Can someone/ all of you explain how it works when Santa brings all the presents?

[grumpypants]

In our house, the dcs leave an empty pillowcase which FC fills with tat little things, or one thing from their list, depending on cost, plus gold coins. Then, after lunch, the dcs open all the named presents (from grannies, us, godparents etc and they are expected to do thank you letters/ drawings/ photos/ calls)

BUT, reading some of the posts, it seems that Santa does something else in other houses. What is it?

The only time I ever heard something different is when I gave a present to a previous neighbour for her son (we were v good friends at time) and she said, oh I'll say thank you now, because obv Santa will give it to him. Is that the same?

[sundew]

grumpy - santa only brings the stocking presents in our house - I want the credit for the big shiney present .

[eaglewings]

Each to their own, but I'd be a bit miffed if the present I gave was turned into a santa gift unless they were very hard up

We follow same routine as OP although not always waiting until after lunch

[grumpypants]

sundew - glad you said it for me! Thanks eaglewings - but neither of you seem to be doing something different! (ie am still in the dark)

[DancingThroughLife]

When I was growing up, I didn't get presents off my parents or grandparents. Father Christmas left presents in the living room and left loads at my GPs 'by mistake because we spend so much time there' which they brought over on Christmas afternoon.

Presents from anyone else were named. It wasn't until me and little bro were teens that we got presents off Mum & Dad. (Yes, we believed for THAT long)

Also, the 'elves' left an extra present on boxing day. All the presents for the kids on the naughty list were divvied up between the kids on the nice list and handed out when they knew how many were left over. Apparently. Angel, me

[ANTagony]

In my mums family my Grandad (her dad) put out a pillowcase and each of the 9 kids put out their stockings. He always had his filled with ash from the fire as explained in a note from Father Christmas for being greedy!

We have always put out stockings and get token gifts and fun bits from Father Christmas that we can open when we wake (well the kids do now but I kept telling my mum I believed until I was at least 18) then have the labelled gifts from each other later in the morning when we're all awake.

[grumpypants]

Thank you - that makes a bit more sense (altho I am now worried re pillow cases and greed!). Nicer stories than my friend who told my dcs last year that if they were naughty FC would bundle them up in his empty sack and keep them til the following Xmas!

[VoldemortsNipple]

I told my DCs that my sister got a lump of coal one year because she was naughty. She didnt, but they beleived me and would not chance being naughty.

In our house all the presents that I buy are from FC and get delivered on christmas eve. The stocking fillers still go in a stocking and FC brings them too. The DCs understand that I have to pay FC for the presents and thats why some children get more or less presents.

When they have asked for hard to buy presents such as the wii a couple of years ago, I tell them that there are not enough wii's for everybody so the elves watch to see which children need them most or are well behaved.

Later on we take all the presents for the family to my mums house and put them under the tree.Then the DCs give them out and say who they are from.

[grumpypants]

Thank you - it's all beginning to be a bit clearer now! Just didn't get what other people meant and didn't like to ask!

[mummynoseynora]

In our house Santa gives the stocking and main present, but he also DELIVERS the others- picking them up on his way So they know xyz are from mummy and daddy, but santa brought them

[SpotSplatterSplash]

We are the same as the op. Santy fills their stockings with some of the things they asked for in their letters.

Then they have presents from us and other family.

In my sister's house, everything is from Santy apart from presents from other family/friends.
I am just waiting for DN (6 and very inquisitive) to ask why we buy DS and DD gifts but he doesn't get anything from his Mum and Dad!

[shaz298]

In our house everything from us is from SC and if GPs have given the pressies early they are also from SC.

To be fair, GPs are usually here for the opening. DH parents are Dutch and are usually here anyway and we phone my mum when we wake and she get round here really quickly for the opening.

I really like this 'tradition'. We also did it when we were little. We'd get up, see that Santa had been and then phone my Gran and Papa and then wait until they arrived before opening anything. Even when suggested by mum and dad to open something we always refused and wanted to wait on the GPs. x

[2gorgeousboys]

In our house santa brings all the presents. This was the way things were done when I was little and we have carried this on with our boys.

When DS1 was tiny I explained to PIL and BIL what I would do and they don't mind (if they had minded I may have had to rethink my plan)

DSS now knows what he gets from whom and writes thank you letters etc but for DS1 and 2 who still believe in Santa I write a letter/say thank you on there behalf.

To me the joy I get is not about giving the DC's the best present but the excitement christmas morning when the boys see the big pile of presents santa has left them.

There is plenty of time for thank you letters from them personally in a couple of years when they stop believing.

[Honeydragon]

We get presents picked up from Santa from other family members too on his rounds ..... ds (7) approves of Santa doing this as it saves fuel and his Nannys bad knee apparantly.

[piscesmoon]

I give my own presents and I deliver them myself! Santa can't have them if not given them to deliver.

[Joolyjoolyjoo]

Santa brings all the presents that we buy that we are too mean to buy.

Presents from other people are from them.

We tell the children that we don't need to buy presents for them, because santa is so generous.

[piscesmoon]

I don't see how you get your DCs to write thank you letters if Santa brings them all.

[LadyInPink]

Santa only fills the stockings in our house which is more than enough.

I don't want a fat old man in a red suit getting all the credit for my hard work he-he and so we give the other presents and also let Grandparents/aunts etc give their's from themselves too. I personally would feel a bit put out if my thoughtful gift was just put in the pile of Santa presents when i had given a neighbour a gift but maybe that's just me

[ThistleWhistle]

Father Christmas buys a main present but he delivers all the other presents from everyone else at the same time.

This was how we did it when I was little and even though it sounds odd to me now I never questioned it. But then again my Dad used to show me the house where Father Christmas lived when he was in England, (a small country estate on the edge of town with a deer park). I believed him because of all the deer.

[BerylStreep]

I am the same as OP and LadyInPink - Santa fills the stocking, with some mid-range pressies and unusual tat.

Pressies from us and other family are opened late morning whilst waiting for the turkey to cook.

[BudaisintheZONE]

I never knew there were so many different ways of doing it all till I came on MN!

When I was growing up Santa brought all the presents that were under the tree on Xmas morning. We would then visit Grandparents and Santa had left presents there too but we sort of knew that they were actually from GPs.

If we got presents from anyone else (which was rare!) we knew they were from them.

Now with my family Santa brings a stocking and some things from DS's letter to him. He also gets a present from us but it is usually something small/practical. Presents from anyone else are from that person. I really don't get giving Santa the credit for that!

My poor Dad started doing a stocking at my parents for each grandchild when there were 4 of them. Looked nice hanging on the fireplace. Now there are 9! Last year he had to rig up a strong rope along a wall to hold them all!

[mathanxiety]

We open presents from relatives on Christmas Eve after dinner, clear a space under the tree, dispose of wrapping paper, take note of who gave what to whom for the purposes of thank you notes.

Then on Christmas morning, very, very early, the Santa Claus gifts are discovered under the tree (with Santa herself in a state of collapse, any tools used in the setting up of items like a dolls house etc, hopefully well out of sight, as well as wine glass...). Santa brings one or two items each (5 DCs), and chocolates and other sweets for the stockings. Santa is all thumbs doesn't wrap presents here.

[thereistheball]

We do it like you OP: Santa's presents arrive in a stocking to be found first thing in the morning, then presents from family and friends under the tree, which are opened at 11am with champagne and which require thank you letters/drawings. But in France where we live, all presents come from Santa - so my friend was less than amused when I told her last week that I'd got her daughter's present within her earshot. Oops. Luckily she didn't hear.

[mummytime]

Everyone has a stocking in our house (mine has improved since my eldest DD has started to help Santa choose), sometimes including cats or gerbils. These are the ones opened first thing in the morning. These are also the presents that have been there on Christmas morning when we've been overseas.
We also have presents from family and friends, and each other under the tree. These get opened later, usually after church. (They are also the ones that we have to thank people for.)

When I was little I think most family presents came from Santa (and I used to have a pillow case). I did still get a few from people like Aunts, In laws and neighbours which were named, and I had to give people presents.

[grumpypants]

Thank you - this is really interesting (have to say I am too mean spirited to allow Santa the credit for any presents given to other children!). I'd love to know how alll these variants on a theme came about.