Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

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

Original poster

Which presents does Santa bring in your house?

78 replies

duke748 · 15/11/2011 09:03

Me and DP are having an argument disagreement about which presents Santa is responsible for.

He thinks that Santa buys and brings all the presents for kids except the ones from relatives.

I think that Santa is responsible for the stocking only and any presents under the tree are from Mum and Dad and family.

Who is right? And does the kids' age matter? ie his way when they are young and my way once they are old enough to question why Mum and Dad haven't bought them anything? Grin

What happens in your house?

OP posts:
stealthsquiggle · 15/11/2011 09:05

FC does stocking, and that's it, in our house.

(but no-one is right or wrong. In our house my choice of traditions largely prevails, because I care more Grin)

marshkat · 15/11/2011 09:25

we tell ours that we buy all presents and send them to FC, as they are at that age were they understand more. dont think anyone is right or wrong, its whats best for kids to understand. ours certainly appreciate us more at xmas as we sort of tell them the truth!!!!

HappyAsEyeAm · 15/11/2011 09:34

All presents come from Father Cristmas in our house. We say that "so-and-so asked father Christmas if he would bring you present X" and we say that for every present, including the presents from us.

PlasticFlamingo · 15/11/2011 09:36

Santa brings the presents in the stockings only here. As he has to bring presents for all the children around the world, he can't bring big or expensive things. Wink

TrinityRhino · 15/11/2011 09:38

I've always done it that the stocking is from father christmas but he actually brings all the others too (that everyone has bought chosen wrapped and sent to him)

wolfhound · 15/11/2011 09:41

FC does stockings only. And we wrap the stocking presents in different paper from the ones from us.

Some people say he brings the food, but seems mad to me - I think my DC would notice the bursting fridge and the supermarket delivery man...

Jacaqueen · 15/11/2011 09:43

In this house Father Christmas brings the stocking present and the main present along with a book or dvd. The children also get a present from Mum and Dad. This must be wrapped in different paper to the one that FC has used.

I think even young children would notice that you had bought presents for other people but not got them anything.

All other presents come directly from the giver. There is none of this sending the gifts to FC for him to deliver.

insanityscratching · 15/11/2011 09:43

Father Christmas buys and brings the stockings here (hence only filled with cheap fun stuff). The tree presents are from us but delivered by Father Christmas

Pozzled · 15/11/2011 09:44

Santa only brings the stocking presents in this house.

I don't think the children's age matters, I think it's just a case of agreeing what works for your family. I think it would be quite confusing if Santa changed what he did as the child got older- especially if you have more than one DC.

sunnyday123 · 15/11/2011 09:45

father xmas brings all the toys in our house - after writing a list - i don't think my dds would be as excited for FC if all they were getting from him was the stocking! Family and friends presents are from them themselves which is good as it explains why i'm shopping/have stuff round the house etc as i'm buying for nieces and nephews.

GobblersKnob · 15/11/2011 09:50

God only knows what our kids think.

My Mil tell them everything comes from Santa, then writes little notes on all the presents explaining how she chose them.

My Mum says she buys the presents, sends them to Santa then he delivers them.

Dp tells them their stockings are from Santa, but the 'big' presents are from us.

I have told them that Santa is a lovely story that some people like to believe in, but nobody really knows if it is true, a bit like JesusGrin.

They seem pretty unbothered by all the adult confusion though and just get on with the important bit of actually getting gifts.

ToothlesstheDragon · 15/11/2011 09:51

Santa brings the stocking and 1 present here, all the rest are from other people.

NotFromConcentrate · 15/11/2011 09:55

Santa brings everything from us, but mummy and daddy send money to Santa! This is probably a rubbish way to do it, but it's what we started and so it must remain. I think we only did it because it means they understand that we do actually have to pay for it, thus avoiding "can I have?" during November and December.

Jacaqueen · 15/11/2011 09:59

I think it is important for children to realise that other people have gone out and spent money, time and effort on getting them a present. Not just sent money to FC for him to do all the work.

We sometimes dont see certain relatives to after Christmas and we exchange presents then. That way they get to see the children open them. I stopped believing when one aunt (who didn't have children) insisted that Father Christmas had left a present for me at her house. I knew it was from her as she had used the same wrapping paper on all the gifts and I had seen the unwrapped toy at her house a few weeks before.

I sometimes have to take the children shopping with me and they see me buying gifts, paper etc for other people. I also try and encourage them to buy gifts or come up with ideas for grandparents and other relatives.

AWimbaWay · 15/11/2011 09:59

Changes every year in our house as I can never remember what lies I told them the previous year.

wigglesrock · 15/11/2011 10:01

I'm with your husband on this, I buy nothing for my children for Christmas. Santa does their stockings and their "big" present. They get presents from grannies, aunts etc.

My children are 6,4 and a baby. The older ones know that Santa has to share presents so they can't get everything they want, although I'm sure the 6 year old has her suspicions but she likes the idea of Santa Grin

Maryz · 15/11/2011 10:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Maryz · 15/11/2011 10:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wigglesrock · 15/11/2011 10:04

Maryz my sister is 35 and my mum Santa still does her a stocking Grin.

Maryz · 15/11/2011 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stealthsquiggle · 15/11/2011 10:07

My DC have never written a "wish list" letter to Santa, so he is in no way involved in "big" presents. They write a wishlist, and know that I will then share it with anyone who is interested, and it is very clear who all the presents come from - stockings are a collection of silly things bulked out with socks pants and other such stuff for which no thanks are due to anyone, other than leaving mince pie and carrot for FC and reindeer.

So - for those who let FC take credit for all presents (including those from relatives) - do your DC say/write/text Thank yous to anyone for them Confused?

bebemoojem · 15/11/2011 10:08

In our family, where we had very little money growing up, the Santa present was a once a year splurge (so no way you'd get it from M&D if you asked so don't even bother)
...Santa brings the stocking stuffers and toys. Mom and Dad buy the boring clothes and some small trinket. When things got on Santa would often drop gifts off early to be wrapped by Mom who was an honorary X-mas elf Grin

This is how it works in my young family now too :)

bebemoojem · 15/11/2011 10:10

(but any gifts from relatives were just that, gifts from relatives and thus needing the appropriate responses i.e. thank you's)

ChunkyMonkeyMother · 15/11/2011 10:11

Father Christmas does everything this year (including picking up relatives gifts) because ds is 2 and is only just grasping the idea - we told him FC picks up all the gifts that they buy and takes them to wrap - but that he makes a special toy just for ds (his main present)

This is what my mum n dad told me and it didn't do me any harm twitch

MsScarlettInTheLibrary · 15/11/2011 10:12

Santa comes down the chimney, goes up to the bedroom and fills the stocking (with edibles, the list of things to go in the stocking cannot be changed) and the pillowcase with small gifts. Maybe five or six. A book and a new scarf, a craft set, things like that. Wrapped in different paper (red paper, and we don't use any red at all in tree presents)

Santa gifts are opened immediately on waking in a happy haze, then dragged through to the family bed and exclaimed over with great delight.

Then we all troop downstairs in our PJs, see the Santa plate, exchange our family gifts from under the tree. It's wonderful.

Santa visited me and left a stocking/pillowcase full of gifts for me every year until I was 18.........