My 3 year old has just found all the presents for his stocking!

[Danceswithdragons]

As the title says! What should I do? It was only sweets, chocs, pants and socks - will he forget he has seen them?
He has only just turned 3 (and two months) but is a bright little boy.
Will he recognise them in his stocking and will he stop believing in Father Christmas? He also saw the stocking fillers for his sister (more of the same)
He has asked me who the presents are for and I have told him that they are for other children.
DH was looking after the children this morning - and as he does NOTHING AT ALL for Christmas, he didn't even know where my stash of Christmas presents were hidden! So he let DS have a good rake out! and

you cant risk it

Oh Fcuk, I was afraid someone would say that! You're probably right!

oh no!

i would use them though. it'll be so exciting on christmas morning, even if he does recognise them, which he may not, he just won't notice.
after all, he'll have amassive stocking full of sweets and stuff!

really, use it

if he does say anything just say "wow! FC got you the same stuff I got other childrne, he really knows what little boys like doesn't he???"

Of course you can "risk it", because the very worst case scenario "look Mummy, this is exactly the same stuff as I found in the back of your wardrobe" is not that bad.

It's not like you're risking him getting bitten by a tiger or even catching a cold.

Think of Dr Pepper - what's the worst that could happen? Nothing very bad really.

Just say Mummy and Daddy do the stocking and Santa does the rest of it
By next year he will of forgotton and Santa can bring the stocking

It will be fine, my 3 have seen/found various parts of christmas over the years and have never questioned it, they are so excited it all gets forgotton.

I get a few "Oh look, Santa bought these sweets from Asda" though

Santa is so busy he brings the little things round early for mummy to look after so he has more space in his sleigh for the big presents.

I'm going to risk it! I really don't have the time (or the money!) to buy new stocking fillers. Love the idea that Santa bought the same things as I did for the other children!
Next year I will:
1)Find a better (higher) hiding place
2) Tell DH where my Christmas presents for the children are
3) Get DH to actually DO SOMETHING towards Christmas - I think that he thinks that it really is magic that the presents are chosen, bought and wrapped, rather than a lot of hard work!

Can you re-package them in some way and he might not realise or recognise them?

eg. if the pants are in one of those thick plastic wallets, take them out?
Put the sweets loose in a cellophane party bag?

I think it depends on how distinctive they are and how old his sister is. I had an older sister and she used to organise raids on the bedrooms, I would go and look while she would distract. I think we were 7 and 4 at the time. If she is older and getting suspicious then it may blow it all, but pants, socks and chocolate probably less distinctive than toys. Maybe swop one or two items if you think you can afford to replace and if you think can bring them out for another occassion.

ds and I were shopping and got him a few batman figures which at the time (thurs) he was besotted with, but he hasn't seen or asked for them since, so hoping can still use them. He is only 2yrs 2mo, and prone to lying anyway, am sure he will forget, will only be if he gives away to older sisters, but am betting that they will be too busy!

His sister is older, nearly 9, but as she has learning difficulties, she won't make any connection between what her brother has seen neither will she be organising any raids!
She still completely believes in Father Christmas - I think that the magic will last a while yet for her.
Socks/pants are in packets so can be taken out and wrapped up, chocolate reindeer should be OK too - he's seen them in the supermarket anyway. Going to repackage other sweets - thanks for the good ideas!

My just turned 3yo would recognise them - he would say something like 'look, we had those sweets before, Mummy!' I would still use them though, everyone gets the same sweets at Christmas anyway.

I would probably just add some unseen bits to bamboozle them

I think that even if he does recognise you can paper it over, and the chances of him remembering next year are small if he hasn't got his sister reminding him. Next year you might not get away with it.

MrsMagnolia I thought that it was universally renowned fact that everybody gets pants and socks for Christmas...

In fact, I can tell you which year my Christmas socks were from, who and where they were from and which others were in the set... Considers removing encyclopaedic knowledge of underwear from CV

Well, for DS they are socks with dinosaurs on them and Thomas the Tank engine pants and very pretty knickers for DD....
I am on a tight budget at the moment so I always put underwear and novelty toothbrushes in the children's stockings, they also get a DVD each and sweets and chocolates too!
Good idea to get a few new bits that haven't been seen.
Thank you for the suggestions - I think that I can save my Christmas stockings!

Don't worry about it. I got a lovely red bicycle for Christmas when I was 5. A month or do before my mum, dad and me spent an afternoon at the local bike shop with me being measured up, plonked on bikes and being quizzed on my favourite colour.

I was genuinely surprised to get a bike for Christmas and I don't think I was a particularly thick child...

Edustudent at your encyclopaedic knowledge of underwear!