I accidentally let slip the truth about Santa in front of my six-year-old.

Putting up our Christmas tree had prompted his older brother (who was already in-the-know) to ask about the origins of Christmas. After a long discussion, I absent-mindedly concluded with, “So, really, Santa has nothing to do with Christmas”.

When I realised what had slipped out, I immediately tried to back-pedal. But I only dug myself in deeper. In the end, I looked at my six-year-old’s confused face and gave it to him straight.

He was crestfallen.