Stocking from Father Christmas....

[Takamine]

... the rest from us.

I see this mentioned a lot in here. Why do people do this? I've never under stood.

Isn't it a bit self serving at the detriment of the magic?

[MyNeighbourSnorlax]

For me it's about teaching that Christmas is about giving, not just receiving. Father Christmas brings a stocking, and all the magic that goes with that, and then other presents come from parents, friends, family, etc and we also buy presents for them in return. We put a lot of thought into buying presents for other people, and I want my kids to appreciate the thought that others have put into presents for them, rather than just believe they all come by magic.

[Unihorn]

It was all from Father Christmas in my house growing up which I carried on with DSD as I knew no different. However she asked me last year why her dad and I didn't buy her anything because her mum did and I was a bit taken aback, so have now had to slightly revise our approach. It never occurred to me growing up that my parents "didn't buy me" any presents.

[Notso]

Friends and family presents come from them in our house so my kids still get to appreciate and thank others. Everything DH and I buy comes from Father Christmas, for the simple reason that's what happened when DH and I were children.
My nephews get a stocking of cheap bits and bobs, pants, PJ's etc from Father Christmas it's a bit underwhelming considering the legnths SIL and BIL go to creating the magic.

[BayeauxT]

We didn't do stockings when I was a child - Scandinavian background - but we do for DDs. I must admit I am mystified by people who say FC brings only stockings containing knickers, toothpaste and things the kids need... where's the magic in that? We have tree pressies from family as well, and DC are appreciative of that, but FC brings at least one present that we flat out refuse to get, either because it's tat or 'too expsensive'.

[Takamine]

"My nephews get a stocking of cheap bits and bobs, pants, PJ's etc from Father Christmas it's a bit underwhelming considering the legnths SIL and BIL go to creating the magic."

Yes, this!

[Sunnydaysrock]

Father Christmas brings presents, big and small, no one thing too extravagant. Me and DH buy a 'main' present for the DC. Why wouldn't we? We buy for everyone else. It's how we both grew up too.

[Takamine]

Ah, see I don't get the 'main' present thing either ...

[Sunnydaysrock]

Why? It's a present from you to your kids. Not hard to understand. I guess it's whatever you were brought up with. But I don't get how you could get presents for everyone else and not your own DC?

[d270r0]

Yes one of the presents for the dc is from us- to show we still give to each other at christmas. The rest is from father christmas.

[Takamine]

Because we take them to panto, take them to see Santa, cook them a wonderful dinner, watch Christmas films under a duvet and enjoy Christmas with them. They must see the worth in that because not once have they seemed confused about why there isn't a present from us.

I don't get 'main' presents in the sense that I don't understand the ritual of getting certain gifts because they fufil a desired format ...

[Sunnydaysrock]

Why do you need to 'get' it? It's just what other families do. We do all the other stuff pantos, christmassy days out etc too. I don't 'get' the Elf on the Shelf. I think it's completely ridiculous. But each to their own and I know alot of families like that added 'tradition'.

[Carrie76]

Santa brings stockings here and leaves some presents under the tree. All presents from friends and family are just that, dc know who gives them what. We also give them a present; as Sunnydaysrock says what wouldn't you give them a present? Each to their own, we do as I grew up with.

[Notso]

I don't get how you could get presents for everyone else and not your own DC?
we do get them presents they just don't know they're from us.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I think it depends on the ages of your dc really. Ours this year will be 5 and 2, so it's quite likely everything will be from FC and all the magic that goes with it. Dd is 13, so obviously she knows that nothing is from FC and she plays along for the little ones. As they start to get older, and want more expensive things, sometimes you have to amend the 'facts' about Christmas to reflect that they can't always have everything on their list.

[MuddlingThroughLife]

In our house Santa brings everything. Kids have never questioned why we don't get them anything. Only one out of three still believes.

We do a "main" present. To us a main present is something expensive. This year dd1 (16 yesterday!) would like a laptop as it's a big GCSE year this year and on to college next year. Dd2 (almost 13) would like a tablet but I'm thinking of getting her a Chromebook instead so she can use it as a tablet or laptop for homework. Ds (10) would like a video camera for making you tube videos. You can get them fairly cheap these days.

However some years the kids don't want or need anything "big" and so will not have a "main" present. 🎗

[glenthebattleostrich]

Here Santa brings the stockings and a couple of things but we also give each other gifts too.

And I'd never put practical things I'm the stockings, it's all silly bits DD wouldn't normally be allowed and one or 2 nice bits

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

It never spoilt the magic for me as a kid, or for my two. Stockings were still very exciting.
Also, since they knew that FC only brought little things - everything else from family - who were then thanked for them - they couldn't ask for anything that meant they were going to be disappointed - e.g. a puppy or anything unaffordable/unobtainable from parents' POV.

[Takamine]

"I don't get how you could get presents for everyone else and not your own DC?
confused we do get them presents they just don't know they're from us."

^this!

[Takamine]

And of course gifts from friends and family are from them - not from FC. But they would know this as the gifts are handed to them! They then go under the tree for Christmas Day. This is with the exception of both sets of grandparents who have always called to say there's been a delivery at their house too, they also don't want the Thanks but would rather the kids had more magic. (This has always been their thing!)

[AJPTaylor]

stocking was always from Father Christmas.

it avoids any issues if cash is tight or you cant get that years must have gift. i would say quite happily " you cant have buzz lightyear cos its not in the shops". others would be bidding hundreds on ebay cos it was on their santa list.

[custardlover]

A few years ago I read a plea on here to not 'over give' from Santa. The reason was that children talk to each other... but come from different means. A child who hears that Santa brought his/her classmate 3x what she/he received might be sad and confused - doesn't Santa like them as much? Aren't they as good? From that time we did a modest token from
Santa -stockings (always full of exciting, thoughtful but small novelties) and maybe a book but other things from us. It makes sense to us and my children still think it's absolutely magical.

[strawberrypenguin]

Stocking presents are from Santa and he delivers the presents from friends and family.
It’s about the kids being able to thank the people who bought them and also if we have a year where we are right financially they can understand and not expect ‘Santa’ to be able to bring them a big gift

[MrsCK]

Stocking from fc and it will be filled with pressies that are small enough to fit into the stocking but that he will also love. Stockings get opened in the morning. The rest of the gifts are from us under the tree. They get opened in the afternoon. It's what we've always done and works for us. :)

[Snausage]

I'm with custardlover on this. I don't fill stockings with tat, I spend a lot of time (and a fair whack) on them. Father Christmas always brings lovely things that wouldn't normally be thought of, and the gifts under the tree are from whoever they're from. There will be a gift from FC under the tree, depending on what DS asks for, when he gets older. He's still a bit young right now, though. This is the way it was always done when I was a kid.