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Christmas

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

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Original poster

I'm 35 and confused about Father Christmas!

34 replies

StackOfFuckers · 27/11/2013 15:51

I feel very about this, but I have to ask what do you tell your DC about Father Christmas?

Do you say the gifts in the stocking are from FC and that's what he delivers?

Or do you say all gifts are from FC?

Or that, say, x gift is from mummy and daddy but FC puts it under the tree?

I want DDs to have the full FC magic but am not sure what line to take - this is the first Christmas DD1 is old enough to understand properly and ask questions!

I am confused!

OP posts:

YoucancallmeQueenBee · 27/11/2013 15:53

Anything expensive has always been from me. I'm not letting a mythical character take the credit for what I've sweat blood to earn!

In our house, FC has only ever given stocking filler type things & I set the expectations that this was all FC would ever do.

Just have fun with it, don't take it too seriously & keep it all as vague as possible. Remember at some point your DD will discover you've been lying to her!

youbethemummylion · 27/11/2013 15:57

Its completely up to you, we always say all the presents from me and DH and both sets of Grandparents are from Santa (Santa leaves some at the grandparents house as his bag was getting heavy etc) But presents labelled as "to DS1 from Auntie and Uncle x" are obviously from them.

The kids are 6 and 3 and never questioned why their parents and Grandparents don't buy them anything and I am happy for Santa to take the credit obviously they will realise when they stop believing that they are actually from us.

I have some friends who were not happy for Santa to take the credit and have actually said they want their DC's to love them and not Santa so they told their kids all presents were from them apart from a few cheap bits and bobs in a very small stocking.

BarfaStewart · 27/11/2013 15:57

In our house FC is a magical postman. Jack Frost takes the presents away, to be delivered by the big man on Xmas Eve (after JF delivers PJ's and a book with a note telling DS to go to bed)

He does make the stocking gifts though.

TheOnlyPink · 27/11/2013 15:59

In our house all the presents are from Santa. Relatives gifts excluded, they are given by the different relatives later in the day/season.

each childs pile is in different wrapping paper so there's no confusion and a stocking each.

I agree with keeping vague. My cousin uses the line "that's the magic of Christmas" whenever the questions get a bit much and I started using it. It really works and you don't have to lie yourself in knots. Keep it general!

Luggage16 · 27/11/2013 16:01

santa brings 1 smallish gift here, stockings and downstairs gifts are from us. I would rather the kids didnt think they could ask for absolutely anything and this we we can always explain that certain gifts are too expensive if they ever asked for anything crazy (they are 7 and 3 atm so havent asked for anything much really - daughter wants a tamagotchi and son wants a train for his brio this year)

izzybiz · 27/11/2013 16:04

Father Christmas fills the stockings and brings one gift that the Dc have asked for in their letter.
The Santa gifts are always wrapped in beautiful paper with big bows and gift tags, signed by the big man
Everything else is from us, grandparents etc.

Clandy · 27/11/2013 21:39

Santa brings one or two gifts dd's have asked for and stocking bits. We also give dd's a present from us and then presents from everyone else are from then. I do not get the Santa delivers the presents that parents buy- why would he bother!?!
I figured the dc's will know once they realise Santa is not real that it was me buying the gifts, and I'm sure they love me enough already
Tbh just go with what feels right for you there is no right or wrong! I'm sure it will be magical whatever you say

BarfaStewart · 27/11/2013 21:45

Clandy, JF takes the presents to lapland to stop DS from hunting around the house to see if he's getting minecraft new books. Although he has asked me, very seriously, if Santa is real (he's 8) I just asked him what he thought, and he said "I hope he is" so I think we've got another year out of our subterfuge

Asheth · 27/11/2013 23:19

FC brings the stocking presents in the night, so the DC can open them first thing in the morning. These are all cheap things - nothing over £5 and mostly under £3. These tend to be novetly items - often noisy or with flashing lights, lots of chocolate, some practical items, but a bit more fun than usual - so spiderman pants, socks, gloves etc, rather than the plainer ones they'd normally get!

The more expensive presents from us and presents from other relatives go under the tree to be opened late morning onwards. They are all labled so the DC know who bought them what and can write their thank you letters!

CloserLook · 27/11/2013 23:25

FC brings just the stockings and everything under the tree is labelled from us and the rest of the family. We did the same last year but DS(5) was still convinced it all came from FC despite the labels!

AuntySib · 27/11/2013 23:30

Just remembering the year when my then 11 year old Ds ( still beleiving in FC) said " Could i have a PS2 from you and and a phone from FC?". had to explain my way out of that one ( FC gets children toys that are made in his workshop, not electronic gadgets!)
So my advice would be - small stocking fillers from FC, main present from parents!

YoureBeingASillyBilly · 27/11/2013 23:32

I do what my parents did which is.

Presents from friends and family come wrapped and we put them under the tree to be opened on xmas day. One is selected on xmas eve to be opened and we always chose the one from my mum as it was always pjs and a dvd.
Santa brings unwrapped presents ( the expensive ones like computer games or a bike or something) and (when i was a child he left them in our bedrooms) leaves them by the other presents already under the tree. He also leaves small things in the stockings like pants, socks, a packet of chocolate coins and a packet of colouring crayons (it varies dependant on age)

curiousgeorgie · 27/11/2013 23:39

In our house anything on the list is from Santa.

So DD has asked for a pink car she can drive and a tiana doll, so those are from Santa. But we've also got her some sylvanian houses and stuff and those are from us.

Stockings are from Santa too.

Still18atheart · 27/11/2013 23:48

In my family santa brings the useful underwear, stationery, bathroom products / tatty/ whatever was asked for on the santa list.

Big presents from parents and presents from gps aunts and uncles ect are from the respective party

3bunnies · 27/11/2013 23:49

In my head FC brings stockings everything thing else comes from us/ each other/ relatives. BUT I have never actually told them about FC - always gone along with what they have bought home from preschool/school. Never confirmed or denied his existence. I do say oh this is from us, and they give each other their presents etc. Stockings are just the stockings, but they have absorbed the whole big red guy story and reinforce it to each other. Direct questions are reflected back in a 'what do you think kind of way'. dd1 is nearly 9 and seems to still believe.

cheesypastaplease · 28/11/2013 06:48

Relatives presents are put under the tree when received and Santa brings everything else. Our dc don't receive anything from "us" in Christmas Day.

jamtoast12 · 28/11/2013 07:05

Everything is from Santa....no way my kids would get excited for Santa if all he brought was a stocking!

jamtoast12 · 28/11/2013 07:06

Relatives give their presents directly to the kids when we see them Xmas day or Boxing Day...always face to face.

pinkmagic1 · 28/11/2013 07:15

I take the presents to the post office to be delivered to Santa in the North Pole who then delivers them. My eldest ds who is 9 is starting to question the logic in this now!

HorsePetal · 28/11/2013 07:32

In our house the presents in the morning were always from Santa but the presents under the tree had to be opened in the evening and were from us and family.

One of the exciting things about Christmas OP is that you can make up your own traditions or combine the good bits of yours and DH's family traditions.

DH's family always had a book to unwrap on Boxing Day too

Don't forget mince pies for Santa with a dram of Brandy plus carrots for Rudolph on Christmas Eve

snowmanshoes · 28/11/2013 07:51

Santa brings a sack of presents for each child and a small stocking which he leaves in their room. There is always something fairly big from Santa that they have specifically requested (globe for DD7 and light up under the sea Ariel doll for DD2) and then some smaller items, board game or two, ever after high doll, crafty bits etc too but I always make sure that the main present is from us.
We don't do the Santa delivers everything idea as I didn't realise some people did that to be honest, I just do it the way it was done for me when I was little. I don't think there is a right or wrong way, just do it the same every year to keep the consistency!

weepingvipers · 28/11/2013 08:21

Santa does stocking here and also collects the gifts others buy to be checked over and delivered back on Christmas Eve. He also leaves little challenges and gifts throughout December.

Whoever said their dc wouldn't get excited if "all he left was a stocking" I hope your dc aren't as spoiled as you make them sound poor kids.

pettyprudence · 28/11/2013 09:02

this is the first christmas dc1 is aware of (will be 2.9 years) so I think I will continue my mums tradition of:
christmas eve gift of book/pjs from us
christmas stocking & selection of gifts from fc in morning/day time
eveving - separate gifts from us. only a couple, maybe one largish (ok I have gone a bit ott this year due to ds excitement, reasties bargain thread and first christmas in our own home )

gifts from friends/family are given as such.

DoctorRobert · 28/11/2013 10:30

I do the same as we had growing up: FC leaves a stocking in dd's room overnight, small value presents like books, bubble bath, socks, sweets etc. wrapped in the cheapest looking paper I can find. the logic being that because he has to deliver to all the children, he doesn't bring big presents.

main presents are from us, under the tree.

MummyPig24 · 28/11/2013 12:10

Presents in the sack are from FC. Anything else is from whoever bought it.

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