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?

[thefemaleJoshLyman]

We've always done duplicate stockings, as my parents did. We've had the same ones for 10 years. We also use different paper for each child and for FC presents (the ones in stockings). Everything else goes downstairs and is from us. FC buys small and/or useful things e.g. socks, pants, pens, glue sticks, torches and this year umbrellas!

When I was a teenager (19) actually (DBs were younger) DM had an operation which had pretty bad complications and only came out of hospital on Christmas Eve. The stocking done by DF were interesting- I had three pritt sticks, my brothers had none, and one brother had 10 pairs of pants! We laugh about it - especially since we were all 14 or above!!!!

[Ineke]

I know that it's easier to hang stockings downstairs or on door knobs but I will never forget hearing the crinkle of paper as you move your feet and wake up on Christmas Morning. Never saw my mum be Santa either, and we all had to go to Midnight Mass so we were never in bed before 1.00 am although we all had to sleep for a few hours before we were woken up to go to Midnight Mass in Church. My Mother must have been exhausted, the things we do for our little darlings! It's not till when you have your own children that you realise how much your mother used to do, and I don't think I ever thanked her either. My children, now all grown up always say thank you for making Christmas special, so it is all worth it to build on those memories which will be passed down through generations to come. This year though, with children living in Tier Two, I am thinking of outdoor heaters and stoves and fire pits for an outside Scandii Healthy Christmas with heated tents and woolly jumpers!

[Pascha]

@TurkMama

We dont do Santa BS and I'm miffed at all the double stockings, no wonder initial and nice ones are all gone by mid Oct!

@TurkMama weve only ever bought one duplicate set once when each child was a baby. This stocking will still be in use years from now. I don't know who all the people are who buy new ones each year . What a waste!

[Pascha]

@Ineke this was my memory, feeling the weight of the stocking (hockey sock) all nobbly nobbly at the end of the bed on my feet. We were also midnight mass attenders and the stockings never found their way in until early hours of the morning. As adults we are no longer churchgoers so my children have different expectations and as they've grown up with stockings at the door, that's what they think of with anticipation.

[aToadOnTheWhole]

inappropriateraspberry

aToadOnTheWhole

FC is the delivery man in our house. As it was when I was a child. Parents send money to FC. FC chooses some presents, parents choose some and then send them to FC. And then FC delivers them all. Same for ones from family (which you then write a thank you letter for).

We take DS to choose some presents to send to FC for other children who have parents who may not be able to send any money. We take them to church and the FC comes and collects them from there.

Stockings on bedroom door.


I think that sounds very complicated and a lot of work for FC!

It's honestly not it just allows/ed for discrepancies in parental spending.

We donate new toys to our church toy collection which is always collected at the same time as the tots Christmas party, so he always arrived dressed at FC and gave out chocolate buttons for the kids. It then evolved into a whole thing.

[Violinist64]

@Imissmoominmama My oldest son is autistic and would not have it that the man in red did not exist. In the end we told him that Father Christmas could only bring stockings to people up to the age of 21 as otherwise there wouldn't be room on the sleigh for the presents for everyone - he brings presents to younger boys and girls only. We warned him well in advance and reminded him. It worked. I realise your daughter is already 22 but you could make the upper age limit 23 so that she knows this is the last year.

[Someonesayroadtrip]

We are ok with Christmas but I've had that nightmare before, but our tooth fairy is useless. She's absolutely terrible, my eldest child has even had to remind her a few times.

I tend to stress it a lot as we have 3 children's birthday end of Nov and in dec, so it's all a bit crazy, I do often wish I had planned better. But my kids are laid back about thinks thankfully. My eldest is 10 and he knew last Christmas, so it might be last for another one or two of mine (twins but one has additional needs).

I did the kids already so I'm good.

[SoloMummy]

I try to sort things into containers so there's limited sorting needed, just presentation needed.
. My mum used to store the presents in car boot and garage as actually was less noise moving from there than upstairs down.