As adults, we have all been impacted by the Coronavirus in one way or another at work and at home. There has been temporary closure of some nurseries, furlough, implementing the Covid guidance inside nurseries and at home. There has been so much to manage practically and mentally as an adult and this is set to continue through Christmas and into the New Year.
We are all now making festive plans in the nurseries and this reassures the children that Christmas will soon be here and that Father Christmas/ Santa will soon be on his way. This is reinforced with the children by decorating the nurseries, with making wonderful Christmas activities, holding Christmas parties, Christmas lunch and more.
For some children they may be worried that Santa will not bring them presents this year, with this in mind I spoke to Charlie from Tops Corfe Mullen to find out more:
Q. Who is Father Christmas/ Santa?
A. He has got a white beard, a hat that’s red.
Q. Are you going to see him this year?
A. Hmmm, I’m not sure?
Q. Where does he live?
A. At the North Pole, Christmas land.
Q. Can you tell me how Father Christmas/ Santa gets to your house?
A. In his sleigh, it has no batteries, just reindeer pulling it, they fly through the air, having a fast ride. It’s magic.
Q. What does he do on Christmas Eve?
A. Goes to people’s houses in his sleigh, gives us presents, and goes shopping to the Christmas shop.
Q. Do you think Father Christmas/ Santa will be able to come to your house this year?
A. He might not be able to come because of lockdown and Coronavirus.
Q. are you worried about that?
A. Yes.
Having listened to Charlie and talking to him further about whether Father Christmas/ Santa will visit this year, I think it’s fair to say that many children who believe in him, may be feeling the same way.
As practitioners, we understand their worries and know that this year, in particular, it is important to recognise and talk to the children about how Father Christmas/ Santa will be making plans to deliver presents to all the children around the world. Of course, he will be following Covid guidance and ‘staying safe’ this Christmas, but here are some things you may wish to consider in answer to the children’s questions:
- Father Christmas wears a mask when making deliveries
- He carries hand sanitiser and using it before a delivery (maybe the children can put this out for Santa along with the mince pie on Christmas Eve!)
- Several elves are travelling with Father Christmas to regularly clean the sleigh
- Presents have been cleaned and wrapped in advance and will have been left for 72 hours before they will be delivered.
- He still knows where you live and what you want from Christmas
- Rudolf’s nose is not red because he has covid, it is because he uses it to guide Santa’s sleigh.
- Santa and Mrs. Clause and the elves are in a covid safe bubble in the North Pole.
- Some chimneys have not been used for a year, are safe and covid free.
- His red suit is ‘magic’ and stops any infection going from one house to another.
- Leaving out the mince pie, carrot and milk before going to bed will not infect him or his reindeer with covid.
- If Santa does go down with covid before he comes to your house and has to self-isolate, his chief elf will make the deliveries on his behalf. The chief elf already knows how to fly the sleigh as he has been practicing in case of an emergency.
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