If your DC hang their stockings in the bedrooms...

[SaveWaterDrinkGin]

When do you fill them?

Duplicates here too. Although DCs have a proper old stocking and one of DH's old football socks, so they naturally came in pairs
Shame on all these Grandmas who made them for their GCs but didn't bother to make a spare! My DM used the same trick on me and let me in on the secret when DD1 was born. DD1's 'proper stocking' originally belonged to my Grandfather and were used as DM's stocking, then mine, before working its way along to DD1. Poor second child has to make do with the football socks, but it is the closest thing in size I could think of.

We do a switch-a-roo as we wobble to bed around midnight.

I've just heard DS(9) open his. He thought it was morning. He's now wired and upset because he thinks he's ruined Christmas. Next year they'll stay downstairs.

Just done the stealth manoeuvre here. End of beds.

Yeah, DD1 is a stupidly early waker so ours have always been downstairs. Otherwise she’ll start opening hers at 5am and also go wake up her sister (who needs to sleep longer to not be a grouchy mess).

I have a nightmare this year. DTDs 11, still (at least pretending to be) believers. We've always had the stockings in my room which is easier but this year DD1 has been sleeping very badly for months and commonly sleeps on our floor. She's just come up now and I am waiting for her to be asleep... stockings are on the end of my bed and the fillers are in my en-suite. Going to use MN to help me stay awake!

@SaveWaterDrinkGin

So you just deal with it if they wake in the middle of the night and decide to open it?

The entire point of the stocking is to occupy them til acceptable morning hours. If they wake early and root through it, good on them.

DC are 11 and 13, they were definitely still awake half an hour ago and I'm usually in bed by now so will be an effort to stay awake until there's a reasonable chance they've gone to sleep.

Last year I snuck in to DS1 about 12.30 and he sat up in bed and said "Hello mum" rumbles!

@bluebluezoo

Why would you hang them up in bedrooms? Talk about making life difficult for yourself!

I struggle with the tooth fairy pound coin swap!

Hang them downstairs and save the trouble..

We have disovered this tonight....

.... Omg child sleep.

Hes still bloody waiting for santa. Been busted once 'checking on him'.

Nightmare.

Ds nearly got me as he woke up for a poo. Ffs who wakes up at 12.45pm to poop?! He's queried why his stocking is no longer on his door

Someone said to me to buy 2 identical stockings...
Have one ready filled, then all you need to do is swap the stockings over!
In and out quick as you like!

11.45pm that should say. Stockings are all hidden at the end of my bed and I'm wondering if I'll manage it at all. They might have to go in the living room with some excuse like "covid-secure" as to why they weren't by beds.

One year I was bouncing on my mams bed so excited santa had been, with my sock and got told to go back to bed. Poor cow confided in me years later shed only gotten into her bed!!!!

Just remembered we told our kids that the presents would turn to dust if they opened them before 7am. Worked for several years

Stockings outside bedroom doors.
Filled at midnight last night.
DD(9) woke up at 1am. And 2.30 and 5, and 8.30 am!

Stockings on beds. DC can be relied upon to sleep soundly all night 99 times out of 100. Last night was the 100th... DD1(7) woke at 12.30am and woke Dd2. We were just off to bed and had to persuade them it really wasn’t morning. This is the first Christmas this has happened so next year it’s stockings downstairs and presents opened before 7am turn to dust...

This is a cautionary tale for new or soon to be parents! Please, please don't hang your lo's stockings in their bedrooms. Ours have always had theirs's hung from the mantle piece. Filled at our leisure and never had a problem with them getting up early to find them either.
We adopted our two when they were toddlers and made a conscious decision not to 'creep' into their bedrooms in the dead of night given the trauma they had endured in their early life.