How do you do Christmas?

[dowotmakesuhappy]

Growing up all the presents came from father Christmas apart from those off family or friends. It never occurred to me to wonder why my parents never got me anything!

I don't have children of my own but would do the same.

Decided not to celebrate or acknowledge. Will go skiing in the New Year.

Kids believe until they're older.

Father Christmas brings the main present, a couple of medium sized ones and the stocking. He has to get all over the world so doesn't have time to wrap presents, so leaves them in a Christmas sack downstairs (stockings on end of the bed).

Then we still get presents from us to the dc etc.

FC brings one ‘big’ present and fills the stocking here.

We left him booze and he left us a stocking with little bits.
Parents got other gifts.

Father Christmas brings the stockings and 1 present for the children.

That's his contribution.

Other gifts are from us, family and friends.

When I was little we didn't have stockings or pressies from Father Christmas. Oddly enough none of us believed in him

Father Christmas does stockings. Opened first thing. Everything else under the tree to open later.

FC brings stockings and 2 other gifts but the rest come from us. Same as when we were little.

Different wrapping paper helps too!

Santa brings a stocking: orange, apple, some nuts, gold coins, couple of little presents
Everyone else gets their own credit!

Father Xmas brought every thing ds1 is 11 nearly so doesnt believe anymore and ds2 has complex learning disabilities so doesnt really get it anyway .

Fc brings one main present and the stocking. He used to bring the majority but dh and I got fed up of him getting all the praise!

Santa brings the stockings and most of the presents. But family still give to each other and I get presents from me to DS.

Presents are always under the tree before Christmas Eve and then Santa brings a nice extra pile on Christmas Eve.

Santa does stocking at our house and we give everything else x

Even as a little kid, i'd worked out that father christmas was another name for m&d. I was ok with it and played along with the fun. I cant ubderstand how parents think its such a big deal, kids talk to each other and work stuff out.

We do main presents from us and Father Christmas brings little stuff. This is because DS wants a bike (already ordered) and a Nintendo 2DS XL (not a chance unless my Premium Bonds come up). So we've told him that Father Christmas just brings wee presents to children who get big presents from Mum and Dad and he gives big presents to children whose Mum and Dad can't afford a shiny new bike. It was the only way I could think to manage his expectations.

As kids my sister and I had our main or biggest present and stocking were from Father Christmas and all other presents from our parents. I remember questioning my mum once as to why some parents didn't get their kids anything for Christmas! I'll definitely do the same when I have kids.

Our son gets his stocking and his main present from Santa and everything else he gets from us. His main present is not necessarily the most expensive but the one my son has been desperate for and asked santa for.

We spread it out as well, he will have the stocking and Santa present on Christmas morning and the rest in the afternoon or Boxing Day if we are spending the day elsewhere.

Father Christmas did stockings with small things, pants, socks, stationery, sweets etc. Real presents from the giver.

Father Christmas fills the stocking (left on end of bed on xmas eve originally, now next to fireplace as DC are older & we like to go to sleep before them).

Parents (us) give 1 decent size present to each DC, and spend about £30 on other relatives we see at Xmas - this is reciprocated.

Sometimes I think we must be the meanest family on Mumsnet but everyone is happy.

Santa brings a stocking of "little treats and surprises". Opened by the fire with homemade cinnamon rolls to eat as soon as everyone is awake. Adults get one too.

Proper presents from real people after main course of Christmas Dinner but before pudding....so 3-ish.

FC brings 1 or 2 main presents and fills the stocking.

Children get one small gift and some chocolate in their stockings.

All presents go under the tree and Santa brings them, however family members send Santa the money to pay the elves so this is why they can't always get that £100+ toy that they want.

FC fills stockings (everyone in the house, adults too) with sweets, fruit, mince pies, little presents, and useful things like toothpaste. Other presents under the tree from family etc. DS1 claims he twigged very young, when he realised FC was using the same wrapping paper as the rest of us.

Not yet as DD is too young but FC will do a book and stocking. Everything else will be from us/family etc

Dd asks Santa for three things, these are then specially wrapped and put in a special Santa sack. Everything else comes from Mum and Dad and relatives etc and are surprises!! This is different to how we used to do it, everything came from Santa, but I was concerned about the list of about 30 things that my dd managed to reel off last year (aged 3!) and needed a more realistic way to manage her expectations... This year it's really helped to get her thinking about the things she would really like the most, and relatives get to share their gifts with her throughout the day which stops it being quite so overwhelming.