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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 04/12/2023 19:35

Santa gives the stockings but all other presents are from us or family but Santa delivers them. This is how it was growing up.

I hate it when people say everything is from Santa as I get so sad about the children who don't get a lot, and when they go back to school and discuss what they got it breaks my heart that a child might think they are naughty or Santa doesn't like them etc.......

Fightarealfire · 04/12/2023 19:37

We don’t do Father Christmas at all, it’s much simpler.

Exasperateddonut · 04/12/2023 19:39

Father Christmas brings stockings to children in our house. Children and mum/dad make up the stockings for the other parent. All gifts come from people so we can thank them for their thoughtfulness.

CurlewKate · 04/12/2023 19:40

To be honest, whatever their parents think, most kids stop believing very early. They're just too canny to let on!

NuffSaidSam · 04/12/2023 19:41

Santa does the stocking and one big present. He doesn't monitor their behaviour.

I don't want them thinking children who have less than them are 'bad'.

NewShoes · 04/12/2023 19:43

Santa brings stockings in our house, mummy and daddy anything else under the tree. I’m not giving a man in a red suit all the credit!
As an aside, I don’t think I ever believed in Santa. Certainly can’t remember ever believing. As a child I thought it was all just a joke- maybe my parents weren’t terribly convincing!

Cookingdoesntgettougher · 04/12/2023 19:45

If you are in a house where FC brings everything from in the household, do the children (with help) buy for siblings or you? Do you get other adults gifts or is it just children opening gifts from FC and maybe separately from grandparents or friends?

Asparagus1 · 04/12/2023 19:45

FC brings all the presents from us, I have said that we have to send money to him though to contribute because I was asked why some children don’t get presents (toy appeal on the radio) so I just thought on my feet!!!

I remember when I was little my mum told me that family sent presents to FC and he delivered them all. No joke I believed until I was year 6 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

Sparehair · 04/12/2023 19:46

Don’t worry about it- Santa is the ultimate proof of confirmation bias. Kids just shore up their own narrative. My friend when I was a kid did the “ all presents are from Santa” and I did “ only stockings from Santa” and I somehow managed to just ignore this massive inconsistency 🤣

ActDottie · 04/12/2023 19:48

Because Santa doesn’t bring all the gifts. He brings a stocking full of gifts and friends and family give the gifts under the tree. At least that’s how we do it in our house.

Fairylightfurore · 04/12/2023 19:48

Father Christmas only brings stockings in this house. Big gifts are from mummy and daddy and other gifts from friends and relatives

ALightOverThere · 04/12/2023 19:49

Honestly, kids are remarkably good at accepting Santa does different things at different houses. Let's face it, it's not the most unbelievable part of the whole shebang.

InefficientProcess · 04/12/2023 19:50

I don’t think kids give it as much thought as you are generally.

liverpoolnana · 04/12/2023 19:55

Crumbs, I wish my family had had the 'Santa brings everything' tradition when I was growing up. I remember Boxing Day as absolutely miserable, as I had to laboriously write all those thank you letters to aunties and uncles.

Naughty1205 · 04/12/2023 19:55

People buying for grandkids, nieces, nephews etc; is what I would tell the kids but I try to avoid the large toy shops with them in December, at least.

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 04/12/2023 19:55

Presents were bought by parents/family and sent to Santa for wrapping and delivering on Christmas Eve. That covered everything, why some people got different amounts, why there was a budget, why there was no point looking for them in the house, and how they could easily not arrive if you didn't behave!

Newmumatlast · 04/12/2023 19:59

I'm awaiting an asd assessment so appreciate I may not think typically but as a child yep stuff like this made me always wonder. It just all seemed illogical. We didnt have santa buying/making the gifts, parents bought them. That at least got over a lot of the questions re why people get different things. But that other families and films depict different messages was telling. And that elves apparently make toys but they're in the shop. And that santa apparently delivers my gifts yet my parents bought them so why would he collect them to drop them back off, its illogical. So much of it is illogical and if you're a child who looks for logic and/or is bright it just doesnt hold weight for long.

hidethexylophone · 04/12/2023 20:12

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 04/12/2023 19:55

Presents were bought by parents/family and sent to Santa for wrapping and delivering on Christmas Eve. That covered everything, why some people got different amounts, why there was a budget, why there was no point looking for them in the house, and how they could easily not arrive if you didn't behave!

Edited

This is what my parents said when I was growing up too - Santa was basically a glorified delivery man! With my children, we do stockings from Santa, everything else from us/family/friends as appropriate.

strawberry2017 · 04/12/2023 20:19

He doesn't bring all gifts in our house: I need my kids to appreciate why mummy works so that she can buy them nice things.
Plus imagine if you bought your kid something expensive from Santa and then their mate only got something small because their parents couldn't afford much,
It could lead kids to think that Santa prefers some over others and I don't want my gift giving to upset other people.

FoxClocks · 04/12/2023 20:22

The question of whether Santa brings all the gifts or just the stockings often comes up, but I was thinking about it and realised that at one time for poorer families the stocking probably was everything.

PonyPatter44 · 04/12/2023 20:25

No way is that fat judgemental red-coated bastard getting all the credit for ALL the presents. He brings the stocking, and that's it.

WaitingfortheTardis · 04/12/2023 20:27

Father Christmas brings all the presents we buy, which is a decent stocking and a main gift. Family gifts are from family. Dd knows that sadly FC just has so many children to give to he sometimes can't get it all done so we have to help him by buying some gifts to donate.

Dd has also decided, on her own, that FC makes the presents for the shops so that he can get money to buy the materials to make more toys and to feed the elves and reindeer.

MaryShelley1818 · 04/12/2023 20:30

Santa brings one medium gift (small lego set/baby doll) plus the stocking.

Children can understand that parents and real people have different budgets - even at a VERY young age. I'd hate a child to think they'd been naughty as they only got one gift from Santa where as little Jonny got 200 gifts from Santa!! A little thoughtfulness goes a long way.

Stringagal · 04/12/2023 20:33

Am I bollocks letting Santa take the credit for ALL the presents! He gets my kids four* small wrapped things and their stockings. Main presents are from us and the wider family (and written thank yous are sent accordingly).

*we did the “something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read” rule for their letters to Santa, and stuck to that.

BobBilby · 04/12/2023 20:36

We do all the presents that we buy are from Santa. There would be very few presents under the tree from anyone else on Christmas morning. We normally go visit family later on Christmas Day and the few days that follow. So presents from family and friends are clearly from those people as they hand them over in person.

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