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Original poster

Father Christmas question...

55 replies

walkinginaWILKIEwonderland · 16/12/2007 20:56

Bit long: bear with me.

When I was little, Father Christmas presents was the stocking/bag at the end of my bed. Then all the other presents from relatives were just that, presents from THEM.

Now, my DH's family do this weird thing where EVERYBODY'S presents get delivered from Father Christmas. They 'send' their gifts to Father Christmas to deliver on their behalf.

Am I being mean-spirited when I say I don't agree with this and don't want our DS to do this.

I think the stocking is the Father Christmas presents and then everything else is from who it is from.

Am very confused and prob not explaining properly but I want to stamp my feet and >!

What do you all do?

OP posts:
BibiJesus · 16/12/2007 20:57

when we were little everything was from Father Christmas, until we got old enough to suss it out.

snicebutdidyoukeepthereceipt · 16/12/2007 20:59

I'm with the OP -I just don't get this idea of Father Christmas bringing everything.

smartiejake · 16/12/2007 20:59

I agree stocking pressies from santa and the rest from fgamily. That way they get to thank who has sent it and when the dreaded time comes (they don't believe any more) the transition is easier.

CliffRichardSucksEggsInHell · 16/12/2007 21:00

We don't have Father Christmas so we don't have this problem!

themulledsnowmanneredjanitor · 16/12/2007 21:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

merrydaisy · 16/12/2007 21:01

How will your DS say thank you to relatives if he thinks it is all from Father Christmas? I am with you!

ChasingSquirrelsUpTheXmasTree · 16/12/2007 21:02

everything was put into our pillow case by FC - even those presents that we had collected from relatives on xmas eve. And we wrote thank yous to those relatives.
I just accepted it as what happened - didn't question it.

Original poster
walkinginaWILKIEwonderland · 16/12/2007 21:03

And also, doesn't it take away the magic for me and DH?? I want his stcoking to be just from us

(I realise he is only 11 mo and I am being a whinging, whiney cow-bag but it really has got up my nose!! Everytime I speak to my SIL she is saying 'I have sent x's present to FC'! FGS!)

OP posts:
themulledsnowmanneredjanitor · 16/12/2007 21:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

janeite · 16/12/2007 21:05

Whwn we kids (and therefore what we do now) Father Christmas DELIVERED gifts but they were FROM whoever they were from. FC brought stocking gifts only.

Alambil · 16/12/2007 21:05

FC is my delivery man - this is how DS perceives it:

Elves make the presents,
People buy them,
People send them to FC elves to wrap,
FC delivers.

He knows they come from whoever bought is so is able to say thanks but also gets the magic of FC

kslatts · 16/12/2007 21:07

When I was a child FC bought our stocking presents and relatives presents were under the tree, including a main present from our parents. We do the same with our dd's, when dh was a child he had all his presents delivered by FC.

Original poster
walkinginaWILKIEwonderland · 16/12/2007 21:09

KSlatts and everyone on my side () - how did you persuade your DH that it was your way or the highway?

OP posts:
mears · 16/12/2007 21:12

FC brings little presents for stockings in this house! Relatives persents go under the tree. Main present from FC is in the livingroom.

I wish I had never started stockings at the end of the bed though. My sis has all presents from FC delivered to stockings in the livingroom.

It is murder waiting for older children to fall asleep.

I wanted to change our tradition thsi year but the kids won't let me - oldest is 20 and the youngest is 14 LOL

Psychobabble · 16/12/2007 21:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SnowMuchToBits · 16/12/2007 21:24

In our house it is the same as yours WiaWW - stocking presents from FC, everything else under the tree, and from who they are from. We didn't have any problems with this as dh and I had similar traditions. Not sure how we would have resolved it otherwise.

milliec · 16/12/2007 21:53

Message withdrawn

Krimble · 16/12/2007 21:59

Santa fills stockings on the end of the bed with lots of smaller presents and at most perhaps a CD.

All presents under tree are from who they are from santa doesn't get all the credit in my house .

Nice to have the magic of Santa but I think children should appreciate who all the other presents are from and be able to thank them.

Krimble · 16/12/2007 22:00

I like the idea last year someone shared about getting plain white pillowcases and getting the kids to add a picture each year in permanant marker.

If LOs likely to get carried away get them to draw it out in washable marker and go over the main pic in permenant pen and date it.

bookofchristmascarolsmum · 16/12/2007 22:01

FC brings the stocking presents but the rest are from relatives etc.

Poor old FC would have a lot of work otherwise .

Emprexia · 16/12/2007 22:06

Mears.. our mum started putting them outside the bedroom door when it got to the point we were awake later than she was.. lol.. she used to do it about 5am.

"santa" bought the stockings, everything else goes under the tree, but when we were little, as long as we believed in Santa, the presents were hidden and put out after we went to bed.

pinkspottywellies · 16/12/2007 22:09

I'm with the op on this. FC brought us a present in our big stocking on the bed and also put in presents from other people (mum and dad, aunties, gps) and filled a small stocking on the mantelpiece (satsuma, nuts, hairslides, pencils etc) dh's family do it slightly differently but nothing I can't change

bookofchristmascarolsmum · 16/12/2007 22:13

Last year I thought my dd was in bed but she woke up and walked straight past the bulging stocking (she has a special stocking so I can't do the straight swop thing) several times - without noticing it!! This year I'm thinking of taking her to Midnight Mass to tire her out properly so I can put her stocking out about 2am when hopefully she'll be asleep.

Or FC will start leaving her stocking in the lounge .

yelnats · 16/12/2007 22:15

In our house mummy and daddy buy presents that the elves have made then send them to Santa who delivers them on Xmas Eve once all asleep. Anything from relatives/friends are exactly that - though presents from the grandparents are left at the grandparents by Santa and then brought round on Xmas morning (but dd knows that gran and papa bought them and sent them to Santa).

When I was little stocking on end of our bed was filled by Santa and the presents from our parents were a mix of from Santa and from mummy and daddy, presents from anyone else had their names on them.

DP's mother takes everyones tags off their gifts and replaces them with ones from Santa

JoyeuxNoelBiggy · 16/12/2007 22:15

I'm with you Wilkie, the other option is bonkers. It just ties you up in inconsistencies - dp buys me a present, but he doesn't buy anything for the dds, dd has a gift for me that she made at pre-school, but I didn't get her anything? Obviously there's a web of deceit going on but there's benefit to keeping it as untangled as possible!

Oh, and no trouble persuading dp, he leaves the whole thing to me. And if dd takes any notice of mil saying fc left presents at her house, I'll just say she was having a joke. Or that she's loopy (honesty best policy, as ever).