Anyone else waiting to do the kids stockings?

[Gingerlygreen]

Dd's insist on hanging their stockings on their beds, I've been trying all day to convince them to hang them on their doors but no, they like the tradition of them being on the bed so now I'm wide awake waiting to creep in and fill them.

We live in an old house and the floors are so creaky, I've tried once but the 10 year old is facing me and has the squeakiest floor so I can't risk her opening her eyes and the 8 year old has decided to sleep the wrong way round in bed so her head is right next to her stocking, she's also coughing in her sleep so I think she'd stir easily.
I've had a couple of Baileys tonight and really want to sleep.

Stocking switching - why on earth have I never thought of this? I’ve just done ours. Also have ridiculously creaky stairs.

Just done. I think they were both still awake, one of them definitely shuffled about. As they're aged 17/19, it's not unusual for them still to be awake at this time.

Night everyone

Still doing stockings for mine in their late teens and early 20s. We only got back from church about half an hour ago so I know they're all still awake. I'll probably go to bed and distribute them later on one of my many menopausal loo trips in the small hours

My dds don’t have stockings in their bedrooms now as dd1 woke at 3am two years ago and decided to open all her presents and scoff a load of chocolate. She was 12 😏

Just done mine so should be able to relax but too hyped now and can't sleep! I forget every year how stressful I find Christmas eve. Losing presents, forgetting what's in them, accidentally switching them up, waiting for them to go to fucking sleep. 4 1/2 hours sleep to be had before the youngest wakes now and I'm not even tired

@Nearlyspring23 what an arse your BIL is! I'm raging for you. How old are your kids? I hope he feels awful tomorrow, what an idiot.

Done mine, although ours stay outside the rooms because it's weird to have a stranger in your bedroom haha, saves me a lot of sneaking.

Son was awake, told him it was far too early, Santa nowhere near yet! 🤦🏼‍♀️

I've just done them

Kids finally asleep 💤

DD12 wanted to sleep in my bed tonight. Just as well I had moved all her presents from my wardrobe to the cupboard under the stairs this (yesterday) afternoon while she was at her dad's.

She was asleep by 10pm so got the presents all sorted and smugly climbed into bed. DD woke at 1am and said 'has he filled my stocking yet?'

Me: 😳😳😳😳

It took until 2am for DD to get back into a deep enough sleep for me to get the stocking presents out of my chest of drawers and fill her stocking. Now I'm wide awake!

It's been half an hour since I last saw either of them... I think I'm nearly into the safe zone. But absolutely wide awake too!

I did the stockings at 1am, then DD arrived in my room at 2am to tell me Santa had been and show me what she got
She's 12 FFS
Got to try and go back to sleep now!!

Take the kids downstairs and let them wake him up with their crying. Or as soon as they wake tomorrow get them to raise hell with noise to wake the fucker up, fuck his hangover. I'd take him and his wife to one side and make it clear what he did, how angry you are and how upset your kids were. Do not let him get away with it. Fucking waste of skin

Eldest daughter still awake.

She's 15 so she must realise I can't go to bed until she is asleep.

Wish I'd seen your thread earlier! YES I've been waiting up. I'm finally done! My youngest stayed awake for hours with excitement, so I cousins do anything! They insisted on stockings in the bedrooms, I was shitting it they'd wake up and see me. They arr believers!

In bed now, just remembered Santa and rudolf haven't eaten their snacks. I cannot get up again...

Happy Christmas all!

My youngest is STILL awake! No sleep for me tonight 😭

Absolutely gutted. My 9 year old was awake when I brought her stocking in, I didn't realise until I could hear her crying afterwards. She asked me "is it true? He's not real?" 😩

I feel mean not sneaking in tonight with them but DC are 19 and 15 now and one of our dogs would likely try to eat through the stockings to get to their chocolate coins now so I've left them under the tree instead (with the door closed so the dogs can't get in there).

I came to bed an hour ago and DC were still up anyway, they're worse now than when they were tiny and excited for Santa.

Oh no. Can you say he'd left it outside the door or something?

I told her he must have tried my door by mistake before going into hers, and she is pretending to believe me but I can tell she knows it's not true.

That's a bit selfish of her tbh. At 15 she should know better

We do stockings in our room. They come in at 6 and onen on our bed. Solves everything!

I set an alarm. It was a noisy one as silly Santa had brought packets of noodles and popcorn. Thank goodness that is everyone stocked up with new toothbrush, paste, toiletries, knickers and chocolate for another year. The big FC could not be arsed to wrap, them up or dress up this year. Good job as the teens couldn’t be arsed to leave him out a beer and a mince pie either, Nothing like waking up with that heavy feeling on your feet though. Thankfully our stockings are small, hand made by my mum when each was born.

Oh I remember these days.
Now my children are older teens I tell them what time Father Christmas is coming and they go to their rooms and stay there. Stockings are on the fireplace.
This year it was 11:30. So much easier but a lot less magical.
We still love Christmas though.

Next year, put pretty sleeping masks in the kids' Christmas Eve boxes. Then make sure they are wearing them when they go to bed on Christmas Eve. That way, they won't be able to see who is sneaking in to fill their stockings.

(Not that helpful, I know! 😊)

These stories are making me grateful that my 5 year old is happy to leave the stockings in front of the fireplace, and she was asleep by 8pm.

We'll gloss over her being up at 5.30am though!!