surprises.

lorisparkle · 26/08/2021 09:14

We do just stockings from Father Christmas.

We love watching Christmas films and they often give explanations for how it all works!

We have never discussed whether Father Christmas is real and my DS are all at secondary school. I am sure they all know but they also know it is not something we talk about! I have never even discussed it with my own mum and she still gets me a stocking!!!

Angel2702 · 26/08/2021 09:16

Father Christmas only brings the stockings, presents downstairs are from us. They have fun thinking of funny things to ask for from FC that will fit in their stocking. Makes life so much easier when they ask for really inappropriate or expensive presents that they know they are from us so we can manage expectations.

Roonilwazlib1 · 26/08/2021 09:18

When we were little we were never told that the presents came from FC or that the elves made the presents etc.

It was always that mum and dad buy the presents and send them to him for him to deliver on christmas eve. So he was just a delivery service to us I guess!

I really like the thought of that as parents still get credit for presents and young kids dont think theyve got more or less from FC.

My sister doesnt have a fireplace so her kids have always had the story of the "magic key" for him to get in the front door Smile

We don't have a fireplace in our house either so might do the magic key story if I can't think of anything else! with you having a log burner could you go down the route they use in the santa clause film where the burners and radiators magically turn into fireplaces?

Angel2702 · 26/08/2021 09:19

We hang up a magic key when we leave out the mince pie which allows his access to the blocked chimney. If you don’t have a key he does have enough magic to get in but hanging a key helps him keep his own magic in reserve.

TheDistortion · 26/08/2021 09:19

Father Christmas just brings stockings so you don't ask him for anythjng specific. They still do lists but its as a general helpful thing for the family to know what they want. They understand you dont get everything from the list.
We do have a fireplace but I think " he uses magic" would be my answer if we didn't, and let them think up some ways that might work.
At relatives - well,.he is magic. He knows where you are.

StevieNix · 26/08/2021 09:20

FC in our house (we have ds aged 4) brings the stocking and one present (not a high value/main present either but something moderate that we think ds would really love)
The rest of the presents are from us, so it avoids the requesting a list of super ridiculous high priced presents from FC.
He leaves the stocking in the living room with one present (saves having to sneak in and fill a stocking when asleep) and also wraps the door to the living room across with wrapping paper, so there can be no peeking or going in without us.

Roonilwazlib1 · 26/08/2021 09:21

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

We used the magic key as don’t have an open fire place and we only ever said Santa was the delivery person for what mummy and daddy buy. That way, they knew things cost money and some children may not get as much or different items etc. Relatives gifts went under the tree as wanted them to thank the actual giver for them.
I should have read the responses first as this was the exact same for us in terms of who buys presents and how we get them etc.
RubyGoat · 26/08/2021 09:24

DD is 9 & still believes. We tell her that FC, the tooth fairy, etc are magic. We also tell her, separately, that magic isn't really real, it's just playing tricks on you, like card tricks, she's seen YouTube stuff of how to do "magic". She'll probably figure it out sometime soon. She knows who the original Saint Nicholas was though, that he was a real person.

WhatHappenedToTheLego · 26/08/2021 09:28

I agree, don't overthink it.

It's magic, so parents don't have to understand or explain everything, they can be amazed too. I quite enjoy marvelling at it all rather than trying to tie myself in knots explaining.

I've never gone in for elaborate back stories- here you put the stockings at the end of the beds and in the morning they are miraculously full.

Any questions about logistics I either profess ignorance or recall what happened when I was a child.

Twizbe · 26/08/2021 09:32

We don't have a chimney so have a magic key. We put it outside for the elves to collect at the start of December.

We send our letters to the Royal Mail address and they get a card back from Father Christmas. We use that letter to tell Father Christmas if we'll be at Grankie's house.

They are allowed to ask for one big present from Father Christmas ans everything else is a surprise.

Mermaidpool · 26/08/2021 09:36

Magic key that is a tree decoration. We send money to Santa so they can't expect everything. Relatives presents go under the tree so they are thanked personally.

MrsPworkingmummy · 26/08/2021 09:45

In our house, all presents are from Father Christmas other than those bought by relatives or family friends. He comes down the chimney, fills stockings hung along the banister and then puts presents under the tree. DD (9) has mentioned a couple of times this year that 'Santa isn't real' and I respond by saying 'I still believe in the magic.' and then we usually discuss St Nicholas and the real story of his good deeds.

GameSetMatch · 26/08/2021 09:46

My children think I have to send money to him so know they can’t get too carried away with their lists. We have a fireplace so they know he comes down the chimney but they’ve seen magic keys at cousins house.
Father Christmas lands on the roof and leaves the stockings on the bedroom door handle in the hall and then leaves others gifts downstairs, he wraps the doorway to the lounge so the kids can burst through in the morning.

GintyMcGinty · 26/08/2021 09:52

Santa is magic and comes in through our gas fire place.

SheliasBroomIsLonger · 26/08/2021 09:54

In our house, all presents are from Father Christmas my sister did that and my 6 year old asked why he got a present from his Aunt and yet she didn't buy anything for her own children. Grin

As children FC bought everything, not great when you grow up in a poor household. My sister has carried on this tradition however Dh and I went with FC fills a stocking, everything else is either from us or relatives/friends and they know who to thank.

How he gets into the house is just magic, the stockings are filled on Christmas Eve. No magic key needed. Stockings still magically gets filled in this house and my children are mid-teens!