Christmas Propaganda

This is my first Christmas as the mother of a toddler. It's quite a different ball game this year. The tree is a temptation beyond control, the sight of presents is too much to take. Chocolate is everywhere... on the tree, in the drawers, hidden in cupboards and on toddler un-friendly levels on the supermarket shelves. Trying to tell a 2 year old that they can only open one door of the advent calendar (non choc) each day is impossible. Telling them that they can't open any presents until Christmas day leads to tantrums and battles. So I resort to threats and bribes. I feel like the Mother Mafia, "If you don't behave yourself then Father Christmas won't bring you ANY presents!"... and so on. It led me to think that all these things - Father Christmas, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny etc etc were all invented to attempt to keen children on the straight and narrow. No wonder so many kids resort to crime - they've probably just realised that the basis of their childhood has been a lie. Mind you, so far it seems to be working so I'm going to stick with it. Bribes are brilliant and threats of no Santa are too much to risk. Hooray for make believe.