Help me get my story straight

[Funkymusic]

My 4 year old has already started asking questions about santa! Last year he was completely obsessed with all things christmasy even months after and it looks like its starting again.

So...as hes older now hes questioning it all more and dont know what to say. My mum used to tell me that santa just delivers all the presents but last year he wouldnt say thank you for anything to us because santa got him everything i want some credit!

Shall i stick to the delivery thing or go with something else!

Another problem is his dad let him see one of the christmas presents we bought for his brother the other day and he was so confused saying its for now not christmas because its not come from santa! Argh

[wanderingwondering]

Father Christmas brings the stocking. Everything else is from whoever it's from.

[Hassled]

Santa only brings the stocking presents here - always has. So small bits and bobs with maybe one goodish present. The bigger presents come from mum/dad/whoever. Can you rewrite history along those lines?

[Funkymusic]

Ok i like the stocking idea but what about when he goes to santa and asks him for something big and i buy it and santa doesnt.

Also ive never done stockings dont know what id even put in them

[BrandNewAndImproved]

Father Christmas only brings the stockings here to and one family present under the tree like a family orientated board game instead of a small dc one.

[BrandNewAndImproved]

Stockings are great, I usually put in one of those magic flannels, chocolate coins, character bubble bath ect.

[InternationalEspionage]

Oh what a tangled web we weave

My DS knows full well that Santa is a commercial bit of fun (aged 5 saw multiple Santa's in a shopping mall in October...dead giveaway and I'm a really inept liar).

Since then, he has the choice to accept Santa doesn't exist, or chose to pretend he does so we can all keep having exactly the same fun as before.

We choose the latter. Santa rocks. The reindeer still get mince pies and a drink and someone still dresses up as Santa! And we all know who's really buying the presents

[emwithme]

Father Christmas/Santa brings stocking presents, and presents for "poor children who don't have mummies and daddies and grannies and granddads and aunties and uncles and cousins to spoil them". Stocking presents MUST include: new pyjamas (although they're delivered in time for bed on Christmas Eve), new undies and socks/tights, chocolate money, an orange, some crayons or similar (the only thing that doesn't happen now is the crayons and I'm in my 30s).

All of the other presents are from whoever they are from, and they need to coordinate sending them to Fat Chris during December so they can be double checked against the naughty-nice list and delivered at Christmas.

Alternatively, Santa delivers the presents but sends mum and dad a bill in January to pay for them.

[wanderingwondering]

Stockings are a mix of useful but better than ordinary things-character pants, flashing toothbrush etc. , chocolate, a book, something crafty, new pjs or slippers and one special present that's been asked for - eg we've done sylvanians, Aqua doodle etc.

If he asks for something you're happy to get then tell him you might get that as it's too big/breakable for f c to bring.
Also, wish lists are not shopping lists-father Christmas won't bring everything on it-he chooses from it.

[TeaAndNoSympathy]

Santa delivers only the stocking/sack or whatever. We have sacks in this house. Santa managed to get an IKEA kitchen down the chimney last year! Encourage him to tell Santa one thing that he would really like rather than reeling off a long list.

Don't tell him everything comes from Santa - it turns him into a sort of festive DHL and your DS needs to realise that other people have chosen gifts for him as well.

[Monroe]

Dc's do a list for santa and he chooses a few gifts from it. Usually one biggish present and a few smaller ones.

The elves fill the stockings

[Funkymusic]

Like the stocking ideas! Got alot of work to get him to realise santa doesnt buy him everything. God i never thought it would be so complicated!

[Thisismyfirsttime]

In my family Santa brought my stocking and all my other presents were from parents/ family. In DH's family all presents were from Santa. Oh the rows we've had!

[Thisismyfirsttime]

Should say the rows we've had since dd came along! And over the Christmas I was pregnant. To me it's a ridiculous concept for Santa to buy you everything and your parents nothing but to DH Santa's the main man, the one you adore.
We're doing it my way.

[dancemom]

FC delivers one main present and the stocking / sack gifts which are sweets, bubble bath, small toy, book, PJ etc

[FinallyHere]

Growing up, we understood that Santa brought presents for good girls, so lomg as they believed in him. Parents who were afraid that their children no longer believed, would buy presents knowing that Santa would not come (to those who did not believe).

This kept us joining un the magic for, well, quite a lot of years. I read something similar in Libby Purvis's boom about parenting. Don't think it was published in time to brief my parents, as Libby is about my age. It may be better explained thre, though.

[MidnightDinosaur]

Father Christmas fills the stocking and all the other presents are from whoever brings them.

Father Christmas might leave them a joint present under the tree if they've asked for so thing the same or similar. But not always.

All the Father Christmases in the malls etc are just helpers, obviously the real Father Christmas can't be everywhere all at once so he sends helpers down to talk to the kids and report back with what they would like for Christmas.

[TotalConfucius]

Well Santa only has one sleigh, and gazillions of children to deliver to, so there's only room for a stocking and one present under the tree.

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Ds is encouraged to write a letter to father Xmas that includes small things. He knows Father Christmas doesn't bring big gifts (they have to fit down the chimney) so he asks family for bigger things and Father Christmas for small but still sometimes bloody expensive bits.

I hate the idea that Father Christmas delivers everything under the tree. It's ridiculous when friends and family buy thoughtful gifts and nobody gets thanked for them!

[BoskyCat]

Agree Santa just does the stocking. Also, Santa may confer with you, the parents so you might get something the child has asked Santa for. Santa knew they wanted it and tipped you off.

My DS also sussed it out at 4/5 and was so direct in his interrogation that I caved and fessed up. It didn't matter at all ?? we still have loads of fun with it, he loves putting out the mince pie and carrot and all that. In fact it was a big relief as I'm a crap liar and always felt uncomfortable about it.

Now DD is 5 and TOTALLY into it and shows no signs of questioning it at all I mainly leave it to DS to lie about it to her, as he enjoys it.

The whole thing IS bonkers.

[rosieliveson1]

It's tricky isn't it. When I was young, father Christmas brought everything except gifts from aunties and grandparents.
When I was a little older, I remember being in toys r us choosing my 'main' present which my parents would buy but Father Christmas still brought everything else.

[NoMoreRenting]

Stocking from FC here too. We encourage them to ask for something small when they see him beforehand. We explain that he has to squeeze toys for all the boys and girls in the world on his sleigh so it's a bit of a squash. That way it's generally something that can fit in the stocking.
We also do a big family sack on Christmas Eve. New pjs for everyone. Lindt choc reindeer for kids and box of hotel chocolat for us. Sachet of hot choc for everyone. A new board game to play that evening. And the Christmas plate to put out the whiskey and mince pie and carrot.

[ChristmasZombie]

My parents told me that they bought and wrapped the presents, then sent them off to Father Christmas to be stored and then delivered on Christmas Eve. The grotto Father Christmases were the Real One's human helpers all over the world; they were just men who loved Christmas and were able to help out Father Christmas. I accepted this explanation without question until I was about 9.

Now my dad volunteers as (a very convincing!) Father Christmas at a Christmas fayre every year, and I can happily believe that he was chosen to be Father Christmas's official helper!

[Bakeoffcake]

Father Christmas only brings the stockings and 1 or maybe 2 bigger presents. (And of course these must be wrapped in different paper to everything else) FC's elves also delivered new PJs on Christmas Eve, they manage to get into the bedroom and pop them under the pillow while you're having Christmas Eve tea.

Everything else is bought by the person who buys it.

I will say DDs are now 21 and 24 and I still have to do the stockings and PJs. I do keep saying I will stop but as DD2 usually responds, very seriously with "But that would ruin Christmas" I keep going.....

[CakeNinja]

Some people make life so hard for themselves!

They write letters to him.
We say FC brings (rather large sacks) stockings which contain a mixture of things from their letters and other surprises, and one 'main' or in other words, expensive present from the list each.
Then presents from us including one 'main' one too.

They haven't always asked for expensive things as we aren't a particularly gadgety family with the latest this or that.

Last year FC brought them roller skates! And they hadn't asked for much else that wasn't in their stocking so they ended up with loads of random things from us under the tree.

[JollyWollyHolidays]

FC only brings stockings, main presents are from parents. We were very poor and of asked "why did FC bring jimmy a bike" were just told FC was sent the money to buy it by their parents. I think children realising presents are from parents is much better and never wrote a list or asked for things. Children these days expect what they ask for.
P.s. I absolutely love Christmas and am not miserable