How does Father Christmas get in these days?

[Thecomfortador]

To my mind he comes down the chimney but have seen references to special keys presumably so he can let himself in the front door.

We've always gone with the chimney despite having a gas fire (as my parents did, I never questioned it!). Ds1 is nearly 6 and does tend to want logical explanations, he questioned us a couple of years ago about it. Maybe he'd be more satisfied with a key if that is what the general consensus is nowadays. Or we can blag it with "it's magic, don't question the magic, son".

Magic key as we didn't have a fire or chimney in our house

We have a fireplace but there's a stove so early on we realised we wouldn't get away with the chimney thing. So we bought one of those magic key things in the poundshop and leave it outside on Christmas eve.

Magic key - we put it outside with (biodegradable and safe) reindeer food on Christmas Eve. One year we even made a ‘landing strip’ of fairy lights on the lawn so he knew where to land. The key was one of the last traditions to go when DS grew up (along with the other tradition of turning the house upside down every December to find the flaming thing!)

Definitely down the chimney. I actually bought an electric fire in a room with just radiators, so we could have that magic lol, for some reason I can’t work out the thought of magic keys makes me shudder.

Down the chimney, we have a wood burning stove so have to leave the door open, but DS is too young to question weather Santa would fit or not!

Universal key that can open all doors. Father Christmas is the only person who gets this important key. We also told our DC that when you have a child you get the direct number to Father Christmas along with the birth certificate.

Santa doesn't have time to faff with lifts and magic keys, he comes in the living room window, reindeer hover outside!

They are magic and I grew up in a multistorey flat!

It's just magic, pure and simple!

Chimney here. We have Victorian fireplaces in most rooms so it is vaguely feasible although not really because I don't think an actual person could fit down - but hey, magic!
I grew up in a 60s council house which did have a chimney but we had a gas fire fitted in the fireplace - my Dad used to remove it every Christmas Eve to let Father Christmas in. That's dedication.

A magic key is pointless. If he's magic he doesn't need an actual key, surely? Don't question magic! If DS likes logic get him to spend some time thinking/investigating how he thinks FC gets in and go with whatever his answer is Growing up we didn't have a chimney and my parents told me they had no idea how FC got into our house, yet he always managed to every year. Magic!

IME children come up with their own explanations if you leave them to it.

After all, if He knows when you are asleep or awake, been naughty or good, where you live etc I'm sure he can work out how to magically transport himself into everyone's home. As well as understanding preferences on where to leave presents.

DDs are on their sixth home where they understood Santa. He has come down the chimney, through the air conditioning system, magic key and will probably be back down the chimney this year.

Chimney when we were kids. Special key now as no chimney

Magic. That's enough.

If you don't have a chimney hee shrinks himself and the presents and gets through the keyhole. That's what I was told 40 odd years ago. But also magic

Magic key, the children pop it outside the front door before they go to bed.

Magic key here too, don't have a real fire place. It's what my parents also told me when I was a kid as we had a gas fire also.

A la 'Twas the Bight Before Christmas, he puts his finger to his nose and nods, then poof! He's in your house or back in the roof with the reindeer.

I grew up in a house without a chimney and just put it down to magic, no key or anything else.

Just magic.

But my dad did also used to take the gas fire out on Christmas Eve

Thanks for the replies - if we left a magic key outside, knowing our area we'd probably have some drunkard trying to let himself in in the night haha.

But yes, I think the less you say about it all the more their imaginations do the work and maybe you have fewer knots to get tied up in. My partner started with I'm meeting Santa on the roof, this was early December or even November one year - with me silently cringing behind him haha. I think I'll reinforce that it's magic. Ds wouldn't be told that Andy's dinosaur adventures isn't real the other week so maybe I'm massively overthinking it. We always thought ds2 was less sharp but maybe I've overestimated ds1 haha.

Loving the dedication of dad's taking the fires out, that's brilliant.

I was told Rudolph went around the week before making sure chimneys were clear.i must have a gullible child

@TheSpiral your dad is wonderful! What a lovely thing to do and so much effort on Christmas Eve!

My mum bought a giant gold plastic key for my nieces as their house doesn’t have a chimney. They love it.

We had a chimney and open fire so no explanation needed

I was the same OP, thought he came down the chimney but we never had a chimney! Gas fire attached to wall 😂😂 Ahh the power of childhood imagination.