1st year not doing "santa" presents for teens??

[rudolf54321]

I was the youngest of four kids. When I was 12 that was the last year my parents got us "santa" presents. I had great christmases as a child, waking up on xmas morning and finding a pile of presents under the tree waiting to be opened! But when I turned 13 it changed completely, my family opened presents on christmas eve after midnight mass. I got one xmas gift that year: a hair straightener from my parents. While I was very grateful I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed since i was used to waking up on christmas morning to lots of santa presents! A lot of my friend got lots of presents and I remember being embarrassed and making up lies of things I received! Of course my parents had 4 kids so I completely understand concerns for money..

How did other people transition their kids from not believing in santa? When I have my kids I want to spoil them a little on christmas like I was but I dont want them to be ungrateful spoiled adults/teens. However I dont want their first christmas as a teen to be disappointing.

I felt that was the way for a lot of things, as soon as I turned 13 it was as though I was no longer a kid.

I am thankful that my parents gave me magical christmases and raised me to be happy and appreciative as an adult but I feel that there was a better way for them to do it?!!


P.S. sorry to be talking about christmas in August!
Also When we did santa presents our parents didnt give us presents from them! And relatives live abroad so it was only our parents giving gifts!

[Fallstar]

Father Christmas only ever brought stockings with small gifts/tat/sweets and we stopped doing them when our youngest reached 20 and we realised that it was getting harder and harder to find inexpensive bits and pieces to go in them that they would actually enjoy.

I doubt that they actually believed in FC much past six/seven or so, but it was never voiced and it was a lovely part of family Christmasses.

I did do a little gift bag each under the tree with chocs and tat the first year after stopping - I think I was the one who found it hardest to quit!

[ateapotandacake]

I'm 34 and my mum still does me a stocking! And my husband now too!

[BestZebbie]

Imo it is fine to stop Santa at a certain age, but if you do that it is crucial to manage expectations and not eg: put the stocking out etc!
(My parents handled this very very badly and really upset me one year in my early teens - They were right that I wasn't especially distressed not to get a new toothbrush and a chocolate orange etc, but I was absolutely distraught when I thought that they were basically (accidentally!) telling me in a particularly cruel way that they thought I had been "bad" that year, especially as I was extremely law-abiding/swotty, it took me months to get over it and trust that it had been a misjudgement on their part rather than their real feelings).

[Creampastry]

It's the same but just one type of wrapping paper ...... Oh those fond memories of wrapping Santas stuff up then falling short of paper and having to dash out late to buy more!!!