Father Christmas is Watching, Says Kate Winslet

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Count Kate Winslet among the many celebrity (and real!) moms who use Santa for leverage with their kids during the holiday season. During a Tuesday appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 33-year-old actress said that her 8-year-old daughter Mia Honey recently needed a gentle little reminder that Santa is always watching! Mia — who was at the time fighting with her little brother Joe Alfie, turning 5 next week, over a toy — then learned all about the dreaded North Pole letter stamping process. Recalled Kate,

"I said…’I just feel for you right now, because you know Father Christmas is just watching everything you do, and when he gets the letters he has a naughty stamp and he has a nice stamp. And you really want to wind up in the nice pile, Alright? So be nice.’"

The kids are not overly interested in Kate’s career, she shared. While Joe is too young to grasp the concept of fame, Mia is more aware of mom’s star status — but not necessarily more impressed! Last week, after she received Golden Globe nominations for her roles in Revolutionary Road and The Reader, a parent at Mia’s school congratulated Kate on the dual-achievement. "I turned to Mia, and she just [pretended to snore]," Kate laughed.

Mia is Kate’s daughter with ex-husband Jim Threapleton; she has been married to Joe’s father, director Sam Mendes, since 2003.

Source: The Ellen DeGeneres Show