Help! Kids seen Christmas eve box

[Sleepwhatsthazzz]

I'm asking for some help on behalf of a friend. During a house move, her dd (8) followed her into a garage unknown to my friend and spotted the Christmas eve boxes. When she questioned them my friend panicked and brushed it off. But we cant think of how to explain this to her dd (8) so as to not spoil the magic of Christmas. (in their house the elves take the Christmas eve box before going back home to the North Pole). Any wonderful ideas on how to explain would be appreciated

She's 8, I'd just be honest, lots of children are questioning it by then and lying to a child never goes down well.

How does she get them again to leave out on Christmas Eve?

She’s 8,she knows the truth

Definitely wouldn't be keen on telling her the truth (she will only be 8 at Christmas, still very much believes. Small school and all kids in older years still very much believe. So would definitely be the only one to 'know'.
My friend just takes them in from storage on Christmas eve. Not quite sure how they get back to the 'North Pole' though after Christmas. That might be an idea 💡

Well clearly when the elves return they know where to find them in the garage and fill them with treats

Surely the boxes in the garage belonged to children who used to live in the house but are now grown up, so the elves left them one Christmas? I would imagine the real owners will be popping back for them next week.

I would just feign innocence- a lie that's nearer the truth is always more convincing
If I was your friend I'd say: 'I don't know how they are there either! I always thought the elves took them back to the North Pole, I guess maybe this was easier for them 🤷🏻‍♀️'

Well the boxes are waiting to be collected by the elves surely?

But anyway, this is a lesson not to over complicate everything. Stick to santa delivering presents on Xmas Eve night.

The boxes are just storage. The elves leave the boxes but fill them when they arrive.

we have had similar when santas wrapping paper was discovered - he leaves the remainder of the roll for us - and when the kids recognise brands on items (squashimals from Clare’s) - Santa can’t make everything so some stuff is just bought.

If the incident has been and gone why does it need explaining now?

To be honest at 8 she's going to very much be at a 'Santa maybe exists but probably doesn't' point anyway. If I were her mum and she asked me outright I think I'd reply with something along the lines of 'Santa and Elves are part of The Christmas Magic, which you know in your heart is true if you believe in it. If you start not really believing in it anymore that's ok too though, because you can become part of The Magic and make Christmas special for other people. That's why Santa doesn't come to mums and dads, because grown ups have forgotten how to believe in magic properly, but that way they can help to make The Magic happen for their children'.

With a Spiel like that she can still go along with it all if she wants to (and probably still feel like she believes) or she can decide it can't be true but then she can join in making things fun for her younger siblings.

My 6 year old son questions everything! I tell him that as the Easter bunny or elves have so much to carry that we have all the decorations here and leave them out for them to use as they have eggs or gifts to bring. Makes it easier for them, even wrapping paper in case Santa rips a whole in the paper by accident on his journey.

Hope she believes for a bit longer :) x

Buy new boxes.

See, I hate comments like this. How do you know she knows the truth? It’s always a race to the bottom when it comes to who believes what at a Christmas. Oh my 18 month old knows Santa isn’t real bollocks. Plenty believe until they are older than that.

But Santa has been around forever; elves delivering Christmas Eve boxes (!) is new fangled nonsense that isn't remotely universal.

My 18 month old grandchild does know- “man, man dressed up!” (Watching a video of her big brother visiting Santa last year)
We are hoping she isn’t quite so loud about it come December. 😂

I still believed at 8. 😱

I believe OP means the Christmas Eve boxes are theirs - belongs to the child who saw them.

An 18 month old came out with that?! Literally 18 months? That kid is a genius! Not being sarky, genuinely! I've worked with some bright toddlers who had great language skills but not at that level.

Why unnessacerily spin yourself such a hard story thats not even linked to the tradition in the first place?

My kids have never once asked where xmas eve boxes come from, they see them regularly through the year (just storage boxes), the formular is pretty much the same every year so they know what they are getting.

Xmas eve boxes have never had anything to do with Santa or Elves, might be time to just explain it actually has nothing to do with Santa.

Where the hell did this Christmas Eve box thing come from? it's not a traditional activity and not everyone does it!
Just keep to the traditional Santa delivering presents into stocking/sack/pillow case. Honestly so over complicated

If I've understood properly, on Christmas eve the elves go and the box appears?
So surely, on 1 December the elves appear and the transport that drops them off switches them for the boxes.

OR boxes had to be dropped off mid year so the elves knew where the new house was?

You have to deliver the box back to the North Pole after christmas and must have forgotten. Silly mummy. You'll get right on it.

And for some PPs, this 8 year old has always known that elves bring a christmas eve box. Who cares if it's universal? It's real for them.

The elves are late collecting them due to covid but will take them back to the north pole soon?

Christmas is an age away, I’m sure she will have forgotten about it by then. Don’t over complicate anything.

She believes in a lie.

Think about that for a second.

A lie.

Your child believes a lie and you want to continue that? Christmas Eve boxes are just boxes not some magical portal to Lapland or filled with the Crown Jewels.