Stockings in bedrooms or downstairs

[JingleJoo]

DH and I had them in the bedroom when we were kids, and DCs have always had them in their bedroom. But as they are getting a bit older, they dont sleep so well on Xmas Eve and its stressful trying to creep in in the middle of the night.

Is it easier ( may be even better/more sensible) to put stockings downstairs by the fire?

We always put ours downstairs! My dc are reasonably light sleepers and I can't be creeping into 4 bedrooms with my loud footsteps! One of them would be bound to wake.

Always makes it more fun to see their faces running down the stairs and find their sacks :)

Downstairs now! a few years ago, DH snuck in to leave the pressies when he thought DD was asleep.......... I awoke at 6am to DD stood next to me bawling her eyes out cos santa hadn't been as there were only the presents daddy had put there when she was 'pretending to be asleep'

poor poor gullible child

Downstairs, ever since the time DS1 woke at 4am and didn't fo back to bed.

Fireplace. To stop them opening them at ridiculous o'clock and waking us up.
I did have mine in my room and dh had his downstairs

We had them at the foot of the bed as children and did indeed wake up at about 5 and start eating chocolate. DH never had one

So the DCs now leave them by the fireplace downstairs and so far (oldest is 10) have waited to about 7 to go downstairs.

We always have them downstairs. The children come into our room when Daddy tells them we are awake (early as we are woken by their chattering). Daddy then goes downstairs and makes hot drinks for us all (hot choc for the children) which we drink in our bedroom and then we all go downstairs together to see if F.C. has been (luckily we can access our kitchen from the hall so Daddy has not been in the sitting room to see if Santa has been or not). It's magical to see their faces and all be together when emptying stockings and opening presents.

On the foot of the bed. Can't deprive DC of 'that' feeling of a heavy stocking anchoring the duvet to the bed. One of the best feelings of childhood.

We hang them off there bedroom door handle ( so Santa doesn't have to actually go in their room ), it does get tricky as they get older, I find myself staying up later each year waiting for them to be in a deep enough sleep to fill the stockings.

Downstairs. They were always downstairs when I was a child too. The excitement was in rushing downstairs to see if santa's been and then sent back upstairs until a reasonable getting up time.

I'm not sure DH even had stockings as a child.

we hang them on the outside door handle of the bedroom door

Even with having them on beds we've never had the DCs opening them before 7, they know that's the rule and are very good about it. I think the lying there feeling the full stocking but having to wait is the most exciting thing of all.

To be honest, we always did it this way as children and I assumed that's what everyone did, I had no idea so many people put them downstairs.

Downstairs. I've heard too much about how hard it is waiting until they fall asleep if you put them in their rooms.

I never had stockings as a child so it's all new to me anyway.

After one goddawful Christmas Eve when dh and I Santa had to wait until 4.30am for our 2 to go to sleep their stockings are now hung on the fireplace. (Ds still gleefully told us that he'd seen us come in with his stocking in the morning).

Now they are teens and are likely to go to bed after us, so dh is campaigning to keep stockings in our room to be collected in the morning.

I suppose it depends how much later than your DCs you go to bed. Ours are usually in bed by 9, we rarely are before midnight, so we have a good margin.

Have always done it downstairs as children normally wake in the night and ds used to be a very early riser. He's better this year but he or dd usually wake in the night and they share a room so they would see the presents if they woke and spoil the surprise.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care!

previously in bedroom, but this year downstairs.

DD won't like the thought of a strange man with a white beard and red suit creeping into her bedroom.

Downstairs for us. Had mine on the end of my bed when I was a child and it was part of why I found Christmas Eve so difficult. I got very overexcited, could not sleep and got in trouble. My poor parents could not go to bed for hours. When dd was a baby we decided downstairs would work for us. She's 10 now. So far, so good.

Luckily our DS can't bear the idea of Santa creeping into his bedroom so he leaves a note and stocking downstairs - we have never dissuaded him! quick gallop down in the morning and the heavy drag drag bump back to bed for opening almost makes up for the pinned to the duvet feeling of our yoof

Downstairs - no brainier as dc nit allowed downstairs without an adult and I am not starting my day at 3 am! Also when younger they would have freaked at Santa being in their rooms and dd didn't sleep through for years...

Downstairs this year as we all have them (including my DP's!)
It's a shame not to have the weight on the end of the bed feeling but hopefully memories of us all opening our stockings together by the fire will make up for it

I think outside door or by bed, DD wakes up too much and moves around too much on the bed, it wouldnt fit on there and yes i think she is at that age where she could wake at 2am and want to start the day!

I think by the bed...or down stairs, not sure yet

Ah, I suppose downstairs is better if adults have one as well. We've never done that, as children we stopped at about age 10 or whenever we didn't believe in FC any more. Will have to have that discussion with the DCs at some point in the not so distant future I expect.

Out side bedrooms or under the tree in the upstairs hall, as dd2 was terrified about a strange man going into her room when she was asleep.

Empty ones hanging on the banister full ones out side bedroom doors.