How do you introduce the whole Santa thing when smalls are so freaked out by the bearded one?

[Ozziegirly]

I was thinking about this today. DS is only 15 months so obviously doesn't really "get" Christmas yet, but today walking through the shopping centre there was a ropey old looking Father Christmas and my Ds shrank back behind me in horror when he did his "HOHOHO Hello little fellow" routine.

Seeing photos of others, this often seems to be the reaction.

So, next year, or the year after, how do you go about explaining - "that slightly frightening bloke from the shopping centre? He's going to come down the chimney while you're asleep and leave you presents. How exciting" without hugely freaking him out?

And I know this is odd, but I actually am a bit weirded out about manufacturing such a big lie to DS - I hadn't expected to feel like this at all, but it just feels slightly strange.

I am overthinking this aren't I?

But how did you go about explaining presents and Santa etc to your children?

You tell your DS (and he'll be much more keen next year) that the dodgy bloke in the shopping centre isn't the real FC... who is, of course, very lovely and kind, thoroughly magical and not frightening in the slightest. As to where FC visits and how he gains access, that's entirely up to you. A lot of modern houses don't have chimneys, for example. Rather than a 'big lie', you're just creating a version of the FC story appropriate to your own children

DD at 20 months LOVES animated cartoon style father Christmas's on telly or decorations but hates the real ones. So we focus on the toy ones to help talk about him.

This is going to make us sound amazingly Scrooge-like but we've decided to basically do without Father Christmas and the whole down-the-chimney shebang. Partly because I'm also uncomfortable about telling such a big lie to the children. In any case they only 'believe' for a few years before they find out it's not true - and I still remember being devastated when I found out. So Mummy and Daddy bring presents at Christmas, and although there are pictures of FC on cards etc that's as far as it goes.

I do have slight guilt about the fact that when DD goes to school doubtless she'll be the one telling the other children 'it's your parents'.