To ask if we are the ONLY family who have NEVER done Xmas stockings

[StevieBud]

Every year on MN I see all these threads asking for suggestions for stuff to put into stockings and people reply suggesting all kinds of tat.

Or boring stuff like new toothbrushes.

Presents should be under the tree, opened at dawn before consuming a box of Matchmakers.

I never had a stocking. Didn't think it was a big deal, DH was horrified 😂 can't say I'm worse off for it, don't really see the point of them tbh

We always had them. My mum was still doing them when I was around 20 and that was boring. 6 of us sat in a circle opening individually wrapped shower gel and deodorant from Poundland.

I loved it as a kid though. I think it's just the excitement of opening them. We didn't really get tat, I remember bubble bath and a packet of crisps were two staples . It just stretched out the present opening time and added o the anticipation of finding our one or two "big presents".

I have always always wanted to do stocking and fill with stuff like slinkies, fidget spinners, a little harmonica, sweets etc, but we've never had the money to allocate any money on top of actual gifts especially since we've had 4 and every year I look at people's pics and wish but again not this year ( we're not badly off this year but still couldn't). By the way I disagree with the word tat, some of my kids' favourite little things have been objects or toys others would discount as rubbishy, but for some reason they gravitate towards them!

We love our stockings - they are the best bit by miles. And ours are wrapped so they take ages to open. (And ages to wrap).

No tat, well, maybe a little. But lots of good stuff like posh chocolates, funny books, hot sauces and chutneys, socks, etc. There are always nice things to drink like posh hot chocolate or fancy lemonades for DC and nice Booz

I put small presents in a pillowcase...but I dont buy especially for it

Ps no, we never had them as children, my mum used the stockings to tell santa where to put our gifts. Must have a word with her- never knew it was a thing until was grown up!!!

I never had them growing up. I've always used them but as decoration only.

Can people please explain the point? Any smaller gifts I'd give my kids I'd put in the sack with the rest.

Just curious to see what's different. I may try it but mine are 8 and 10 now.

I only remember having a stocking a couple of times when I was younger. But I adament about doing it for my kids now.

I think it's important for them to receive gifts in all shapes and sizes and not all gifts are a massive expense. With that being said, I don't fill them with tat either. I have a 20 month old and for this year his has Lanka kade wooden animals, Lanka kade spinning top, Lanka kade monkey puzzle, a minion bottle from smiggle, a Thomas the tank mini train, and some chocolate and goodies.

I don't out shower gel or toothbrushes in them. I also don't buy my kids clothes for Xmas as I feel as a parent I should be providing these things anyway. Although I am sure that will change when they r teenagers and asking for specific clothes.

*What do you do with your child at 5am? He might like staying in his cosy bed opening a sock full of gifts and chocolate. Or he can bring it in to your bed to open with you. Then you have a nice snuggle before “ Christmas Breakfast”. And then on to tree presents...

I’d try it this year. See what he says. Bet you 100 chocolate coins he loves it.*

@Leflic he'll only be two this Christmas, but is a really poor sleeper so getting up at 5am is nothing new unfortunately. That said, we're an early rising family anyway and will be out walking the dogs by 5:30 on Christmas morning.

If DS ever decides in future he'd like to stay in bed a bit longer on Christmas morning then that's fine and one of us will stay home with him. I won't be giving in on chocolate in bed though

@louise4745

I never had them growing up. I've always used them but as decoration only.

Can people please explain the point? Any smaller gifts I'd give my kids I'd put in the sack with the rest.

Just curious to see what's different. I may try it but mine are 8 and 10 now.

We don't have a sack. All we buy is the stocking presents, 1 big present, 2 or 3 smaller things. Then presents from family. Different ways of doing things.

Not all people celebrate Christmas so not all people will have stockings. Simple really, you're not the only family who doesn't do stockings.

I love Christmas stockings! Some of what goes in them will seem like tat to adults I suppose, but my girls love it. They are only little so it will probably be - chocolate coins, bath bomb, expanding face cloth, hot wheels type car etc

As the present buyer, the stockings are my favourite bit of Xmas!

In our house we tend to do main gifts and then stop for breakfast. After breakfast and a tidy round of all the wrapping etc, the kids do the stockings. Takes a long time for them to get through, relatively low expense and brings lots of happiness.

I do tend to pick up bits for the stockings throughout the year to a) spread the cost/make the most of bargains I see and b) to have the time to find things that I think will actually be appreciated

Stockings are great for keeping the kids occupied until everyone is up and ready for the main presents. It's also fun routing around to see what is in them. We only do little things like chocolate and of course the compulsory socks and satsuma.

I think the most exciting part of Christmas for my kids was the leaving their stockings out ready for Santa to fill on Christmas Eve. Sad that you would think that’s a boring waste of time.

Oh I used to LOVE stockings as a child, the utter excitement of waking up and feeling the weight of the stocking at the end of your bed, waking up your siblings and opening your stockings in your parents room before going downstairs to open the tree presents
I’m sure it was also a way to delay having to jump straight out of bed at crazy o’clock on Christmas Day for my parents lol

Stockings are the most exciting thing about Christmas for my dc! It's the first thing they do when they wake up (stockings sneaked onto the beds by us in the middle of the night), so we can open the main presents at a more leisurely pace after breakfast.

Yabu.
Wake up, stocking frenzy on big bed all together. Eat the satsuma at the bottom and drink the drink in there. Get dressed. Breakfast THEN pressies under the tree.

Even adults get stockings in my house.

Snap tutti frutti!

I loved my stocking as a child, mine was downstairs hanging on the fireplace and I always went straight for that rather than the big presents. My daughter is the same.

Things I can remember being in my stocking are chocolate coins (always), a little wind up tin robot, pieces of furniture for my dolls house, pencils and erasers and pencil sharpeners, a little wooden matryoshka doll with a sewing kit hidden inside which I still have, little notebooks, Famous Five books, one year a beautiful little tin of Caran d'Ache watercolour pencils that I was just mad about and used until they were worn down to stubs, sweeties, and always an apple and a packet of prawn cocktail crisps. Lovely things, not very expensive but definitely not tat.

We do similar for my daughter, decent little things that just happen to be small, including the obligatory chocolate coins and sweeties.

YABU! Stockings are the best bit of Christmas! I do agree with your point about that, though. As a child, my stocking was always full of gimmicky things, and in hindsight, quite wasteful. We have worked really hard to strike a balance between fun and ‘useful’. They never include things like toothbrushes or underpants, but tend to have small games, funky stationary, Top Trumps sets etc. We rarely buy our kids bits and pieces during the year, so it’s their chance to get small toys and gifts.

Stockings are from Father Christmas and presents under the tree from family and friends.

@Appesinmypocket sums it up beautifully.

The stockings I do have a mixture of tat and more useful things, more of the latter. Everything is wrapped, in wrapping paper that has Father Christmas on it. I think I enjoy preparing it it more than the kids!

Neither DH or I had them, but we always did them for our DCs. It was a magical part of Christmas, as were the mince pie, Sherry and carrot for FC. Presents from us were under the tree.
Now they’re adults we do Christmas bags for them and their wives,( obviously not delivered by Santa!) the contents are chocolates, something to wear, something to read, smellies and something to do.(usually connected to a hobby)

We used to have a pillow case at the end of our beds when I was a child.

It would usually have Pringles, chocolate orange, stuff we would need (pants, toothbrush, etc.), a colouring book and pencils and a few little toys to keep us occupied until an acceptable time to wake our parents up!

I'd love for my mother to do me a stocking like that now!

user1468538201
I loved the Christmas stocking when I was a kid but it was a real sock borrowed from my father

Love this idea but don't think I would subject more poor DC to this as my husband only has little size 6 feet!