DD has found her Xmas presents.

[gaggiagirl]

The presents that were going to be from FC.
Now they can't be I suppose.
Shes 5.
Normally I would keep them in their post packs (bought on line) but I wanted to check these ones first.
I had hidden them very well in a place I was sure she didn't even know about.
Urgh I'm really upset about I can't really afford to buy more stuff.

Sorry for the rant. No idea what to do now.

[SpotTheDuck]

Um....we never had any presents from FC. Stockings were from FC (small gifts, it was just a sock on the end of the bed) and all other gifts were from family. It didn't scar us or ruin Christmas. Could you just accept that those gifts are from family and she knows it?

If not, can you still return them? And is she really going to remember them by the time Christmas comes around?

[Cherryminx]

Tell her they are for cousins or friends. If she questions later tell her you changed your mind and bought something different

[Cherryminx]

Or that you are looking after them for friend.

[Alibobbob]

Give them from you and something else from FC.

[Mybeardeddragonjustdied2016]

Make tell her fc sent them to you to check they were what she wanted and you have to send them back to be wrapped?

[MsMarvel]

Was she looking for them? In what circumstance dod she find them?

If she was looking then just tell her the truth. If am accident, tell her they are for someone else and hope she forgets

[gaggiagirl]

Loads of really good ideas here thank you!
I'm heavily pregnant and everything feels a million times worse at the minute. I could have wept when she found them.

Normally the majority of her presents are from FC.

I don't know where I'm going to hide stuff now.

[GrimmauldPlace]

This happened to us when DS was 5 as well. We told him they were empty boxes that we'd bought from the shops and the order went through to FC and his elves and they made the toys ready to fill the boxes on Xmas eve. The presents from FC for him are in his stocking and the rest are from family. The empty box thing came about because he kept questioning why there are elves making toys if we've already bought them from the shop.

So it's been that way ever since. Oh, the joys of Christmas

[gaggiagirl]

The joys indeed!

[SpringerS]

Do you have family who normally buy her presents? Grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. Would they be willing to buy the presents off you to give to her from them? If they are more expensive than what they would normally buy her just let them give you the money they would have normally budgeted in exchange for one of the gifts. If they had already bought her something ask if they will swap. That way she still gets the same presents but Santa brings her what her relatives would have given her and her relatives give her what Santa would have bought her.

[TheDowagerCuntess]

Our kids get one present, and a stocking, from Santa.

The rationale being, that Santa gives all children just one present - it hardly seems fair or right that he would lavish gifts on some kids, and others virtually go without.

They happily accept this, and then we - not bloody Santa - get the credit for all the other presents.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

That's what you get for being all done with your Christmas shopping more than two months in advance

hopefully crystal clear that I'm joking

Seriously OP, that is a shame. What have you told her? I like the "looking after them for a friend" approach. Then she can still get the same stuff?

[CoffeeAtLukes]

Next year hide stuff at someone else's house if possible. We stash it all at my sisters until Christmas eve so there is no chance of discovery.

You must be gutted. I'd buy her a few more big but cheap things to be her santa presents and the ones she's seen will have to be from you. On the day she won't actually care what is from santa and what isn't. I'm sure my 6 yo couldn't tell you who gave her what last year.

[moralminority]

My mum and dad always told us they wrapped the stuff and sent it to Santa, so just tell her they are being sent off then hide them again. She will be excited either way. Unless she is like my dd who tells me things she would like in October then changes her mind by Christmas. Aargh!

[cowssheephens]

My DS found all his toys from Father Christmas when he was around that age. They were all stacked neatly in the wardrobe that he never went into. Anyway, that night my DH took all the gifts and put them in the attic. The following morning when he went into the wardrobe and asked about where all his gifts were, we looked at him like this and said he must have dreamt about seeing them there. 2 months later he had them for Christmas and the pre peep was never mentioned.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

What are you doing buying them so early?

[iamnotwhat]

Chardonnay, it's only 79 sleeps until Christmas!

I've got to spread the cost so started mine a fair while ago too

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

I'd better put the sprouts on then.

[Makemineacabsauv]

I hide stuff in holiday suitcases which I lock with the wee case padlocks and hide the keys or keep them in a section in my purse. Even if they find the cases they can't get in!

[iamnotwhat]

My neighbour brought two parcels around tonight that he'd taken in for me. My 4yo started opening one (happened to be his FC present) so I told him that I was looking after it for a friend. He lost interest in it straightaway

[SpringerS]

I am dreading the day that DS is tall enough to unhook the attic ladder. It's like a bloomin toy shop up there which he somehow, strongly suspects.

[KingLooieCatz]

Makemine Loving the lockable suitcase plan. Why didn't I think of this? It begins tonight while he's at Boys' Brigade. Then I can spread my buying without fretting where it will go.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

I used to keep most of mine in the boot of the car - bit of a pain when you need to do the shopping though :)

[iamnotwhat]

I used to keep mine under my desk at work, but now I've got two DCs it wouldn't really be fair on my lovely colleagues! Worked well while it lasted though

[disneyprincesswannabe]

When is her birthday?
All my presents (well the dc's presents I mean) are stacked up in my bedroom, really rather obvious. BUT they all have birthdays shortly after xmas so I just say they are their birthday presents and not to go looking