Bricks, barks and boarding passes - kids reveal their Santa wishlists
YOU’D sometimes wonder what came first: the perfect Christmas TV ad or the perfect Christmas?
Sometimes it really does seem that, for the weeks preceding Christmas, we are all subconsciously in thrall to the idealised family Christmas — from the hillock of sought-after presents beneath a sparkling tree, to the sumptuous banquet we can then serve on a table decorated with such sophistication that even Anna Wintour would nod approval.
But it’s not just adults who crave perfection on Christmas Day: The kids at Carrigaline’s Educate Together do too. We travelled to the school last week to ask them about their Christmas dreams.
They wanted family on Christmas Day. And more family. And family again. One little boy wanted his father to come back from Australia.
They also wanted friends and family to be happy and have fun. Time after time, children also told us that they didn’t want parents and siblings fighting — because in the real world, that’s how Christmas stress culminates — in a whole lot of tension.
Third-class pupils in this classroom are an international bunch, with Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Polish heritage. Therefore, there was a lot of planes being chartered so family members could travel from around the world to sit at their dinner table or else they could fly to their grandparents.
For the New Year, the children dreamt of recreating family holidays that they’d loved. One girl wished that her ill grandfather would get better, while another boy dreamt of going on a voyage of discovery to his grandfather’s birthplace.
There were hopes, of course, for a White Christmas. Agatha Meade wanted the entire class to spend Christmas at her house as the snow tumbled down outside. “I’d love if all my friends came to my house for Christmas and it snowed and we all went outside and played all day.”
Andrew Christie’s musings had the makings of a movie.
“If all my dreams came true this Christmas, Santa would come and have dinner with us,” he said.
“Christmas is supposed to be the time that wishes come true so I’d like my grandpa to get better. He’s very sick at the moment. Also I want everyone to be happy and no fighting”.
“I’d love to get Lego for Christmas, any kind of lego because I love all lego. I’d really love to go to Poland next year to see my old friends. I only came here from Poland a month ago. I lived here before but then I went back to live in Poland. We lived in Limerick before but I like it here in Cork as the sea is near us. There isn’t sea in Poznan where I’m from”.
“I’m getting a jetpack from Santa and I’m getting a remote-control car from grandad. What I’d really love though is a pet that could talk, that would be great. We’re going to Spain two days after Christmas though and I can’t wait. My mum’s from Spain and we’ll go swimming there in Badolana”.
“I’d love if all my cousins came to us for Christmas. That would be brilliant. They live in Youghal, Crosshaven and Carrigaline and I’d love to have them all at our house on Christmas day, all day long. If I had a wish for next year, it would be that my mummy would have a baby. I have two sisters already, aged six and two but I’d love a brother”.
“I’d love a remote control spider, a 3DS, an XBox for Christmas and then I’d love if all my family came to Ireland. My mother is Canadian and we have family in France, Canada and Italy, I’d love for them all to come here to us”.
“I’d love Lego Star Wars for Christmas but what I’d really, really love is for my Dad to come home. He’s in Australia and has been there for seven years. I’d go crazy if he came home”.
“I’d love to have a holiday with my mum and sister. We could go to Bulgaria. We went there with Dad before and we made snowmen and went skiing and iceskating. I loved that holiday”.
“My grandad is German and I’ve never been to Germany. I’d love to go to Germany with him, if I could because he can speak German and I have good fun with him. Germany has some really good soccer players too and I could see a match”.
“Normally we go to my granny’s house but maybe it would be good if my cousins came to my house. They live in the US and in Holland and I’d love to play with them all on Christmas Day. We’d play catch and stuff”.
“I’d love to have no babies in my house for Christmas. My mum normally has a party at Christmas and all her friends have babies and they all cry all the time. It drives me crazy”.
“I’d love if it was sunny at Christmas time so we could all go outside and play. I’d love to have the best Christmas ever if I could. I’d love to have everybody that I know in my house and we’d all have fun”.
“Id just like a really quiet Christmas where everyone is really well behaved, that would be perfect. I tell them that sometimes that I’d like them to be better behaved and not fighting”.
“My sister always, always argues. She’s 13. I’d also love if my brother didn’t scream. He has autism and that’s why he screams. I’d like them all to be very calm and so Christmas could just be quiet”.
“I don’t celebrate Christmas. I don’t mind that I don’t and I don’t want to celebrate it as I’m a Jehovah’s Witness. I don’t celebrate New Year’s Eve either. I think it’s better not to celebrate this things”.
“I’d love to have the best Christmas ever. I’d love if my mum’s leg got better because she broke it and she’s in a lot of pain. If she got better, we could play together this Christmas. I’m not sure what I’d like to happen next year. I don’t really know what I want.”.
“I’d love if all my friends came to my house for Christmas and it snowed and so we all went outside and played all day long in the snow. We’d throw snowballs and make snowmen and the snow wouldn’t go away”.
“I’d love if all the family got together and played Christmas games and board games and pulled crackers. I’d love if all my cousins were there and we just played and had fun all day long”.
“I’d love if I got a Lego Technik building set. If I get it, I’ll spend the whole of Christmas day making it. I’d love to be in Spain for Christmas as I’m Spanish. Christmas is different there. A big day is the feast of the Three Magic Kings after Christmas too. We sing lots of songs in Spain at Christmas and we eat food like chicken with nuts and soup”
“I’d love any kind of Lego Star Wars and a Darth Vadar suit. I love Lego Star Wars. I’d like a double light saber too. If all my dreams came true this Christmas, Santa would come and have dinner with us. It would be brilliant to see him sitting there. I could ride Rudolph then too. I could fly to the North Pole with Rudolph and visit the elves. That, would be a brilliant Christmas Day”.
“I’d love a junior building set with a hammer and a saw. I could make stuff and build stuff with it. If I could do anything I want, I’d go to England on holidays, to London. I was there before on holidays and it was brilliant.”
“I’d love to ride on Rudolph too, to go flying through the sky. I’d love a Furbie from Santa, it doesn’t matter what kind. We’re getting a dog at home in the New Year but if I could have what I wanted, we’d get a cat. I’ve always wanted a cat.”
“I’d love to get lots of video games, shooting games and adventure games. I love them and play them all the time. l’d love a third dog too, I already have a half labrador, half golden retriever and a yorkshire terrier but I’d love a third ”.
“I’d love to get a remote control car. Lots of girls don’t like remote control stuff but I do. I’d just love to drive the car all around the house. I do like some girly stuff though, I love hairdressing games and I’d love to get a few of them”.
“You know what I’d love as my parents never let me, I’d love if I could play 18s games on the Playstation and Xbox. There is some really brilliant stuff but they keep on saying no”.
“I’d love lots more Lego, if I could. I’d also love to have a really big Christmas where all your friends come to your house with their toys on Christmas Day and stay for the day and we’d all have our Christmas together”.
“I’d love to get a sixth dog. I already have five, three chihuahuas, one half bulldog-half Jack Russell and then one full Jack Russell. I walk them sometimes, sometimes the chihuahuas together. I’d really love a sixth though as I love dogs”.
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