Has someone burst your child’s Santa bubble? Whether it was a school friend, a family member or even yourself, there is only one thing to do – step back from the cooking, present wrapping, shopping, tree decorating and stocking filling and act fast.
Here’s some tips on rebuilding the Christmas magic for your children:
- Get some writing paper and envelopes (there are still some at the back of the drawer which date from the pre-digital era). Help the children write up their Christmas list and post it to Father Christmas, North Pole. If they look unbelieving tell them that if they don’t send it they will never know if it works or not.
- Write a letter in a nice chubby friendly “ho ho ho” style of handwriting to your children from Father Christmas, letting them know that he is on his way. Put this in your letterbox so that it arrives one morning before Christmas Day.
- Tell the children that you received a strange phone call last night, the line was crackly as it was probably from a mobile, so you couldn’t hear much, but there were definitely some sleigh bells ringing in the background. The voice said “I’m on the sleigh! There were some signaling problems over Norway, but I’ll be there by Christmas Eve.” Better yet, have a friend make the call and talk to your child himself!
- On Christmas Eve, lay out the usual mince pies and glass of brandy on a tray. Make a big deal of this and take photographs with the children. When the children are in bed, make up a thick mixture of white flour with water. Spread thickly on the sole of a large welly and make footprints outside the house up to the door. Then ask someone to wear a red hooded top and take a photo of them with their face hidden, eating some things from the tray. Take some extra shots of them walking away from the house or placing presents under the tree. Show the half-eaten treats, the footprints and photos in the morning – and hey presto, the magic of Christmas is well and truly back in business!