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AIBU?

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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:
29andLost · 04/12/2023 20:37

Santa brings everything in this house only.
Don't do stockings (find them small and useless)
Grandparents aren't overly involved in buying presents but they would get the credit for whatever they got.
My kids have never questioned why someone is buying toys

KeyWorker · 04/12/2023 20:38

It’s best to keep these things simple and logical. Santa brings a reasonable sized pile of gifts for DD (she puts 3-4 things on her list and then he brings some nice to have extras too). She knows some family and friends also bring her a gift and we also buy gifts for them. That’s not hidden, she knows we’ve got for example, a leap frog toy for her cousin, a hamper for Nannie and grandad, vouchers and sweets for her older cousin ect. Me and DD will choose a gift for Daddy and DD and Daddy will buy something for me. Therefore it’s logical that mummy and daddy will but her a gift or 2 also.

Leicestershiremum · 04/12/2023 20:38

We said that we sent money to santa so that he could concentrate his money/toy making for children who weren't from as fortunate families. Santa brought all the presents on their wish list if they had been good.However, presents from family and friends were always acknowledged from them, or bought by us for others. In addition we bought charity toys for less fortunate children to add to their gifts from santa.

Scruffington · 04/12/2023 20:38

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.

Same. And that's how it was for me and my siblings.

It's only on MN I've encountered the 'santa just brings the stocking' thing.

RedHelenB · 04/12/2023 20:40

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.

This. The magic of Santa bringing the toys doesn't last very long.

AuntMarch · 04/12/2023 20:43

My cousins always had FC deliver presents from him and the ones from other people. In my house it was just stockings. I don't think they ever questioned it!

santasknackered · 04/12/2023 20:43

Oh whoops, I didn't realise people tell their kids the gifts are actually from Santa. My 3yo asked about it and I said "oh I think Santa is the delivery guy, a bit like a postman".

stargirl1701 · 04/12/2023 20:43

He doesn't. I find that notion bizarre but it was how I grew up.

He brings one gift here plus a stocking. It makes life far less stressful.

I remember my Mum's stress levels being through the roof trying hide everything. Madness.

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 04/12/2023 20:44

Santa brings most presents but my kids also get presents from us. They are usually boring enough but practical. For example this year new dressing gowns and a calendar. Grandparents and aunts get gifts too so that's what all the stuff is in shops and in ads. Santa cannot ever get tickets to things though, that has been made very clear

PippyLongTits · 04/12/2023 20:47

Santa brings the stockings to my DC. Nothing in the stocking is wrapped, it's all just loose in the stocking. Everything under the tree is wrapped and labelled from whoever bought it. If everything was from Santa I think lots of family/friends would be disappointed not to receive a thank you card from the DC afterwards.

carddino · 04/12/2023 20:49

I remember babysitting for a family when I was a teen. The children were super and desperately wanted a special doll.

Three girls. Three dolls. £60.

I asked their mum and she said they were getting whatever. I asked if I could get them the dolls and she said yes.

I spent my own babysitting money and bought the dolls for them.

I called round to babysit Christmas evening so they could go out and the mum took the parcels, re wrapped them and said look what carddino found outside that Santa dropped.

I was devastated.

Scruffington · 04/12/2023 20:51

PippyLongTits · 04/12/2023 20:47

Santa brings the stockings to my DC. Nothing in the stocking is wrapped, it's all just loose in the stocking. Everything under the tree is wrapped and labelled from whoever bought it. If everything was from Santa I think lots of family/friends would be disappointed not to receive a thank you card from the DC afterwards.

but presumably the gifts from Auntie Sophie are labelled as being from Auntie Sophie, as in she's attached her own little card?

I think when people say 'all' gifts are from Santa they mean all the gifts that they have purchased for their kids, not the gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.

notforonesecond · 04/12/2023 21:01

Only 1 present actually from Santa in this house - usually the main thing on their letter to Santa.

All the other gifts are hidden and appear by magic on Christmas morning with labels on saying who they’re actually from.

There’s some hand wavey “Santa delivers them” nonsense to explain this but the kids are too little to really think about it. They want to believe so they do. The piles appearing while they’re asleep does the trick.

I think once they start actually trying to work out the ins and outs of it all, they’ll have figured out the truth.

FlutteryButterfly · 04/12/2023 21:03

FC was just the delivery service for all presents and of course he brought a couple of his own gifts made in the elves workshop with him. My DC never questioned how big his sleigh needed to be as I guess they thought there was a big element of magic in it all. Mine had figured it out by the time they were 8yrs old (7 was the umming and ahhing age).

1dayatatime · 04/12/2023 21:04

Well I explained to DS today that Mummy and Daddy give money to Santa to hopefully get some presents for DS but only if he is well behaved etc.

If he is not well behaved then Santa will simply use the money to get presents for other children whose parents perhaps can't afford to give money to Santa. And even if he is well behaved then Santa can still decide to spend of that money on presents for poorer children.

And in answer to the question where does Santa get the presents from the answer was the same places as everyone else- Amazon, Tescos, online etc. Otherwise he would have to fit all the presents for all the children in the world into his sleigh which wouldn't fit.

This way he picks up presents for UK children in the UK and delivers them. So a bit like Amazon delivery except for a sleigh instead of a van and the chimney instead of the door and for free to good children ( well using the money from the parents)

Rainbow1901 · 04/12/2023 21:05

Stockings or sacks in our family have always been found on the bed - family presents are always under the tree because we always believed that people who gave gifts should be thanked by the recipient. My ACs do this with their DCs too!!

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 04/12/2023 21:07

Does anyone have Santa bringing all gifts? Do these children never thank grandparents/aunts/uncles etc for presents. They just buy them but write Santa on the card?

Strawberrycheesecake7 · 04/12/2023 21:09

When I was a child my mum told me Father Christmas physically went to toy shops to buy the presents. It made sense to me at the time. Just imagining Santa queuing up to pay in Toys r us 🤣

dreamingofstars · 04/12/2023 21:10

I grew up with stocking from FC and one or two presents from him. Bigger presents from parents. DD is 4 and we’ve always done stocking from FC and then one or two from Santa. We usually do in stocking and our presents/ and FC as the wear, read, need, want.

Londonrach1 · 04/12/2023 21:13

Santa only does stockings. I can't believe people say he does other presents too ..what even from great aunt Enid who will be expecting a thank you letter. That's strange. Stocking only like everyone I know. I do have one friend who has one present under the tree in gold paper as well of stocking.

Humphhhh · 04/12/2023 21:14

Santa doesn't bring all the toys - you'll need kids to understand that gifts come from you/family. Never ever tell them Santa isn't real..

Scruffington · 04/12/2023 21:18

Londonrach1 · 04/12/2023 21:13

Santa only does stockings. I can't believe people say he does other presents too ..what even from great aunt Enid who will be expecting a thank you letter. That's strange. Stocking only like everyone I know. I do have one friend who has one present under the tree in gold paper as well of stocking.

No. People are saying all the presents they buy for their children are from Santa. No one is going around telling Great Aunt Enid that the present she bought is being labelled a Santa gift.

AnonymousAdopter · 04/12/2023 21:18

My adopted DD had her first Christmas with us aged 8. The previous 2 had been in foster care (loads of presents from Santa) and then the ones before with birth family.
She had internally explained lack of presents in her first 6 years as Santa couldn't find her as they moved around a lot.
So we explained that the large number of Santa presents in foster care were Santa catching up, but now she was with us, there would be stockings, but also other presents from us and wider family.
Stockings had to be in the conservatory as she didn't like the idea of a stranger being in the house.

EllieQ · 04/12/2023 21:30

Santa brings the stockings and one special present in our house, then there are gifts from us, and the rest of the family. Santa only does this for children otherwise he’d be too busy!

We also said that different families have different arrangements with Santa (like only bringing a stocking) to explain the differences between families. Felt this would cover any questions!

Stringagal · 04/12/2023 21:31

Scruffington · 04/12/2023 21:18

No. People are saying all the presents they buy for their children are from Santa. No one is going around telling Great Aunt Enid that the present she bought is being labelled a Santa gift.

Show quote history

Actually, my friend did do exactly this, every single gift was from Santa himself. That was until she heard her 6 year old telling another child they must’ve been really naughty to only have got a game and a book, since they got loads more presents than that. She said he sounded like an entitled brat and never did it that way again.

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