So, as a dad of three boys 12, 10 and 6 I feel a bit of a milestone has passed tonight.
The Boys have gone to bed and the two eldest have gone to bed no problem, looking forward to everything Christmas day holds tomorrow, Sam the youngest, has however had a few tears as to Santa coming in the house and leaving presents.
Long story short, there’s been a few doubts this year as to Santa’s existence but he’s fallen asleep downstairs with us tonight and will wake up tomorrow to hopefully,the magic that is Christmas.
Have to say, that it got more than just a little dusty when I realised that this is probably the last year Santa will play a role in our house for the mo, until (hopefully!) the grandkids come along.
Why do they have to grow up so fast!
Anyhow, I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you have young kids, treasure every moment whilst you can, because before you know it your 12 year old will be taller than you, taking a bigger shoe size, and will be far more fearless over the jumps than you ever will!
Merry Christmas to one and all, and I hope Santa brings everything you’ve wished for! xx

Our little boy had his first birthday on the 17th so not quite old enough to know what is going on yet but he has been super happy and excited and is aware that “something” is going on. This will be the first year that Santa will leave the presents in our house. If anything it’s a bigger thing for me as it brings back loads of nostalgic memories of Christmas as a kid and I can definitely feel the passage of time accelerating.

I have eight kids, ranging from 22 to 6. Somehow, everyone of the older ones have come to understood instinctively that “Father Christmas” is just the name of the spirit of the day, for which mum and dad are the agents. They have never let on to the little ones, which means that we have been able to keep the magic alive.

Thank goodness.

I have just eaten half a carrot.

Merry Christmas.

^agreed^ it’s about the spirit of the day. Our 10 yr olds believe in Santa and the Elf on the Shelf still but I think they both kinda know it’s not entirely true. Bring on turkey and festivities.

I have just eaten half a carrot

Yep, me too 😀

Washed it down with Santa’s mince pie and Glass of port.
Weird mix but strangely pleasant.

(Hope the big fella doesn’t kick off when he gets here and there’s nothing left!)

Perchy – that’s Rudolph’s share; now eat half a mince pie, leaving rest on plate and drink some whisky leaving smudgy lip marks on rim of glass.
Then you can paint a very convincing picture…..
That was part of my Christmas Eve routine for many years. Ah, happy days; I now have Grandson so the magic lives on.

just finished the whisky and half a carrot to go.  My girls are 17 and 20, I think they know

My little boy has just recently turned 3 so this is the first Christmas where he gets it. He’s been asking about Santa for weeks and gets properly worried that Santa might not come if he’s been naughty; that’s not something we’ve pushed, rather it’s something he’s latched on to and he’s so eager to keep Father Christmas happy. We even put reindeer food on the front lawn to help guide them to our house, as well as the obligatory mince pie/carrot/whisky combo. My heart swells with love when I see the innocence in his eyes, yet it breaks a little when I remember that this will not last forever.

Bring on the cheese, mince pie & whiskey coma!

Santa used to get whisky here.

Mission complete. Mrs Puppet bravely stepped up to the mince-pie-plate. Any stocking wobbles caused by squeaking floorboards (many) and doors (two) were amplified by Elvis Juice.

Pretty sure my seven year old is humouring us parentals. Younger puppet still A Believer.

just finished the whisky and half a carrot to go.  My girls are 17 and 20, I think they know

This was very funny!

Mince pie and a dram done – wife had the carrot. 6 yr old is sceptical of Santa and just woke up as we were putting his stocking in his room! Hopefully he’ll keep schtum for the sake of his wee sister.

2girls at home 18and24 both would be gutted if no stockings from Santa in the morning will see granddaughters xmas pm so it goes on😀😀hope your xmas’go ok

because before you know it your 12 year old will be taller than you

Are you a dwarf? 😆

Loving the reply’s and maybe giving me hope I can keep it going till they’re 17!
Anyhow, the traditional wrapping of presents at the last minute has taken place, and now I have to see if there’s enough wrapping paper/sellotape left for the missus’s present now she’s gone to bed!
BTW,copious amounts of spiced rum before milk and mince pies are not a good mix!😂

Are you a dwarf? 😆

The clues in the name, not quite but very nearly ‘🤣

Minor disaster here, the kids, 5, 9 and 11 all took themselves off to bed early so to be ready for the big day. The then woke up in turn from 10pm, oldest is still restless now but we’ve finally managed to get everything in place….

Oldest stopped believing last year so I thought, but this year has thrown himself into it which has been brilliant to see.

Merry Christmas everyone, may your sleep deprived day go well.

Our 9 yr old stopped believing about 3 weeks ago some of the magic has gone, buy hopefully Santa’s spirit lives on. Just before bed last night he wanted to see where Santa was on the internet, and I’m hopeful Santa will have been down the chimney when he wakes up

My girls are 11 and 12. Oldest was sceptical, took them to Lapland and yesterday they met the “real”Santa at his village, she’s now firmly back in the believe camp.
My 12 year old is 5 foot 4 and looks about 14, strange seeing her on Santa’s knee! The Santa and his wife were excellent, very well acted and really looked the part.
Santa delivering presents to our home so they are only waking up to presents from me and Mrs W this morning.
Me and Mrs W have never confirmed or denied his existence when questioned.

I fondly remember those days! One year I made “footprints” which sent the kids crazy excited, and made my Ex less so, and I spent a bit of Xmas morning hoovering!

Happy happy days, I can’t remember when they stopped, but Xmas morning did lose a bit of it’s shine.

Both twin girls, 11, moved on from the myth this year. I was glad/sad in equal amounts, but ultimately happy to go to bed at 12 without rattling round the loft in the early hours

I’ve just had a lie in an the ‘kids’ (15, 16, 18) are all still asleep… 🙂

Yeah first year for us that no whiskey, carrot or mince pie was left out. End of an era, kids are 15 and 11. Still remember the year I made slay tracks and footprints in the snow outside the back door. They were still small enough to be properly impressed.

Kept mine – 7&11 – up til 9 watching Aladdin.  Munched on a carrot, left half a mince pie and scattered the cards by the fireplace around the floor.

I was amazed this morning but at exactly 8:00 a stampede of feet came from both bedrooms as if coordinated, two very excited children.  As above, either being or having young kids makes Christmas a lot of fun.

Saxonrider- think there’s a couple of bricks outside the back door with your name on them…..

Merry Christmas you bunch of reprobates!

Funk Jr (five) was super excited this morning thinking Santa had been. Funkette (two) was utterly bemused, but happy that there was loads of paper to play with / eat.

Just think, in a few years they’ll be posting on some forum about surviving their families Christmas

Ho ho ho!

😋😂

Only being daft, Merry Christmas !

Love the fact that Dads up and down the land were all being force fed half a raw carrot at 11pm last night.

Only non-gravy coated veg I’ll be going near for the next 24 hours though.

@SaxonRider has it. I prefer Father Christmas, being the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas to Santa. There’s always a place for him.

7.00 this morning when our two wandered into the bedroom with the stockings that had been hung on the banister. 4 in a double bed opening presents and watching Were Going On a Bear Hunt.
Tradition but not as much room now they are 25 and 21.

Love the fact that Dads up and down the land were all being force fed half a raw carrot at 11pm last night.

Our terrier seen to ours.

Pocket it’s still awesome even without the Santa part.

I came back to my folks’ house from the pub at 2am last night and Father Christmas had already been and gone! The stocking was already full on the door. One year I’ll spy him.

(I’m 31…)

Tradition but not as much room now they are 25 and 21.

And rather naively I thought it would stop in a few years….  😀

Pass the conspiracy on to the older ones, I remember my younger sister telling me she was going to go along with it all so mum and dad were not too disappointed!!! Now she is the mother Christmas!

none of mine believe (4, 10, 15) – doesn’t change a thing. Less of a big deal the better IMHO.

Had 18yo & 26yo daughters sat on the end of our bed opening Santa’s sacks at 6am this morning, tis the norm 😀

There’s a joke in there somewhere Dickyboy…..

My two youngest had written letters to Santa to leave with the mince pie. The room was a bit dusty reading my son’s, who had said “I know I’ve been bad this year (he hasn’t, but sometimes gets told off when he winds his sister up) but please can you give me one more chance, I promise I’ll be good?”

Not sure why he thinks he has been bad, he even won the “star of the year” at his after school club for being kind. He’s probably inherited my anxiety the poor lad.

Saxonrider- think there’s a couple of bricks outside the back door with your name on them…

Just make sure you keep your thumbs out of the way…