Father Christmas

I had chimneys in the house where absentdaughter lived as a child but they were all boarded up. On Christmas Eve, as well as getting the mince pie and sherry ready for FC and the carrots prepared for the reindeer, I had to pull the chest of drawers away from where it normally stood in front of the boarded up fireplace and loosen the boarding up for the fat guy to climb through. Children are a) more perceptive and b) more logical than we realise.

Last year, the two youngest GSs were tracking Santa's progress round the globe on a web site. The little one, then just turned three, looked sceptical and announced,'I don't believe it'. I wonder what he'll come out with this year!

I always explain the FC thingy away as its magic in a hushed whisper meant to convey that we are not supposed to understand the how just enjoy it! Have a great time with your grandchildren. I am so looking forward to taking one of mine young Adam (7) to see FC at Twinlakes next week and Happy Feet 2.

At what age do you expect belief in Santa to cease? I think I was 7 when I overheard something that just confirmed what I already suspected; GD, aged 9, definitely doesn't believe, but I think her 7-year-old brother still does, or is he pretending? Who knows how their minds work!

In my family we were told that children who lose their belief in Father Christmas start to get less presents, so we would pretend we believed when we had seen my dad putting full pillowcases at the end of our beds for quite a few years.

Just booked Breakfast with Santa for my g/d, next week - what will she make of it I wonder.......? And will he have a full English or Continenal..............?

My DD found a super website where you can enter the details of the child and Santa will send a personalised message in full glorious walking and talking colour. Try googling Portable North Pole. Robbie (2) was thrilled and has watched it over and over again.

Oh yes em my dd found that too..............g/d was completely fascinated and displaying 'nice' behaviour just in case Santa's elves are watching............Brilliant!!

Father Christmas came round in his 'sleigh' last night to a great deal of ho ho hoing and apparently he drove past my GC's house as well - see he gets around! My GC rushed out to see him and he said he had been waiting especially for them! They were very impressed and gave him some pennies for his collection box without question.

My GSs watched their personalised messages and the younger one hid his face because he thought that FC would have found out that he'd been naughty! Somehow that news had passed FC by.

Why do people lie to their children and grandchildren??? How are they supposed to know the difference between one sort of lie and another?

carbon Go and watch Miracle on 34th Street and then ask the question.

I think it is good to have a little magic in their lives, it soon passes and reality hits them all too soon. I don't feel bad about these kind of "lies", we are keeping the magic alive for a while. I am off to see miracle on 34th Street on Sunday for the umpteenth time.

GoldenGran The original or the Dickie Attenborough one? Both are delightful but I reckon DA was born to play that role.

The original, it is on at the cinema round the corner on Sunday, they put it on every year. Yes, I liked DA in the other one too.

I never lie to DGC. If asked, I explain that Santa Claus is mythological, same as Dr Who, Robin Hood, Cinderella and [dare I say it?] Jesus. I reckon that once they are old enough to understand what mythological means they are old enough to know.

absolutely! Granny23
But the thing is how can it be a good idea to tell very small (or not so small) children that a strange man is going to come into their bedroom during the night - regardless of whether he comes down the chimney or through the window.?

You don't have to tell them. That's the trouble. Everyone else does! We never mentioned Father Christmas but everyone else did. However, all my kids had worked it out by the time they were four years old. Didn't make a scrap of difference to their enjoyment but I got told off when they disillusioned their mates who had been told stories and who believed them.

A tip, sort of FC related. When my boys were of an age to believe, if we found the Christmas lists were getting a little too long (I used to try to encourage BBC programmes in the run up to Christmas, as many of the adverts on ITV resulted in "oooh, I'd like one of those!") we would explain that now that you are 5/6/7 (whichever age they happened to be) Father Christmas still brings the presents but Mummy and Daddy have to send him the money, so be careful to choose things that you would really like".

It helped to keep the magic, but also kept expectations a tad more realistic!

carbon, I am sure I never felt scared of FC coming down the chimney and I am certain my sons didn't.

Anyone requested a wet blanket in her stocking?

I loved the idea of Father Christmas when I was a child and he left gifts for us in the lounge. When my children realised that he didn't exist I always told them not to tell other children. Why spoil the fantasy, children grow up soon enough!

My DGCs have all believed in FC and as the elder ones have been told the story and that is what it is "a magical story" they have never spoilt the story for their younger siblings,my DGD still believes in the magic of Christmas and she is 10 soon I would prefer her to be like that and enjoy the time she is a little girl,her younger brother also believes and there is no way i would have him think any other way the magic of childhood goes far to quickly I think.

You may have a GD like my daughter, glammana. I think my D1 was around ten years old or possibly older. Who knows if she wanted the fantasy to last, but when I told her that the tooth fairy didn't exist she told me that I had ruined all of her fantasies. She was always a dreamy child and now is a drama teacher, teaching at a private school. She has at least five students who are following her career and doing the exact same course that she did at her old Uni. Recently she was invited to this same University where she completed her first degree to be the artist in residence next year for a week. She will most probably direct one of the many plays she has written herself. I did ask if her girls and I could fit into her suitcase, but no, we will be a distraction.