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Christmas

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Original poster

What time does Santa put pressies under your tree?

53 replies

Blankiefan · 07/12/2014 08:56

DD still very little so not relevant this year but wondered how Santa fares in each of your homes? What time is safest for pressies to go under the tree when there's an excited child around?

Also - any near misses / Santa sightings by your dc and how did you explain them?

OP posts:

QuinnTwinny · 07/12/2014 21:53

Presents from Santa appear about 11.30pm, after Santa has enjoyed the mini prosecco left for him by the fireplace. Before that the presents under our tree are those we are giving to people. I generally let all presents be from Santa for ds because at this stage I think it makes it far more magical. When he realises Santa doesn't exist it will occur to him that it's been me all these years but until them I am happy for Santa to take credit for the presents.

BeyondRepair · 07/12/2014 21:55

I agree quinny.

apotatoprintinapeartree · 07/12/2014 21:58

Mrs Christmas did it at 12.00 for some reason.
FC would do it if he wasn't working.
This is the first time with no FC in 23 years

lickingstars · 07/12/2014 22:13

Santa comes at midnight here too.
He does stockings first which are hung on the door handles outside their rooms. I also check that the DCs are asleep whilst I am there.

Then he moves all the family presents from around the tree onto the sofas in piles for each DC and adds his own gifts.
This happens because there isn't much room around the tree and the DCs want to be by the tree at the same time. (Which we learnt the hard way in the great Christmas tree disaster of Christmas 2011.)

DamselNotInHerDress · 07/12/2014 22:18

Presents to dc and other family members who are coming for christmas go under as and when they're wrapped.
Fc does stockings and one main present which are left on beds at about 2am when I'm finished all the prep.
Some of their presents from us will also appear under the tree on the day itself.
Larger items like bikes will go under after bedtime on Christmas Eve too.
They have a poke and a prod at stuff under the tree but I think the suspense is exciting.
Also, I don't like trees without presents as I think they look too bare!

DixieNormas · 07/12/2014 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ouryve · 07/12/2014 22:21

Santa doesn't have a key, but mum does it once the boys are fast asleep, before she gets pished.

BertieBotts · 07/12/2014 22:24

We used to do a combination - have some under the tree as they arrive but then have extra appear overnight. Part of the fun!

We do it once DS is definitely asleep or before we go to bed.

BornToFolk · 07/12/2014 22:25

Presents go under the tree as and when they are ready, including presents to DS (7). When he was smaller, he was never that bothered by them but in the last couple of years, he's a bit more curious and will have a shake/rummage! When he got a new bike a couple of years ago, I kept that hidden until the end...would have been too obvious to leave out.

Poolomoomon · 08/12/2014 10:00

Growing up family presents went straight under the tree but presents from "Santa" aka mum only went under the tree Christmas Eve night and we'd wake up to them all Christmas morning.

We just put them all out Christmas night. If we placed presents under the tree any sooner they'd be opened for sure. DC are 4, 3 and 2. There's no way they'd be able to resist ripping them open .

Poolomoomon · 08/12/2014 10:03

Christmas eve night obvz

Rainicorn · 08/12/2014 10:08

Santa delivers them once the dc are all in bed and asleep.

Presents for other people and ones dc receive off other people go there as well and they are allowed to open one on Christmas Eve night before bed.

Kaekae · 08/12/2014 10:09

When I was a child we'd put the presents from grandparents and family members under the tree. In our house we only receive gifts from my parents and no other family members but usually after Christmas, but these would be the ones we'd put under the tree however, my parents refuse to give them to us as they want to see the children open them.

This year my 7 year old went out and chose some little gifts and he's put those under the tree. We are normally still wrapping the presents on Christmas Eve so as soon as I know the children are in a deep sleep the presents come out to wrap and they go all around the room at around midnight. This year I hope to be more organised and the get the wrapping sorted before Christmas Eve!

SouthernOne · 08/12/2014 10:47

Santa's helper put the presents out hopefully on Christmas Eve when everyone else is in bed, even now when the youngest person is the house is 21:)

This year Santa's helper has to be at work at 5am Christmas Eve morning so is likely to be in bed and fast asleep before anyone else. So Santa's helper is also planning an early shift Christmas Day so that all the presents appear before anyone else surfaces.

No room under our tree, so presents are artisticallyarranged piled up in the middle of the floor.

holmessweetholmes · 08/12/2014 10:51

Father Christmas does the stockings. Presents under the tree are from family and friends. Normally they go under the tree as soon as the tree is there and the presents are wrapped. Not this year though, as we have a 10 week old puppy...

AugustaGloop · 08/12/2014 11:01

FC brings stockings. Stocking presents are wrapped and stocking is filled on my way to bed (likely to be after midnight). I go into the bedrooms and grab the stocking, fill them outside room and sneak them back. If I was not sure they were asleep I would wait (I usually go in and have a peek at them on my way to bed anyway so they would not be surprised to see me in the room). Bit worried this year as their cousins will be staying so suspect they will be talking until later. Stockings are opened first thing. If they wake before 7 they are allowed to open one thing, but general rule is no opening until after 7. They have been surprisingly obedient about this over the years.

Tree presents are from us (maybe one shared thing from FC). They are opened after lunch. We generally don't put them out until after the DC have gone to bed on Christmas eve, partly because we tend not to be organised enough to wrap until the last minute and partly because they tend to get a main present which would be quite obvious.

Presents from others go under the tree when received. Presents from us to others go under the tree once wrapped (which again may not be until Christmas eve if it is for someone we are seeing on Christmas day or boxing day).

They are 10 and 11 now and no longer believe in FC but this has not yet been officially acknowledged so will probably keep things as they are for now.

dancestomyowntune · 08/12/2014 11:11

In our house, stockings are hung above the mantel piece (empty) before the children go to bed and are filled/put on beds when the adults go to bed (usually after midnight mass).

Any presents given from friends etc are put under the tree as they arrive in the house.

Each child has a big, personalised, Santa sack which is brought down (usually before mum and I go to midnight mass) and if presents don't all fit then they are arranged around the sacks in "areas" of the lounge so that each person has there spot to try and contain the mess!

This year, dd1 has an ipad and other three children have kindle fire tablets that I am going to keep back until later in the day (so that they show some interest in other presents!!!).

Dh's parents usually save their gifts til Boxing Day when the children go in to see them.

We try to eek it out a bit, so that they appreciate everything, but obviously the sooner they are opened the sooner we can clear space to sit down! (Little room!)

They also have "dinner presents" (this year will be kindle vouchers/iTunes vouchers and a posh chocolate, something small) in little tiny stockings on the dining table. This year, for the first time dinner is going to be about 6pm as opposed to at lunchtime because nana (who lives with us) is working 2-5pm on the big day.

atticusclaw · 08/12/2014 11:16

Once the mulled wine has run out.

Last year we had a near miss since DS1 had woken up and could hear rustling and sellotape downstairs. Fortunately we had wrapped a few presents from us so we explained that we were wrapping our presents to the DCS and that what what he heard.

I thought at 9 he might have guessed everything by now but he had the most enormous meltdown yesterday over homework exacerbated by the fact that the "elves are watching and so now I won't get anything for Christmas either!"

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 08/12/2014 11:27

We put family presents out on Christmas eve and Santa leaves his late at night once everyone is in bed and asleep!

JohnCusacksWife · 08/12/2014 11:30

Presents from other people go under the tree. Never had a problem with the DDs trying to open them early. Presents from Santa appear magically just before DH and I go to bed ;-)

WipsGlitter · 08/12/2014 11:34

We see the people who give the kids presents ok Christmas day so none under the tree!

My kids are sound sleepers so we put Santa out just before e go to bed and put the stockings on the bed then too.

callmekitten · 08/12/2014 18:50

Presents go under the tree after DD is in bed and asleep. Gifts from family and friends are usually given when we see them through the season so we don't usually have gifts that arrive before Christmas day.

We had a near miss when DD was 6. DH and I had put the gifts under the tree and I had filled DD's stocking and left it in the living room (DD hangs her stocking in her bedroom) while I made up the cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast. DH had gone to bed and I was just finishing up the rolls when I heard little footsteps coming down the hall (we are all on one level).

I ran as fast as I could to try to intercept DD and thought I had succeeded until she said "Mumma, why are you up? Santa was here." And then we got back to her room and she noticed that her stocking wasn't there. OMG! She accused me of scaring Santa away and was quite distressed, thinking that she wouldn't get a stocking. I tried to calm her down by telling her that I was sure Santa would come back with her stocking if she went to sleep.

I put her in bed and then went and finished the cinnamon rolls. When I returned to check on her, she was still awake, bemoaning her lost stocking. So I lay down in bed with her and rubbed her back and tried to settle her down but she was having none of that. At about midnight, I decided that I just needed to get some sleep so went off to my own bed, thinking it wouldn't be the end of the world if DD found her stocking in the living room in the morning. Luckily I woke up again a few hours later and DD was asleep by then so I was able to slip her stocking into her room.

DD was beside herself with joy when she found her stocking filled and returned in the morning. In the morning, I was completely exhausted but at least Santa was still real.

oobedobe · 08/12/2014 19:08

We will start putting family gifts under the tree 3/4 days before Christmas to build the anticipation, but nothing big (such as a dollhouse/bike etc), then more will appear on Christmas eve, then late on Christmas Eve (when kids in bed) a one big thing from Santa will go out along with their sack presents (we do sacks not stockings).

ohgodwhattodo · 08/12/2014 19:36

callmekitten Mon 08-Dec-14 18:50:08

oh my goodness! well done you!

TheRealMaryMillington · 08/12/2014 19:40

Presents from outside the household (just a few tiny things from friends) go under the tree when they arrive. Family presents are magically there under the tree in the morning but labelled clearly from real people. We don't open them until after Xmas lunch is cleared away, usually 4-5pm so there is plenty of delayed gratification

Stockings hung by the fire are filled with "little treats and surprises" by Santa ready for dawn opening.

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