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Original poster

If Santa brings ALL the gifts...

159 replies

SleepingStandingUp · 04/12/2023 19:09

... how do you explain all the stuff in toy shops and all the people buying presents? Are they just for naughty kids Santa doesn't buy for?

Just contemplating it today as I stashed my large bag of presents in front of a random 3 year old on the bus.

Not an Aibu but when I try to add to Chat it won't let me on the app

OP posts:
DappledThings · 04/12/2023 19:12

We've only ever had Father Christmas bring stockings. Had no idea until a few years ago anyone did it as FC bringing everything. Thought that was just an American films thing.

But I don't think children put two and two together like that and consider that people buying presents for other people as evidence of FC's lack of existence.

FairytaleOfKent · 04/12/2023 19:17

We only give Father Christmas credit for a couple of presents under the tree and the stocking.

If I did, then I would probably say some parents have to buy extra presents for their children because they haven't been very good if asked directly 😅. It does take the incentive to be 'good' away I guess...

NewUserNewName · 04/12/2023 19:17

We do all presents from Santa. My son has never questioned someone else buying toys (and why should he, it could be for someone’s birthday).
Once he’s older and questions these things, it’s probably time to tell him the truth about Santa.

Snowy88 · 04/12/2023 19:19

Kids see the toys in the shops, amazing, smyths. Kids make their lists based on this and think Santa makes the same ones. They’ve never questioned it and I’ve never had to offer an explanation. The big man doesn’t bring everything though, just a couple. Main present from parents

Sparklesocks · 04/12/2023 19:20

When I was a kid Santa only did our stockings (coming into our rooms and filling them at the ends of our beds), the ‘big’ presents under the tree were from mum and dad. If we had any obviously branded items in the stockings my parents said Santa would write a letter to shops listing what he needed 😄 in my mind my parents and Santa worked together as a team. I never questioned that he brought me and my siblings chocolate money and puppy in my pocket but my friends would get games consoles from him!!

Just12345 · 04/12/2023 19:20

Santa has always just brought stockings in our house! Presents are always from the people!

Tropicalsunshine · 04/12/2023 19:21

Surely Father Christmas brings the stockings?
All other presents come from whoever bought them.

trying29 · 04/12/2023 19:21

Fc does everything in our house. They don’t get masses and masses, we do 5 presents each and stockings. They’ve never questioned it and they’re 6 and 8. It’s how I did it growing up too

MagpiePi · 04/12/2023 19:21

I’m the same as DappledThings.

What happens when they realise that Santa isn’t real?

I don’t think it’s a bad thing for children to realise that gifts are from the real people that care about them and have put some thought into those gifts (in an ideal world), and that they may be constrained by budgets.

toastofthetown · 04/12/2023 19:22

So do you have Father Christmas bringing literally everything? Presents from aunties, uncles, grandparents etc are all labelled "from Santa"? Will your kid not start to give gifts himself until he's a non believing age because it's all taken care of? That's totally bizarre.

BeardieWeirdie · 04/12/2023 19:22

Mum and dad presents come from FC. Other presents come from Granny and Grandad, anunties and the nice people next door. Father Christmas doesn’t bring everything under the tree.

CatamaranViper · 04/12/2023 19:23

Easily explained by the existence of gifts from friends and relatives.

Even if a kid thinks everything is from Santa on Xmas morning, they'll know that they've got a present to give to their cousin or that their auntie buys them a gift etc.

Woodraff65 · 04/12/2023 19:26

Yes Santa brings all of the presents that are there on Christmas morning. I do this with my children and my parents did with me when I was a child. I had no idea people didn’t all do this. Seems so strange to me.
Presents from aunties grandparents etc are not from Santa but given separately

MargaretThursday · 04/12/2023 19:26

I think children when they're small enough to really believe probably don't think too deeply about it.

I remember the bin bag full of presents that went into the car as we travelled down to gran's which never appeared for anyone and never wondered what happened to them until I was old enough to know.

I also remember not realising one of my dc had seen me buy something, and when they unwrapped it on Christmas day told me I could take the one they'd seen me buy back as FC had brought them one too.

When they start thinking deeply about things like that I think they pretty much have guessed or are the verge of guessing even if they don't want to really know.
I remember being in the period that I knew, but didn't want to admit to anyone, even myself, because the thought of magic was too exciting.

TinkerTiger · 04/12/2023 19:28

It's not that deep. Children believe in Santa, they're not analysing the ins and outs of it all. By the time they're old enough to think about it, they're probably outgrowing Santa

Loverofoxbowlakes · 04/12/2023 19:28

Having worked with tweens who literally woke up to nothing on Xmas day (and indeed the majority of other days in the year) it's heartbreaking to hear that we tell kids that all gifts are from santa, and that, by deduction, if they are bad then santa won't come.

My SIL even went to the lengths of unwrapping Xmas gifts from family and friends to regwrap them in special santa paper - that was the last time I ever handed over gifts without the kids being able to open them in front of me.

Santa brings stockings - there's a bigger lesson in appreciation in what you are given than the sheer vulgarity of literal piles of gifts from santa.

Iwantmyoldnameback · 04/12/2023 19:28

We had FC presents which were opened in the morning and family presents (stored under tree) that were opened after lunch. There was usually one special present from FC (bike, dolls pram) then selection box, book etc.

Cas112 · 04/12/2023 19:29

I don't even think most kids think about it

PuttingDownRoots · 04/12/2023 19:30

I never did the santa brings everything and only if you are good thing because there are loads if children who won't get a lot for whatever reason. The Shelter Christmas advert was a good example of this... it didn't matter how good, kind and helpful the child was, she still didn't get her Christmas wish of a proper home for her family.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr7Y-ddGzew&t=21s&pp=ygUMZ29vZCBhcyBnb2xk

I prefer Santa just to bring a stocking or small present

Good as Gold | Shelter

Donate today and help the 131,000 children wishing for a home this Christmas https://shltr.org.uk/vd96E Over 131,000 children will wake up on Christmas morn...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?pp=ygUMZ29vZCBhcyBnb2xk&t=21s&v=Yr7Y-ddGzew

AhBiscuits · 04/12/2023 19:30

Santa brings all the presents we buy. They also get presents from our families and those aren't from santa. Presumably people don't pretend the present from granny is also from santa?

Snugglemonkey · 04/12/2023 19:30

We credit all family etc with the gift they give. We also give dc a small present from us, after dc1 asked at 2 why there was no present from us under the tree (on christmas eve, so in time for me to whip something from the santa pile and put something there). Then Santa brings all the main stuff.

Lovemusic82 · 04/12/2023 19:30

Santa doesn’t bring all the gifts, how would he find them all on his sleigh?

Family and friends buy gifts too, surely you don’t say they are from Santa?

In our house santa always brought the stockings and one big gift. The rest was from us, family and friends.

Createausername1970 · 04/12/2023 19:32

Santa did the stocking only in this house, which is what both me and DH experienced as a child. Other presents came from grandparents, aunts uncles etc - and we're acknowledged as such and they were thanked for them.

CurlewKate · 04/12/2023 19:32

I have a friend who tries to make everyone give their presents from Father Christmas. I hate it- but do it because that's what they want. I think it's particularly unfair on the grandparents....

MamaTryingHerBest · 04/12/2023 19:34

Just the one main present from Santa in our household. Everything else from Mum and Dad.