Anyone do Stockings from Santa, big gifts from parents?

[MortifiedAdams]

Not really sure how else to word it

DDs birthday is a week before christmas, and I want to make it special by her getting her big/main presents then.

Then, at Christmas, Santa fills the stockings (for all three of us - I bloody love a stocking!), and we buy a couple of gifts to put under the tree. She also gets gifts from close family.

Anyone else have Santa do the stocking gifts.only?

Same for us. Stocking from Santa (fruit, nuts, choc, a little toy or two) then everything else from whoever gives it. Also like to do stockings first then tree presents later.

bigtillymint I got one til I was married with a child of my own! But I think that's because I've got lots of younger brothers and sisters so it took my mum that long to realise she could stop. I love stockings, its my favourite thing about Christmas. But now enjoy doing them for my kids just as much as I enjoyed getting them.

Yes. Stockings from FC first thing in the morning, everything else from its actual donor. We allow one present each after breakfast (steering the DCs towards the one with the most play value) and the rest get distributed after lunch.

We always had stockings from Father Christmas, all other presents from whoever bought them. I think it makes it easier when children learn the truth about FC. And it stops the awkward moments when they ask for a puppy or a pony. We also made sure they were hung by the fireplace not on their beds so no one got scared by the idea of a strange man creeping into their bedrooms and we could fill them with a drink in hand.

And whoever asked when you stop stockings, you don't. I'm still doing them for DC's 17, 20 and 21 but they're now filled with socks, makeup, smellies and the odd DVD plus some really horrible sweets like toxic waste. They still open them on our bed too.

We don't have a fireplace but stockings (like pouches for the tooth fairy) hang on the outside door handles, only to stop them getting scared, nothing at all to do with what light sleepers they are, oh no.

In my house, FC delivers stockings (although DCs have pointed out that Santa must shop at Hawkins Bazaar as lots of the gifts seem to be the same as in their catalogue!) and he also brings one or two items from their list.

I buy them other items from their list and a few unexpected prezzies too. Gifts from family are from them and credit is given/thank yous sent.

Santa uses different wrapping paper to me (obviously!), a different colour for each child, so it is fun and games trying to remember who each gift is from/for while I am wrapping them all up!

We had a bit of hoo-ha a couple of years ago, having to hide the gifts we took with us to DB's house because he wanted his DCs to think ALL presents were brought by Santa, so he hid them and put them all out on Xmas day. Other DB and I were a bit put out to say the least that our gifts were being lumped in with all the others, so the DNs had no idea that we'd given them anything, even though they sat and watched our DCs unwrap gifts from their parents.

Its a bloody minefield.

My parents used to treat Santa a bit like ParcelForce, they bought all the gifts and Santa just delivered them on their behalf! I think he did provide for the stockings though.

Stockings and one special present from the letter sent to Santa. Everything else comes from the person who bought it. We've 4 children so this keeps it simple and at a very reasonable budget.

Dd1 (5) knows that Father Christmas can't bring everything for everyone. We're working on ds1(3).

The tree goes up at the end of term and presents start to go under it from then on, with labels saying who they're from. Lots of excitement as the pile grows!

Then stockings are hung on Christmas Eve and Father Christmas fills them overnight with annuals, sweets and little toys. In the morning, the excitement of opening them - plenty to keep DC busy during the morning - followed by tree presents from the family after lunch. I love our Christmas routine and wouldn't have it any other way.

YY to FC not getting all the credit and DC knowing who to send thank yous to! And I also agree about the anticlimax if all the pressies are opened first thing.

Just stocking from father Christmas here too.

father Christmas does stockings and one item under the tree which is generally an item they've asked him for in their letter which won't fit in the stocking

growing up we only had stockings from father Christmas whereas DP had most things from father Christmas so we've met in the middle

When I was little we never had a stocking and all the presents under the tree (apart from ones which had been there already given by family/friends) were from Father Christmas. I never even noticed I didn't get any presents from my parents!

What I'm doing with my son though is that stockings will be from FC/Santa and some big presents under the tree will be too. But he will also get some presents from me (wrapped differently). I would hate him to think he didn't get anything from me and then I can share the glory with the big man in red!

Mine are allowed to ask FC for 3 things of which they will definitely get at least one (allows me to bargain hunt), rest of stocking is small gifts, books and the obligatory chocolate! Big present - or smaller equivalents- from dh and myself and one from each dd to the other. All other presents from people who gave them although most family members now give me money and ask me to buy from them as they know my bargain hunting fetish!

Yes that's exactly what we do, try to get a few bits asked for by the dc from Santa and we normally buy a big present.

Have just had this conversation with DP (last week) he says that ALL presents are from father Xmas , inc ones from grandparents etc.... I said erm , not up for debate- no no no!

The elf brings Xmas crafts/ the odd book / treat throughout December. Father Xmas brings stockings for the morning. After washing up is completed and house is somewhat tidyish again then it's tree presents! (inc from us, grandparents, mad aunt morag etc

Washing up from Xmas lunch/meal

Thats how it worked when I was growing up so have carried it on, sack full of random fun stuff from FC which is opened first thing in PJ's with messy hair --and morning breath lol-- but all together downstairs, then breakfast and getting tidied up. Then all other presents wait til Grandparents arrive around 11am and then they can have a couple and then another round again after late lunch. I agree with spreading them out so kids are not overwhelmed and forgot what they've even received in the rush to open the next thing, yes it was very hard for DS to cope with the staggered opening last year at 4.5yrs but hopefully this year he'll manage better

The 'mad aunt morag' comment has made me think, if my parents had told me everything was from FC I would have thought he'd really lost it when opening presents from a lovely but batty great aunt of mine - why did FC think I'd want a toilet roll holder and a second hand book about steam trains?

Stocking (including those for DH and me... We've been good all year too :o) from FC, plus a couple of big things. So last year they had the stockings in bed and then they came down to see a playmobil castle set up ready to play, which FC had left for them. I think we also wrapped up a couple of other bits from FC like a board game, but not sure how we will arrange it this time. We usually get a lot of DVDs and this year I've bought some nice popcorn pots which I'm going to fill with sweets too, so may do that as a family present from FC along with a board game (that is becoming a tradition :)).

My DCs don't write lists yet or really ask for things apart from pointing at stuff in shops sometimes, so FC only brings surprises as he magically knows what each child will like

Everything else is from whomever it's from. We choose pretty much everything as my parents don't like to and give us money to choose on their behalf, so some things will be labelled as from nanny and grandad. Apart from that they get a few bits from DSCs and PIL which are obviously labelled.

Fuzz pig- my dd didn't ask fr anything but we recently discovered Disney jr an the adverts set her off like a demon possessed! "oh Id really like that dolls house with a bathroom and a lift and a barbie that would be my FAVOURITE!!!", next ad, "oh a mini mouse jet!! I dont have a jet (cue despondent little tim style face) but I really really NEED one!"

Trouble is even at 3 she has DP wrapped around her finger looks in shame at mini jet and dolls house

Santa gives the stocking and one main present that they've asked for. So for example dd is getting a horrible Barbie car which cost £12.50 but ds is probably going to get a Lego set or Star Wars stuff which costs a lot more. They are 3 and 7.

They get medium presents from us and a big present eg dd is getting a rosebud treehouse, a peppa palace and a dificar. Ds is getting an archery set, a go kart and a metal detector.

They also get (IMO) big present each from each set of grandparents eg from my parents dd is getting a dolls house and ds is getting a stunt scooter, both sets of grandparents also do them a stocking each but it's from them not Santa.

Goodness it all sounds so ridiculous and over the top written down but they do appreciate everything, ....

Father Christmas brings the stockings and one present from their wish list. He can't carry more than one present per child, and then it becomes complicated if he brings different children different amounts of presents surely? He would be far too busy for that and children should not want that much either (written as dd started nosing at my post...)

All other presents are from everyone else.

FC does stockings only, everybody else's presents under the tree.
Mind you everybody gets a stocking in our house - adults are generally sweets/nuts clementine & something stupid, kids lots of small presents, something to wear for Xmas, sweets and clementine.
DS still writes an Xmas letter to Santa.
I have just managed to convince DS that he won't be getting an iPad/IPod etc because Santa doesn't have distribution rights for Apple products & therefore the elves aren't allowed to make them.
For some reason he completely accepted that but didn't twig that Santa never brings expensive stuff.

All our stockings are from FC. Presents are from the giver.
Apart from from my frigging ILs who try and insist their presents are also from FC.
7 years this has been annoying me like crazy!

FC brings everything in our house. That aside, if you give her the main present for her birthday and not xmas wont she feel like she's being out done a gift? Given that most would get a main birthday and a main Xmas present? Would she not think shed just be getting her Xmas gift early so not really getting a bday present? Sorry if I've misunderstood!

Santa delivers the presents for everyone (dd, dh and me) and leaves them in a little pile in the living room. Presents from family go under the tree and are often saved until later in the day. Dd also gets a single present from mummy and daddy. At present, we go to both sensor grandparents on Christmas day and they give their presents at their homes.

Nope. In our house Santa brings stocking presents and the gifts that appear under the tree on Xmas eve. All other presents, from family/friends etc come directly from them and not via Santa. In fact the only people who don't give the children presents are us....which they still haven't clocked after all these years (they're 9 & 7)!