The Mothers Union wants to ban letters to Father Christmas | Mum In The Madhouse

The Mothers Union wants to ban letters to Father Christmas

I have just been on BBC Radio Tees to discuss The Mothers Union’s call to ban letters to Father Christmas.  They feel that the letter to father Christmas has become a long list of “wants” and that parents feel pressured to buy them all and get into debt.

Grrrrrrrr…..  This makes me really angry.  Letter writing is a fabulous skill for children and a letter to Father Christmas does not have to be all about the presents children want, they can also ask Father Christmas any questions they might have.  There is a incomparable joy to posting a letter and then receiving one back from Father Christmas.

As parents it is our job to set realistic expectations with our children of what they can expect from Father Christmas.  A list is not a list of demands, it is a wish list.  The boys are under the understanding that Father Christmas gets money off mummy and daddy to buy your presents, so they can not expect to get lots and lots of expensive presents as we just do not have the money.

 Tips for making it cheaper:

  1. Think of things are preloved rather than second hand
  2. Do not give gifts in boxes and then children have no idea if they are new or not
  3. Talk about giving to children less lucky as themselves and sort though toys before Christmas
  4. Make gifts, rather than buying them
  5. Set realistic expectations
  6. Father Christmas is always listening, just because you do not get all on your list doesn’t mean he hasn’t seen it, it just means he said no to some of them!

 

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