Santa was nearly busted in our house yesterday. After realizing I was officially flying by the seat of my Christmas pants, 9 days out and only having purchased a money tin and some slime, panic officially set in.
My husband arrived home early for the first time in months so I jumped into the car and raced to the shops to at least get the main presents for my two boys. I managed to chuck a few other things in the trolley and set off home again. Proud of my fruitful and sneaky shopping venture I walked through the font door with a smugness ( because nothing can be sneaky when you have 3 children, if i’m caught in the shower alone I am glared at like I have cheated on them).
I warned my husband not to let the kids go to the car as the haul was in the back seat. Not quite sure why I said that as they wouldn’t normally go to the car alone anyway. But there’s a first day for everything! An hour later after discovering the front passenger door wide open my stomach dropped to the floor. One of the kids had been into the car, and I knew immediately it was my eldest, sneakiest son who had been snooping. I knew he would have seen the lot. After some questioning he admitted to ‘just seeing the nerf guns’- so obviously he had also seen the two scooters from Santa right next to the guns too. My heart sank. The boys had only the day before asked Santa for the scooters and here I was with 2 in the back seat. I was so upset thinking he had uncovered the secret at the age of 6. I nearly cried.
So here I am 9 days out wondering what to do. Obviously I have to now say that Santa wasn’t bringing scooters because he noticed mummy had bought them but I’m faced with one of those motherly moments where you know you should teach your child a life lesson. Should I return the scooter that he saw and getting something else? or continue to give it to him on Christmas Day knowing he will not be surprised? I just don’t know what to do with this one…should I teach him a lesson or is the lesson going to be about letting him spoil his own surprise?
I have spoken to a few different people but everyone had a different opinion on what was the best thing to do.
So What would you experienced mummies do?
teacher versus mum 