Anyone forgot to 'do' Xmas for their dc ?

[hollywoodhills]

Quite random, but it has me worried and I've had nightmares about it

I'm concerned that I will mess up the magic of Xmas morning.

Last year Santa forgot to take the card that dd had made for him. Dd was a bit confused about that.

Then dd had a present which was actually for ds.

Im worried about staying awake to sort it all. My dc will not sleep on Xmas eve if they hear me walking about.

Last year was horrendous and I went to bed at 2am in the end.

The thought of the stockings are giving me a headache as any noise and they will be wide awake.

This is all based on the last 2 years on Xmas eve. I try to tire them out but the excitement just takes over and my eldest will not sleep until I am in bed and all is quiet in the house.

Has anyone fell asleep on Xmas eve and Santa has forgot to leave the presents?

[WitchOfTheWest]

Never fallen asleep, but one year, after both DC had opened all their presents we realised some of DS were missing. We spent a good hour going through the house, including the attic looking for them. Found 2 big bags of unwrapped toys right at the back of the understairs cupboard! Santa has a row for that! 😆

[DisgruntledPelican]

Stockings and presents in the living room under the tree? Much easier than sneaking about.

[HelloDulling]

Could you just that this year the sticking are left downstairs? Then you don’t need to risk creeping into bedrooms etc.

[Pascha]

We manage stockings by getting them to hang it on the doorknob, then we have two identical stockings each, one empty, one full, and we just switch at the door.

The trouble generally is getting the buggers to go to sleep in the first place .

[Lovelydovey]

We went to MILs for Xmas about 5 years ago (from London to Edinburgh) and forgot to bring the presents. They were wrapped and in a bag that DH forgot to put in the car. Realised at 5pm on Xmas eve - god bless Scottish supermarket opening hours! Fortunately the DC were young enough to be happy with a sticker book, a soft toy and some sweets each. We had the presents a week later when we got home.

[BeGoneDom]

We do stockings outside bedroom doors so no risk of having to go in. Also, we have duplicate stockings so that we can fill one and just swap it with the empty one, rather than having to remove the empty one then fill it and return it.

[LyraBelaqua]

A few years ago my daughter was awake until 4am upset that she couldn’t sleep and Santa wouldn’t come. It was horrendous. Santa had to leave the presents outside her room whilst she was still awake. I hate the whole stocking thing due to the sheer stress of it. My suggestions are to leave the stockings downstairs instead of in the kids rooms and keep the presents for filling the stockings downstairs/in the shed/in the car/ at a neighbours so you don’t have to be rummaging about near the children trying to get the stockings ready. These things made a difference to me. Also I told my kids Santa can still come while people are awake as he is magic but if you are awake he can’t leave the presents somewhere obvious and then mum or dad have to move the presents. It’s much easier now they don’t believe!

[Lazysundayafternoons]

Always do this with the tooth fairy- fall asleep and forget about it. Luckily we manage to work around it/I sneak it in in the early morning.

I had a dream in September that it was the morning of xmas eve, and I was driving to my nearest shopping centre to start my Christmas shopping and the shelves were nearly empty of stock. I hadn't one bit of Santa shopping done. It frightened the life out of me so I picked up as much as I could then in September.

I have a week off work at the end of November so will get it all wrapped then. At the minute DC's presents are in a massive box in the kitchen so would be easy to get out on xmas eve. I'll have the stockings filled and ready to lift out on xmas eve.

I'll have DC in bed by 7.30, hopefully asleep by 8 and I'll get everything ready then and be in bed myself by 9.30.

[LyraBelaqua]

Wish I’d thought of duplicate stockings! What an excellent idea.

[Dcadmam001]

The damn Santa norad tracker was my downfall...... my daughter hadn’t gone to sleep so we had put sons stocking in his room while we waited. She then went walkies found his stocking and dissolved into tears that Santa had forgotten her. When I said he’d come back when she was asleep she hysterically pointed out the tracker showing he was en route to America ...... ooops

[Glenthebattleostrich]

Stockings are wrapped and packed by November here. I also have duplicate stockings which makes it easier. Apart from the one year the bloody MIL decided it would be fun to swap stocking with DD. Words were had. You don't mess with the Christmas organising in the ostrich household, it's run with military precision to ensure maximum festive fun!

[Bakeachocolatecaketoday]

Presents downstairs is definitely the way to go.

Also preprepare everything - you are in for a late night if you aren't wrapping until xmas eve.

[Rainallnight]

Santa leaves all presents downstairs in our house so much less risk of waking up.

[BoudicasBoudoir]

Yes, duplicate stockings is the trick. Learned that one from my own parents.

I do remember a friend telling me that her father forgot to do stockings after her mother died, and how upset she and her sister had been. They were only tiny at the time. Heartbreaking.

[Henlie]

DD’s stocking is always left downstairs by the sitting room fire place. We did it from the start and carried it on....it’s much easier than faffing around carrying stuff into the bedroom at midnight..(!)

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

santa leaves the stockings in mummy amd daddys room so that he doesnt wake the children and they can open them when they wake up and come in.

Santa only brings them 1 present which is usually a joint one (this year the elves have made them a climbing frame and slide) the rest are bought by people and sent to santa to deliver so if anything is forgotten we just say X forgot to send it to santa, takes the pressure off having to remember everything.

[flapjackfairy]

Yes duplicate stockings are genius. I wrap and pack all stockings well before christmas and put into sealed boxes along with any tree presents. Just put whole ready prepared stocking out in one go.
So easy just to put it all out and removes a lot of stress though mine are past the santa phase now sadly !

[FourTeaFallOut]

It's a good idea to not make the Santa performance too slick in any case and then you won't be one of those mnetters working out how to tell your 13yo that he isn't real this year.

[Napqueen1234]

Stockings outside the bedroom!

Also WRAP DIFFERENT KIDS IN DIFFERENT PAPER! It’s made my life 1000 time’s easier!

[LongPauseNoAnswer]

Why on earth would you put yourself through that much stress? Just put the gifts and stockings downstairs. We did with DD and it no less magical and fun for them.

[Coldwinterahead1]

Santa is a small part of Xmas in our house. I’m in charge of all the big presents and we put them under the tree together on Xmas eve. Santa fills the stockings (which are prewrapped in the kitchen cupboard) so I’ll I have to do it stuff the stockings when they are asleep which is usually by 9. Then I’m up banging and clattering at 8am as my DS’s have never got up early on Christmas morning 😩.

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

We stupidly bought DD1 a Little Tikes kitchen one year and decided she would have maximum fun if it was built ready for her. That was DH and I in the garage building a plastic kitchen on Christmas Eve. Nearly gave up on the whole thing because there was no way of putting it together quietly.

This year, DD2 is going to be 3 months old. The perfect age to not care at all that it’s Christmas but DD1 (who will be nearly 7) will be most confused if FC didn’t bring her anything.

[Sally872]

I usually book a day off work in Dec but before school hols. Wrap the Santa presents and check i have everything then move them to the garage.

Means Christmas eve I just have to move the presents into living room and take a bite out of the mince pie.

This is the first year my eldest hasn't believed in Santa so I doubt she will ever go to sleep. Not sure how it will work.

[BullBailey]

I would look at how much ‘santa’ is giving them. Maybe just do stockings and one gift from Santa and the rest from mum and dad? Get everything prepped before hand (wrapped, stockings filled etc) and hidden well in your room. Then set an alarm on Christmas Eve to make sure you’re up to lay it all out and Remove anything that the kids have Left for him - keep this to a bare minimum too.

Make it easy on yourself and keep it uncomplicated.

[bouncydog]

We’ve always put everything in the living room. However one year Santa and his family went out to dinner Christmas Eve and Mrs Claus who always did some of Santa’s deliveries on Christmas Eve had rather a lot of wine. The elf who ordered it decided she wouldn’t have it after all, so rather than waste it, Mrs Claus consumed quite a bit of it! Mrs Claus went to bed when she got home, had the best sleep ever and was woken by DD (23) Christmas morning complaining Santa hadn’t been! 🤣🤣