How to nail Christmas shopping for Mum and Dad

Parents are soppy people who cry very easily if their children do something even half-nice for them at Christmas. 

I know this because I am a parent. Ever since my children were old enough to ask, ‘What do you want for Christmas, Dad?’ I have always answered, ‘Just write me a poem, or draw me a picture, or sing me a song, or… read me a good story.’

Now, because a lot of children would be horrified if their parents just read them a good story instead of giving them the latest electronic gizmo, or a doll that wets its pants, or a robot that can change into… another robot, they think this can’t be true. BUT IT IS!

This idea just gets better and better, doesn’t it? No traipsing around the shops to buy funny socks, foul-smelling bath salts, or a multi-tool that’s so cheap the screwdriver bends out of shape the first time you use it… you could just read them a story. Your parents will even buy the book for you if you haven’t got it already because they don’t think books count as presents.

And here’s an added bonus:

I might as well let the cat out of the bag – books are nearly always better than the films that are made of them. There must be at least a hundred film and telly versions of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, but nothing is a good as this:

1. Get the whole family sitting comfortably.

2. Turn the lights down. If you can read by the lights on the Christmas tree, all the better.

3. Start reading… ‘Marley was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that.’

It’s electrifying. I promise you.