Why not surprise your child with a reply from Santa? Here’s how to make it really effective.

• Personalize it by addressing it to your child, and make several mentions of things they like to do or include the name of a favourite pet. Make sure you disguise your handwriting, as you don’t want them to know the letter is actually from you! You could try writing with your other hand, or you could type and print the letter.

• Fill it with positive praise. For example, “Rudolf and I are very proud of how hard you’ve worked at school this year and how you’ve helped your parents.”

• Ask your child to do something special for Santa. Children take requests from Santa very seriously! This could include going to bed early on Christmas Eve, and leaving out cookies and milk, as Santa will need the energy for this busy night, and carrots for the reindeer. You could also ask them to do specific tasks during the year too – like tidying their bedroom and getting their homework done on time – this is a great chance to subtly ask for more positive behaviour!

• Make the letter look believable. A good way to do this is to put a North Pole postmark on it. You can buy Santa related ink and stamp sets here.