SANTA has his work cut out. The days when he could guarantee a merry Christmas by placing an orange, some sweets and a doll or toy train in every child's stocking have long gone.

Our consumer society has encouraged children to believe that their seasonal happiness rests on the receipt of piles of expensive hardware. With Roboraptors and games consoles topping their wish list, the top five boys' toys this year add up to a whopping £428.

Even for those with above-average incomes, the pressure to buy a perfect Christmas is intense. That stress is so much greater for those struggling to make ends meet.

At this time of year, the easy availability of credit can seem like a godsend. But that quick fix soon turns into a lasting nightmare.

Today we report a surge in the number of one-parent families turning to charity for help. Requests for aid to the Centre For Separated Families have more than tripled this year.

Meanwhile, Citizens Advice Bureaux are seeing people drowning in debt. Some of their clients have a loan, an overdraft and six or seven store cards to pay off.

The bureaux, the Centre For Separated Families and other charities like SureStart Selby do terrific work to help ease the burden for struggling families.

But perhaps it is time we all re-evaluated our attitude to Christmas. Heaps of isolating gifts like the iPod or the Xbox might deliver momentary glee, but everlasting memories cannot be bought.

Updated: 08:53 Wednesday, December 21, 2005