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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Different wrapping paper for presents from Father Christmas?

53 replies

ChaosTrulyReigns · 11/10/2010 21:53

I always do this to help keep the Legend that is Father Christmas.

My friend thinks it's overthinking and a bit anally retentive.

What do you do?

OP posts:

Clary · 11/10/2010 21:55

Yes I do this.

I found last year's paper the other day - ooh mustn't let anyone see it!

It's one of the few things that keeps DS2 (7yo) believing IMO.

pozzled · 11/10/2010 21:55

I will do this! Probably not this year- DD is only 2.2. so I doubt she will notice the wrapping paper at all. But once she's a bit older, children are very clever at spotting clues like that!

YanknCock · 11/10/2010 21:55

DS is only one, so I don't do anything yet.

But my mom used to wrap them differently and she's not particularly organised.

GeekOfTheWeek · 11/10/2010 21:56

I do this too.

Otherwise they would know I wrapped them and not the elves.

snice · 11/10/2010 21:59

Yes, I do it. FC has cheap, thin, gaudy paper that can be easily ripped off. Presents from me + DP are in better quality stuff. My children would definitely notice

galletti · 11/10/2010 21:59

Yup, I do this too, although I think I might not have to this year - dd has managed to get to nearly eleven and still believing, although asking questions!

DiscoDaisy · 11/10/2010 22:00

All 5 of my children have individual wrapping paper from Father Christmas. It makes his job easier on Christmas eve when he 's trying to remember who's presents are which.

Original poster

ChaosTrulyReigns · 11/10/2010 22:06

Thank you - I'm normal then. Phew.

OP posts:

marriednotdead · 11/10/2010 22:26

Have done individual wrapping paper since DC#2 arrived. Same paper wraps the contents of their stockings so that when they are eventually allowed in the lounge, they know which pile is theirs.

Some DH may say I'm anal but it works for us.

Didn't want DSS to guess his main present last year though so wrapped it as usual, then added an extra layer of DDs paper on top (she's 23 and was in on it before I get flamed for cruelty). Genius

PowderMum · 11/10/2010 22:42

Father Christmas has always had special paper in this house. Cheap paper with his picture on bought in bulk when DD1 was 1 from Tesco and just about finished which is good as both DD's are now past believing. Mum and Dad presents have different paper and tags.

On the other hand my friend lets her DC chose their paper and they send it to Father Christmas with their list/letter. This is all a little to formal/begging for me

auntloretta · 11/10/2010 22:57

just out of interst why do you do this? my dd thinks all presents are from father christmas as did I as a child. but i think that along with understanding everything has a price she should realise that I have to spend money at christmas time because she basicaly thinks he will bring her everything she wants and she does want everything. I dont remember being this sure I will get exactly what I want from santa.

TheNextMrsDepp · 11/10/2010 23:03

I used to sell Phoenix cards/giftwrap, and one year my dd went "wow mummy, Father Christmas uses Phoenix paper!" And narrowed her eyes and gave me a slightly suspicious look.

Of course, I told her I had sold it to one of his elves. Father Christmas likes good quality Christmas paper!

Clary · 11/10/2010 23:04

I do it because only F Chr brings the stocking gifts and knows what they are and wraps them.

The ones under the tree are bought by me and Daddy and wrapped by us then FC brings them to the tree on Chr Eve (this is DH's contribution but I am fine with it)

mumeeee · 11/10/2010 23:13

I never wrap presents from FC he has always just biught stocking stuff. So all those presnts go into the stocking unwrapped, I suppose I do it like this as that what my parents did when we were chikdren.
Also it would take hours to wrap ech stocking present

DeborahDeborah · 11/10/2010 23:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

littlebellsmum · 11/10/2010 23:28

we too do different paper for Father Christmas that I hide in the loft.

They do see the presents that we give to other people and they see the paper that they are wrapped in and I don't want them to get any clues from this - I remember it being one of the things that sparked curiosity with me as a kid.

When dd was 3, we gave her each presnt and told her who it was from and she kept saying " they were very quiet". Eventually, we twigged that she thought each of them had arrived on Christmas eve, just to put her presents under the tree and had been very quiet when they did it! when I was a kid, we had this daft performance that any presents we were given ahead of time were left out for santa to collect before christmas ... Seemed far too dodgy for me and so, we have presents from relatives and friends and then Santa presents. Mummy and daddy only buy for birthdays

I don't care if it's anal - Father Christmas is too precious to spoil by being lazy!!

littlebellsmum · 11/10/2010 23:32

auntloretta I had the same problem last year with dd who was certain that Santa would bring everything on her very large list and I had to explain that Santa only has a certain amount of money and he has to get presents for every child and so, they can't all have everything... It also depends on what the elves can make.. Good luck!

auntloretta · 11/10/2010 23:33

will give this some thought

marriednotdead · 12/10/2010 07:33

I've always told DCs that parents have to pay Santa. That's why some kids get more than others even when they don't deserve it.

Sad but a shot of realism to the fairytale.

Does anyone have a Santa key? my DCs were too old by the time I discovered them but bought them for others who loved the concept.

3plusbump · 12/10/2010 07:44

auntloretta I always did that with my eldest two - all of the presents were from Santa...
As they got older though, more and more came from relatives with tags on ('Love from Gran' etc) and as I am seperated from their dad, they also got tagged presents from him too. So one christmas DS2 said to me 'what did you get me for christmas mum?' - Had to stop myself saying 'all the presents from sodding Santa'

So, yes, definitely worth having a think about how you will tackle things when they start seeing that things comes from different sources rather than just seeing a huge pile of presents from Santa!

NL3 · 12/10/2010 07:45

We do FC presents unwrapped then gifts from us and the rest of the family wrapped to avoid any confusion

marriednotdead · 12/10/2010 07:55

Have never bought DCs presents from us- had to pay all our money to Santa!

AngryPixie · 12/10/2010 07:57

Santa only brings the stocking presents here, I've always wanted the children to understand that the bigger presents were from family. They are unwrapped and different bits poke out from the stocking.

AngryPixie · 12/10/2010 07:59

I was explaining the concept of secret santa to my dd aged 6 last year and told her that we were doing it because Santa didn't visit us as adults anymore and we wanted our own bit of magic, she said 'that's the saddest thing I've ever heard'

I think she meant sad, rather than pathetic

trumpton · 12/10/2010 08:02

Mine are all grown up now but YYY to special FC wrapping paper ...has to be cheap and have pictures of FC on it. He only ever brought stockings and one special smallish present that Mum and Dad would definately not approve of( Plastic tat that they really wanted ) All others under tree with tags on.

FC also left a special letter thanking them for their letter and mentioning major events of their last year, written on Christmas writing paper and in GREEN ink. We still have all the letters.

A Tip for those whose children are still small :- if you have a Christmas stocking make sure you have two the same for each child. One empty on bed , one ready filled when Parent is not so knackered/ wine-fuelled and then quietly swop during night. Trust me it beats the tiptoeing in and the frantic stuffing of said stocking and the rows over " But the samsuma ALWAYS goes in the toe !! OH FGS give it to me and I will do it the right way." And the stealth required to get the full one onto the bed.

We also always gave a small torch it the top and the rule was stockings had to be unwrapped by torch light in the folorn hope that sleep might be resumed.

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