[West Ender]

We've always, in our family, played the Santa Claus thing down to an extent. Most of their presents were not given anonymously and the few that were got less and less as the child got older. The children enjoyed playing along with the Santa idea, humouring the parents a lot of the time, but it was never a very big deal once they got past babyhood. Children aren't as naive as parents sometimes like to think.

What I do think is wrong is to show a child something you've bought for him then say he can't have it yet. That's like putting a hot dinner under the nose of a hungry child then taking it away again, it's thoughtless and callous.