Father Christmas

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When my daughters friends started poo pooing Father Christmas she said he had to be real because her mum said she would never lie to her. She forgave me [eventually]. I was true to my word about everything else, though. Anyway, I like to believe in things like fairies and angels and unicorns. We all need a bit of magic in our lives, do we not?

Yes Crimson, we do!

I like the magic too, but I take a step back and have the magic without the false belief. It's dead easy with a bit of practice. Children are good at pretending too. No need to 'lie' to tinies as they just soak it all up without worrying about truth, but once they grow up a bit and start asking questions, the magical illusions can still be kept while accepting that they are illusions. No fun is lost in this process – in my experience anyway.

That's right. Perhaps one of the things to learn about growing up is when to put on the 'rose tinted spectacles'...[and when to take them off!]

Can I just say, (donning my grumpy old feminist persona, just for a mo, cos I can if I want to...) - Blooming Sexist Myth!!!!!! Part of the trinity of all powerful males - God, Jesus and FC. Throw in the prophet for good measure if you want to make it four. And we wonder why men still run the world. Bah Humbug.

Bravely said, jess

Jess - your post reminded me of the Women's Aid meeting, over 30 years ago, when we agonised over the local Round Table's offer to send their official Santa (the one who went out on their float collecting for the 'needy') to our party, complete with ready wrapped brand new presents, or, to stick to our usual custom whereby Mother Christmas did the honours. I am afraid to say the thought of the ready wrapped presents swung the vote and Santa it was.

This kindness from the Round Table continued and they adopted us as one of their charities, sent Santa every year and built outdoor play equipment for both refuges. Surely (we agreed) men with feminist principals are to be encouraged?

I once upset an NCT committee by pointing out that Punch and Judy appears to glorify domestic violence. And it does. Even if he does get his comeuppance, he's still the star of the show.

Cinderella, SnowWhite, Hansel & Gretel, et al = all plauged by females - wicked stepmothers, witches, etc. until rescued by the handsome prince. We banned the usual books of fairy tales and replaced them with feminist versions for our DDs.

Hear Hear JessM and Granny23

Where did we go wrong?Until two years ago DH was staying up way past midnight to tiptoe into kids (30,28,26,22) bedrooms to hang up stockings and drink the sherry.... I tried many times to tell him they had guessed it was him and not Santa! Thankfully both sons got married last year and now have their own Christmas Eve !!

I have pictures of my grandmother dressed as Santa Clause, (I never met her) and my mother always was the one to dress-up. My grandfather died at a young age, and my father was too pissed to bother.

Mum did a great job, and was a wonderful role model.

Good for your mum. I grew up between 5 and 11 in an all female household, but those male deities still presided. Even Jack Frost occasionally came by.
grannylin what is he like!!?? playing santa to grown up sons. I guess all of us have issues about our kids growing up...

grannylin is my DH your DHs long lost brother,my DH still insists that surprise is put on tree for our three,and they all have Christmas stockings that used to belong to his dad,they are the original WW2 army socks and they get filled with apple orange nuts and choc money,we live on our own but these have always been put up in the house for when they call on Christmas morning,this was the only thing I really missed when we lived abroad.

granny23, love your feminism! Do you know the book called The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch? Great story about a strong female and a narrow-minded wimp of a prince.

Or Julia Donaldson's "Zog" about a trainee dragon and a strong minded princess?

My children aged 50, 48, and 40 yrs all still believe in FC !! . When they were young we told them that if they didn't believe he would not come , so of course they still believe . FC comes every Xmas eve and leaves them each a present - this is in addition to their regular present of course . Who is the idiot in the family ??

G23 not mythical, read your Josephus!

We let our two daughters decide when Father Christmas became a legendry figure and when the older one decided he didn't really exist we told her NOT to disolusion her sister.

In England we had fireplaces one of our houses and it wasopen for Father Christmas for the other we said we had left a key for him!

Over here we didn't have fireplaces in our two previous houses. When our daughter came to join us and brought a 5 and 3 year old we said the key had been left in the barn where Father Christmas would park the reindeer! This house has a HUGE open fireplace and Father Christmas will have no problem getting down it. At 10 and 8 the two older ones still believe in Père Noel and at 21 months the little one certainly does.

I won't say there is no such thing. Last year our grandaughter said someone had said at school he isn't real and she told him off in no uncertain terms. She may be nearly 11 but does that matter?

I took grandson 5 to see Father Christmas today as Oswaldtwistle Mills (just across the road from us).......it was £5...what!! a rip off!! saw father christmas ...no photo had to take your own..then got a present....opened the present and ...wait for it!!!! it was one of those long bubble sticks (blow bubbles)..and ready available from the £1 shop!!! I was disgusted..!! to say the least....yes I know it should be worth £5 to see grandson with father christmas...but to be honest I would rather have bought him a present that was worth £5...instead! I feel sorry for anyone that tok families..

Last year I did a 'Message from Santa' online for my DG www.portablenorthpole.tv she loved it and the other day said to her mum that he hadn't sent one this year, DD replied that it was probably because her computer isn't working at the moment but maybe he might send one to Grannie's. Sent daughter a message earlier to say that Santa had sent DGD a message on my computer for DGD instead. Five year old DGD was so excited, she said 'I kept talking to him and asking him to do it and now he has'! Can't wait for her to get the video message tomorrow when she comes in.

My dear DiL gives everyone a stocking on Christmas Eve, and it's something I'd never had. I get ridiculously excited by it.

Libradi I sent the link you posted to my daughter to use and my grandson loved it. It was great! Thank you.

When our children were very young we explained that FC was a fun thing, a tradition that we kept up every year. WhenDD was about 2 she had a red coat so we dressed her up as FC and she pulled in a box of presents which she distributed. She loved it. I could never bring my self to say that FC was real. It seems wrong to deliberately lieto one's children.