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Original poster

I could cry my kids have found their Christmas presents. What now?

111 replies

barbie007 · 16/12/2012 18:24

I always hide the Christmas presents in our room. We have a loft conversion and we have attic storage behind small doors. My 9 ds was looking for his ds everywhere and 7 year old ds said he'd help to look too. Next thing I know he'd gone up to my room and had opened the door to the storage space. I am gutted. They've both seen the skylanders box, small piano keyboard, play doh set... DH is away and I've just bluffed that they are their cousins presents, that dad has bought for them and will be posting....was that good enough? Will they suss it all out....I really could cry

OP posts:
nickelbabylyinginamanger · 16/12/2012 19:41

it's really not a problem

listen, my sister found our presents every year.
it becomes tradition.

my mum always said that of course they bought the presents and then sent them to Santa to deliver. Luke a glorified postman.
don't worry about them spreading that at school- my friend tells her kids that Santa knows what's best for each family. sometimes the parents buy and he delivers. sometimes the parents ask him to get the presents too. sometimes parents ask him just to bring stocking giits.
he's been in this business for centuries- he knows what he's doing!

they found the gifts. even if they think they're theirs it'll still be wonderful in Christmas day
the absolute worst thing would be to swap the pressies now.

diddl · 16/12/2012 19:42

Hahahahaha!

Of course they were looking!

Next year-wrap as you buy!

StuntGirl · 16/12/2012 19:45

I think you're more gullible than you think your kids are OP! Xmas Grin They were definitely snooping for presents.

My best friend when I was a child would snoop every year. No idea why, she just always had to know what she was getting. So don't count on 'ruining the surprise' as a factor to stop them!

MunchMunch · 16/12/2012 19:46

Ds1 found some of his presents when he was about 7.

I'd put them in the spare room cupboard, he never went in that room until his friend came round and the decided to play hide and seek. From what I can remember his friend opened the cupboard to hide in there found them and told ds1. They came down stairs with the board games asking whose they were. I was livid mainly because I had tried so hard for years to convince ds1 santa was real but he never believed in him from at least 3 yo. He always said that he knew me and his dad bought his presents. So I finally came clean but was quite sad. Luckily dd (5) and ds2 totally believe in santa. I hide all their presents at my mam's now.

scottishmummy · 16/12/2012 19:49

next year hide and wrap some bluffs like value pasta,socks
of course they were looking for presents all kids do.I did
yes do bluff it as cousins pressies

apostrophethesnowman · 16/12/2012 19:50

Since you're sure that they still believe in Santa you can still keep this up with them.

Keep up your story of the presents being for someone else. However, tell them that they can write to Santa to ask him to bring the exact same presents to them. However, point out that it's a bit late to ask for them, and it might not be possible. He may have already had his elves make something else for them.

Then when Christmas morning comes they will still be relieved and surprised that they got what they wanted.

I told my son a similar story when he discovered a toy when he was young. He tells me now, as an adult, that he totally believed me!

I know they're all different, but it's worth a try.

peaceandlovebunny · 16/12/2012 19:51

don't cry!
first of all, don't set yourself up for disaster by lying to children about santa. its all over mumsnet - it doesn't help.
now they know, you can let them in on the game and see what they want to put out for 'santa' now they know it will be you....

MisForMumNotMaid · 16/12/2012 19:53

Move them and put them in black sacks if you can't be bothered to wrap yet. It'll stop return snoops.

Christmas isn't about the presents, i'm sure they'll love them, its about all being together. In years you'll look back and laugh at the year they first snooped.

Thinking back to Christmas's past were the presents really the highlights? Or is when your youngest fell asleep in his Christmas pudding, or you all made footprints in snow etc.

Procrastinating · 16/12/2012 19:56

My dc found some presents by accident too. My fault, I was too slow hiding a delivery.
I'm going to wrap the ones they found in different paper and do tags saying they are from me, then the rest get father christmas paper and will be from father christmas.
Would this work for you OP?

TartyMcTart · 16/12/2012 19:56

I'm getting fed up with everyone saying your kids are clearly taking the piss and don't believe in Father Christmas, were snoop ing for presents, etc. Is it really so hard for some of you to realise that some children really are still children and DO believe in Father Christmas at the age of 7and 9?

OP, I don't know what advice to give, I'd be devastated if my boys (5 and 8) found what we'd bought them. They both still completely believecand long may the magic last!

Procrastinating · 16/12/2012 19:58

Mine still believe too. Ages 6 & 7.
They would not look for presents.

Peanutbutterfingers · 16/12/2012 20:00

We once genuinely innocently found a computer table that had been hidden badly under the stairs. We nearly died of excitement, we were the last in our class to have video player or colour TV and now we were getting a computer!! (20 years ago. Big big deal)

My mum cried and cried and said she was so sorry but she was keeping it for a friend who wanted to surprise her husband. Christmas eve came up and friend rolled up and we helped her put computer table in car and we were really sad and disappointed.

Christmas morning and there was our computer!! Mum wanted us to be surprised and roped friend in who returned it middle of night. Was magical. I have never forgotten how far she went to keep the surprise.

Would something like that work? Have someone visibly collect them and then sneak them back?

PessaryPam · 16/12/2012 20:02

All they will remember is a nice Xmas and presents from what our kids did. Please don't sweat it xx

AlaskaHQ · 16/12/2012 20:03

When I was 7.5 and my brother was 6.5 we came across my father making our soon to be Christmas presents from Santa. He later explained that actually he had been asked to do some part time work for Santa, as he was particularly good at DIY stuff. (The presents were a scramble net, rope swing and rope ladder al in good old bright orange 70s rope, beautifully made and all to go with our new climbing frame, that year's main present.)

Well dad assumed that was that with us believing in Santa, especially as we were beginning to have some doubts. However, it had the reverse effect, and actually ended up with many of my classmates also remaining believers for another year or so, in our village.

Of course Santa must exist ... Alaska's dad works for him.

ReallyNotTotallyStupidPromise · 16/12/2012 20:03

I agree with Tarty.

What I would do is give them the presents they have seen from you and make sure there is something they haven't seen from santa. If they have seen everything and you don't have any more money, maybe you could swap a couple of your presents with a friend/family member that buy for them anyway and they will get the 'unseen ones' from santa and the seen ones from the family member/friend. Hope that makes sense!

amillionyears · 16/12/2012 20:05

I think I would give them 1 or 2 of them . And if you can afford to, buy some new ones [and give cousins some of the original ones as you have told said].
That way, you might just get away with it all.

amillionyears · 16/12/2012 20:06

Sort of cross post with Really.

ToffeeCaramel · 16/12/2012 20:07

I wouldn't worry. Do them a stocking with the stocking fillers from santa which can be the surprise bit and say that the main presents that they have seen are from you. I assume they haven't seen every single little stocking filler?

StuntGirl · 16/12/2012 20:09

It's less that I think they couldn't possibly still believe at their age and more to do with finding the presents hidden behind a loft cupboard door in the mum and dad's bedroom when they were supposedly looking for their DS! Bollocks were they looking in there for their DS Grin

skatebauble · 16/12/2012 20:17

No way would i buy anything else.
My 7 year old doesnt believe. She treats all mentions of father christmas with doubt.

ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 16/12/2012 20:19

Yes that's a good idea. I'm not feeling cynical about them as DS2 still believed last year in y6!
< Hopes he knows The Truth by now >

DoesntTurkeyNSproutSoupDragOn · 16/12/2012 20:22

What is the point of lying about them being for cousins? The exact same gifts they want... Hidden in their house...

And yes, they were snooping, not looking for the DS.

cluelessnchaos · 16/12/2012 20:25

I would have them help wrap them up for their cousins and then remark on the coincidence on Xmas day, no way I'd be coming clean.

pumpkinsweetieMasPudding · 16/12/2012 20:25

Say they are cousins gifts and leave it at that. Wrap them then hide them well. There is 9 days until christmas, they will probably forget by then, especially with all the excitment.

post · 16/12/2012 20:29

I NEVER looked for presents, nor did my three sisters, nor have my three dcs. It honestly never occurred to me. Even at the age where I 'sort of' knew, I would never have wanted to look. For people who are scoffing that 'of course they were looking'.
And I believed, and wanted to believe, enough, ( I think because my parents were so FABULOUS about keeping that specialness) that if I did come across presents by mistake, honestly, op, any old nonsense story would have satisfied me.
We all really enjoyed it, and when I was old enough to know I loved then becoming part of helping to keep it going for my sisters. Don't worry and be sad, it'll really be ok, I reckon.