[Misc] Parents: Father Christmas Etiquette for Primary age and below

[Cheeky Monkey]

Anyone else think this was going to be a thread about acceptable behaviour so you didnt inadvertently make yourself the subject of Operation Yewtree for filming Little Timmy's school nativity on your phone, or bouncing Little Broderick a little too boisterously on your knee while working in a Santa's grotto?

 

[dazzer6666]

The 3 stages of man: You believe in Father Christmas. You don't believe in Father Christmas. You are Father Christmas.

4. You look like Father Christmas

 

[Brovion]

1. Presents from Father Christmas should be in the same wrapping paper, but different from all your other wrapping paper.
2. Presents from Father Christmas should be stocking fillers, reasonably priced toys and games.
3. Expensive presents like games consoles, bikes etc. should come from M&D or other family members.

The reason for 2 and 3 is that on returning to school, little Jimmy who has been good all year who got socks, a bit of lego and a pack of Uno cards doesn't think WTF when naughty Nick got a PS4 and an iPhone from Santa.

If Nick's parents want to spoil him then fine, that's life it if one set of parents buys a load more presents, kids can get that – but saying they came from Santa, no, don't do it, kids don't get why Santa would bring one kid an Xbox and another a jigsaw. Santa should be relatively equal for all kids, don't spoil the magic.

p.s. Don't question my authority either, I was Santa Claus at a Primary School Xmas Fair on Friday!

I agree. That's how my parents treated me and it's how I treated my own children.

When they get older there's the whole other issue of how you deal with the fact that ' Father Christmas' isn't an actual single individual person (have you been lying to them all their lives?), but I think that's actually part of growing up; when they figure it out for themselves that there isn't a man with a flying sleigh and that it's just a game they're quite pleased. that they've sussed it. Then they can join the grown-ups and play along with the younger ones. I think I told my kids some load of philosophical bollocks that we're all Father Christmas: Nana was Father Christmas to me, I'm Father Christmas to them and one day they'll be Father Christmas to their own children.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Bit like the Tooth Fairy. Everyone is giving their kids a quid then one kid in the class gets a fiver and it ****s it up for everyone.

Communism is the answer.

 

[Notters]

Game consoles for below primary age? Blimey I'm doing this wrong

 

[Jack Straw]

The 3 stages of man: You believe in Father Christmas. You don't believe in Father Christmas. You are Father Christmas.

4. You look like Father Christmas

5. People visit you once a year.

 

[WATFORD zero]

4. You look like Father Christmas

You've seen my attempt at a Bruno homage

 

[Giraffe]

1. Presents from Father Christmas should be in the same wrapping paper, but different from all your other wrapping paper.
2. Presents from Father Christmas should be stocking fillers, reasonably priced toys and games.
3. Expensive presents like games consoles, bikes etc. should come from M&D or other family members.

Spot on. Exactly how my childhood was and exactly how it has been for my children. They are too old for all that now, they just want money of course.

I remember when I got together with my first wife there were many arguments over Christmas traditions. In her family all presents were from Father Christmas. What? How does that work? It still baffles me now how that is even a thing. Quite clearly there are Father Christmas presents and then there are family presents. The kids need to know this, so they can say thank you and be grateful to the poor ******** who have forked our for them.

Equally there is the debate over when a cracker is pulled. My parents insisted it was after dinner, before dessert, I suspect so we all sat nicely, but I've since found out most pull the cracker first and I was more than happy to adopt that.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Game consoles for below primary age? Blimey I'm doing this wrong

If you’re not giving your kids consoles before primary age, then you’re doing it right.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Bit like the Tooth Fairy. Everyone is giving their kids a quid then one kid in the class gets a fiver and it ****s it up for everyone.

My son had £2 once, but that was because the Tooth Fairy forgot 3 nights in a row! Unbelievably bad parenting...however we said lots of kids must be losing their teeth and she was really busy. My wife made this tiny note with handwriting you could barely read to say sorry for the delay and here is an extra £1...he was absolutely dumbstruck convinced a fairy had written to him. Just as a shame as a 14 year old that was his last baby tooth to come out...



(most of that story is true though...)

 

[boik]

When we were young, we went to my Aunts and Uncles one Christmas. As a surprise, my uncle had arranged for the elderly neighbour to dress up as Father Christmas, ring the doorbell and come in a hand out the presents. When the doorbell rang, my youngest cousin was sent to see who it was. The grown-ups all sat there expectantly waiting for the shrieks of excitement. When my little cousin sauntered back in, my Uncle said "Well, who was it" and my cousin said "Oh, it was just Mr Gallacher from next door".

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I agree. That's how my parents treated me and it's how I treated my own children.

When they get older there's the whole other issue of how you deal with the fact that ' Father Christmas' isn't an actual single individual person (have you been lying to them all their lives?), but I think that's actually part of growing up; when they figure it out for themselves that there isn't a man with a flying sleigh and that it's just a game they're quite pleased. that they've sussed it. Then they can join the grown-ups and play along with the younger ones. I think I told my kids some load of philosophical bollocks that we're all Father Christmas: Nana was Father Christmas to me, I'm Father Christmas to them and one day they'll be Father Christmas to their own children.

Up north, it's slightly easier because they call him Santa Claus, which ties in with the original Saint Nicolas, bishop of Myra. Mine were quite happy that I hadn't 'lied' to them but carried on a centuries long tradition.
Father Christmas is a modern translation.

My son had £2 once, but that was because the Tooth Fairy forgot 3 nights in a row! Unbelievably bad parenting...however we said lots of kids must be losing their teeth and she was really busy. My wife made this tiny note with handwriting you could barely read to say sorry for the delay and here is an extra £1...he was absolutely dumbstruck convinced a fairy had written to him. Just as a shame as a 14 year old that was his last baby tooth to come out...

Bless her, my 16 year old granddaughter has felt very hard done by, because her baby teeth are still with her. She's had her jaws xrayed, and most of her adult teeth aren't there to push the baby teeth out. She has to wait to stop growing, and then may be able to have implants. Baby teeth can last for quite a while, and hers are in good nick.

 

[Bozza]

1. Presents from Father Christmas should be in the same wrapping paper, but different from all your other wrapping paper.
2. Presents from Father Christmas should be stocking fillers, reasonably priced toys and games.
3. Expensive presents like games consoles, bikes etc. should come from M&D or other family members.

Exactly how we play things, although we do seem to go overboard with 2 every year and say "not next year" only to do the same again.

However, this year our 7-y-o has expressly asked the big bearded fella for an Xbox One, so we were contemplating a change of routine.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Shove the brats up the chimney on Christmas Eve, tell them they are going on a Santa hunt, then eat all the mince pies and drink all the brandy.

All very well, but who gets the carrot?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Exactly how we play things, although we do seem to go overboard with 2 every year and say "not next year" only to do the same again.

However, this year our 7-y-o has expressly asked the big bearded fella for an Xbox One, so we were contemplating a change of routine.

Don't do it! Yeah, there maybe a pinch of disappointment, but you know, easily explained as Santa can't give every boy and girl an Xbone, kids love their fillers and little toy things. Then 'boom' mum and dad save the day bringing out their gift of a games console. Has to be done.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

All very well, but who gets the carrot?

The missus, with any luck

 

[Brovion]

Up north, it's slightly easier because they call him Santa Claus, which ties in with the original Saint Nicolas, bishop of Myra. Mine were quite happy that I hadn't 'lied' to them but carried on a centuries long tradition.
Father Christmas is a modern translation.
.

It's not really a 'modern translation' (as you can trace references to him back to at least the 17th century) it's more a different character. For the English he embodies the 'spirit of Christmas' in physical form, as opposed to being a representation of an actual person.

I've always looked on 'Santa' (who wears a short tunic as opposed to Father Christmas's long robe) as a 'dreadful Americanism' pushing out our older tradition!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It's not really a 'modern translation' (as you can trace references to him back to at least the 17th century) it's more a different character. For the English he embodies the 'spirit of Christmas' in physical form, as opposed to being a representation of an actual person.

I've always looked on 'Santa' (who wears a short tunic as opposed to Father Christmas's long robe) as a 'dreadful Americanism' pushing out our older tradition!

Saint Nicolas or Santa Klaus (Claus) was a bishop in red robes (cardinal) from 270AD.

 

[Notters]

5. People visit you once a year.

6. You believe in father Christmas.

 

[BBassic]

I don't have kids but I like to think that, when I do, I'll not go overboard. That's what Grandparents are for isn't it?

Does anyone do this four gift idea thing? Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.