What goes in the stocking?

[Caspianberg]

Various people seem to put different types of things in the stocking. Some just odd nick nacks and food, some any main gifts that are small enough to fit.
If you put main gifts in, are they from Santa or you?

How much does it cost on average to fill? I was surprised how quickly it adds up ( not sure why, I know things cost £)

He will be 8 months. Have a little schleich reindeer, toy phone, small rag doll, stacking cups, small wooden peg puzzle.

[TeaOneSugar]

Santa does stockings here. When DD was younger it always contained at least one thing she could be convinced I wouldn't buy, me being shocked at stocking fillers always added to the magic. Chocolate spread in a tube was one example 😁

[goose1964]

We used to do ours with food, usually a small packet of biscuits or snacks, a carton of fruit juice, a book and a toy. The main point of this was to try to stop the kids waking us up at 4am

[Thatwentbadly]

At 8 months you only need a few tokens in a stocking.

In our house stockings are from Santa and tend to contain gifts that parents wouldn’t buy. Things I would consider tat or nail varnish.

[Thatwentbadly]

Always one packet of sweets or chocolate and a satsuma.

[LadyCatStark]

That’s a lovely stocking for an 8 month old. As he gets older you can add things like chocolate coins and character socks (some people add character underwear too but I find it a bit odd that an old man would deliver underwear to kids!). To be fair you could add a little pair of socks, or mittens and a packet of whatever snack is in favour for babies these days (DS is 11 now so things have probably changed!). Oh, and a festive bib might be nice for Christmas dinner.

[Lovemusic33]

Usually just items under £5, mostly stuff that cost £1/£2, so food items, card games, socks, book, bath bomb, stress ball etc..etc..

We don’t do Father Christmas anymore but when we did he brought the stocking and one main gift. Stockings seem more fun now dc’s are teens and it’s the bit they look forward too the most so I put a couple more expensive items in them as they get less bigger presents now but when they were little it was mainly £1 items.

[ginsparkles]

Santa does our daughters stocking, she is Santa's helper so she does the grown ups stockings (with help from the grown ups!)

They are filled with all sorts of things but each thing must be under £5 and we aim for 10 items in each stocking. So pens, chocolate, socks, mini books, candles, deodorant etc.

[Caspianberg]

It’s seems sticking with stockings from Santa and then a main gift from us would work well then. Like you have said, small things they wouldn’t expect us to get would work nicely as ‘Santa’ gifts.

I hadn’t really planned to add edibles this year as he’s only just started eating, but I remember getting chocolate coins and satsumas so I will be sure to add next year

He really does need some toys though to cover 6-12 months as hasn’t really got any yet.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

In our house it's small, inexpensive stuff (plus a book). Not 'tat'... Only stuff that will be appreciated and used foe longer than 5 minutes. I have a tendency to go slightly overboard with stockings... But tey only get 3 or 4 presents from us/Santa.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Also when babies, the stocking had a little Elf costume in. It was reused for DD2.

[Onedropbeat]

Following for ideas!

[mam0918]

stockings are just a tradition here not really 'from' anyone its just like the tree or crackers

They include sweets and little bits under £1 (no toiletries, clothes, expensive gadgets etc...) we dont spend a lot because they arent a 'big' thing for us.

both kids are getting bubble and temporary tattoos this year + sweets like candy canes, fruit pastilles, chocolate coins, rainbow drops and more

my youngest is getting 2 different shark teddies in his

my oldest is getting fun snaps but I dont know what else, hes nearly a teen so its getting harder (if anyone has any ideas for cheap £1-ish 'gamer' type things that would fit in a stocking let me know lol)

[CloudyVanilla]

I have an elaborate formula for stockings but we do not do santa sacks in our house, it is only stockings from santa.

It is basically the usual stocking mix of smaller toys and gifts (size wise in our house but not necessarily small value wise), practical items (little "elf made" knitwear bits, fancy bath bombs with glitter and popping candy, a cup, etc) and consumable christmas treats (unboxed chocolate orange, chocolate gold coins, sugar mice, a candy cane)

We had santa sacks when I was a kid but they were normal wrapped presents (still absolutely amazing and we were very luck and spoiled children at Christmas) but I love the idea of a stocking.

[Thehollyandtheirony]

When mine were babies I bulked out the stocking with baby snacks- smoothie pouch, baby crisps, banana biscuits, etc.

[Thatwentbadly]

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

In our house it's small, inexpensive stuff (plus a book). Not 'tat'... Only stuff that will be appreciated and used foe longer than 5 minutes. I have a tendency to go slightly overboard with stockings... But tey only get 3 or 4 presents from us/Santa.

My DD will play with her ‘tat’ for years but it’s just not the kind of toys I would normally choose for her.

[CorvusPurpureus]

Mine get a box with pyjamas for Xmas eve, & then a stocking of cheap, jokey items - my rule is nothing that won't be used.

So toiletries, socks, hair scrunchies, nice new pens or other useful stationery, usb sticks, a book, fill up any space with sweets.

Mine generally spend Xmas with their dad, as dc & I live overseas, so I try to go with small but useful items . I'm not keen on total tat.

Gets harder as they get older! Dd2 loves things like jewellery & eyeshadows, whereas dd1 would definitely not thank me for them. Nor would ds. So I tend in the direction of useful toiletries & device accessories like earphones.

[Equimum]

I don’t really like buying too many gimmicks that end up unused or binned, so I tend to select some smallish presents for the stocking, and alway top with a chocolate Santa.

For DS1s first Christmas, I bought wooden instruments - animal castanet, rainmaker, maracas etc and wrapped those individually. DS2 was much younger for his first, and had things like a Christmas bib, Brio rattle (which the boys were rolling across the floor last week, now aged 5 & 8!), a Happyland figure, a buggy book etc.

[skankingpiglet]

He's not too young to start the satsuma tradition OP! Your items sound great 😊

DCs stockings are football sock-sized and come from Father Christmas (everything else goes under the tree and is from the person who bought it).
I put in all the smaller presents we've bought. The most expensive items are £3‐4 each but many are around £1. This year they are getting the usual chocolate coins and satsuma, a bath bomb, nail varnish and quick drying spray, LOL pet, tube of sweets, Lego mini figure, mini Polly Pocket, pot of Kinetic Sand, and either a mini crystal growing kit or small Playmobil set. Total per stocking is under £20 as I have picked things up as I've seen them discounted over the last few months.

[InTheCludgie]

Both our DCs stockings will have pens, and chocolate coins. DS also has Fortnite trading cards and a Fortnite toy, plus a plaque for his bedroom door and deodorant. DD also has temporary tattoos, stickers, play doh and slime. They also get a couple of Santa presents each, and a few from us - all presents are under the tree, stockings hanging outside bedroom doors.

[SkyMoo1]

Eight months? Fill it with peas for all he'll care

[BatleyTownswomensGuild]

I never did stockings with DS until he got to about 3. An 8-month old is not going to have any concept of what is going on, so save your money!

[Wherearefoxssocks]

I always wonder what people's definition of "tat" is. Is it anything plastic? Party bag stuff? Novelty Christmas stuff? All of the above?

Last year DS was 12 weeks and had his Christmas outfit, Christmas bib, a teether and some bath toys. This year I've gone for a car, crayons, flashing spiky ball, rainmaker, milky bar buttons and some kiddilicious snacks.

If he's just started eating, maybe shove in some Ella's kitchen melty sticks? My DS would happily eat the entire pack if I let him! Toys wise for 6-12 months, I'd go for bath toys, stacking cups, balls, lift the flap books. Obviously depends how big the stocking is!

[NullcovoidNovember]

Oh yes always a satsuma. Chocolate orange.
Gold chocolate coins.. This year a beautiful amythest necklace, in a lovely box.
A de tangle brush but in angel wings.
Jelly babies...luminous stars for bedroom walls.. And bits like that.

FC brings stocking and the rest. Mum and dad give a few gifts just in case the big man doesn't make it.

[WutheredOut]

Stocking from Santa: Pants, socks, tights, pencils, pens, toothbrush, toothpaste, Thank you notes, chocolate coins, travel game, book, Favourite food item (last year it was gherkins for one and marmite for the other!) soft toy sticking out the top.

We buy main presents X

[Atalune]

Stocking is always something you need something to read, something to distract and occupy and something mum and dad would never buy!

Always in ours
Choc coins
Choc orange
Marshmallow fluff
American candy
Socks
Pants
Tooth brush
Bath bomb
New beanie hat
Book
Nail varnish
Card game
Hair stuff
Toiletries
Small toys- kaleidoscope, lego, sylvanian family, match attack cards
Something to make/build in bed
Then something a bit special....Dd gets a new bunny soft toy. DS will get skate branded something....


Last year DS had a phone and in his stocking was phone accessories...that was fun