We were on a budget last christmas. As a result my husband bought a present on the father christmas list second-hand instead of new. Unfortunately it looked second-hand and was ever so slightly damaged.
My daughter said at the time that it didnt feel like Christmas. Now, approaching ten, she recalled seeing her dad’s ‘ebay bought list’ and saw the present was listed…..let the father christmas doubt and distress commence.
I was angry at my husband for not forking out the extra money to get her the new present. This must be a pressure tolerated by all families on a budget. But it is heart-breaking when you realise it is lack of money that has broken the father christmas spell.
Thankfully she still wants to believe, and was wiling to accept our explanations for why Santa delivered a damaged present. But even so, I was resentful to my husband for not paying that extra £20 which would have made all the difference.
I have a young son and I am keen to preserve the belief for him too. But its horrible feeling like a fraud to keep the memory of past Christmases alive.
This blog is for Unicef.
Thanks for reading.
