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

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

Christmas

Help me get my story straight

46 replies

Funkymusic · 08/09/2015 20:40

My 4 year old has already started asking questions about santa! Last year he was completely obsessed with all things christmasy even months after and it looks like its starting again.

So...as hes older now hes questioning it all more and dont know what to say. My mum used to tell me that santa just delivers all the presents but last year he wouldnt say thank you for anything to us because santa got him everything i want some credit!

Shall i stick to the delivery thing or go with something else!

Another problem is his dad let him see one of the christmas presents we bought for his brother the other day and he was so confused saying its for now not christmas because its not come from santa! Argh

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CarpetBagger · 09/09/2015 11:21

we have never gone into much detail but never encouraged them to ask for things either.

its just been more of - oh will he come, I wonder what he will bring sort of thing.

I tried to do it all from FC but she was quick to spot various labels in shops and things, eg, oh its Fischer price, you got me something from FP for my bday.

So I say mummy and daddy get a few things - just in case the sleigh breaks down, and you will also get from FC.

I have to say I don't feel the need for big thank yous.

Last year my DD nearly fainted when she saw the Elsa Dress, she clutched it too herself, said she would never forget that moment, she cried, her little face when she put it on, her face when she saw herself in it she kept murmering how she couldn't believe it.

Enough thanks for me.

On another note re "thanks", you do realise FC window is tiny, he will probably stop believing at 5/6/7/ 8 at a push then you have: x years to get all the thanks you want and need all to yourself.

KissingFish · 09/09/2015 11:23

Santa brings stockings and one wooden toy because that's what elves make. Everything else is from us or relatives. Elves also drop off Christmas eve boxes on Christmas eve.

sliceofsoup · 09/09/2015 11:31

Santa brings all the presents in our house.

It has never once occurred to me to want credit, or thanks. The DCs write a thank you note to Santa, and as I am Santa that is my thanks.

As for showing him a Santa present before the fact...that is unheard of in this house. It just wouldn't happen. A great deal of thought and effort goes into creating the magic of Santa, and I am not ashamed to say it.

I have even stopped writing down present ideas, as my eldest DC can now read. I have made an amazon wishlist and cleared my cookies (so she doesn't see any ads if shes near my laptop).

sliceofsoup · 09/09/2015 11:37

I should add that presents from other family members are given by those family members DCs know who they are from.

Datschi · 09/09/2015 11:48

To be honest, I think you can over-explain things. It doesn't all have to make sense and be logical. It's magic, and magic is not logical or "explainable".

I always respond to questions about FC with some answer along the lines of "I don't know, but when I was a little girl then x happened" and "Perhaps it is because Father Christmas is magic".

My grandmother once told me that she heard FC's sleigh bells on Christmas Eve, when she should have already been asleep. So I have told the DC I have never seen or heard FC myself, but my grandma heard his sleigh bells 100 years ago (they were thrilled by this story).

We put out stockings on Christmas Eve. In the morning they are magically filled. Only with small things, but that doesn't affect the wondrousness of it all. I don't even pretend to know how it works, but that's what happens.

Oliversmumsarmy · 09/09/2015 12:03

Mine are teens now but I told them that the Santas they saw in the shopping malls etc were Santas helpers who were sent by Santa to get the list of what each child wanted.

Wrapping paper was left on the doorstep on the evening of 23rd December to help Santa out with wrapping paper. Santa only brought the stockings and one big present.

Oh and elves were everywhere watching to see if children were being good and going to bed on time for all of December.

It worked for me for a long time

ChristmasZombie · 09/09/2015 13:18

Last year my DD nearly fainted when she saw the Elsa Dress, she clutched it too herself, said she would never forget that moment, she cried, her little face when she put it on, her face when she saw herself in it she kept murmering how she couldn't believe it.

That is adorable, CarpetBagger!
My DD is having an Elsa dress for her third birthday in December.

Wilberforce2 · 09/09/2015 14:14

Any presents from family/friends go under the tree if they give them to us in advance and my ds knows who they are from. We buy him one or two presents from his list and they either go under the tree or we out them out Christmas Eve if they are easily identifiable and then Santa brings everything else including the stocking.

nickdrakeslovechild · 09/09/2015 15:21

Everything sliceofsoup said, I have never understood the thanks thing, I am happy seeing my DD enjoying the magic of Christmas I don't need anything else!

Rockchick1984 · 09/09/2015 15:42

Our house is too small to store lots of presents, so I send everything to Santa so that he can deliver them at Christmas. Means DCs know that the gifts are off me and DH but stops them snooping around the house trying to find them

IssyStark · 10/09/2015 12:11

We have FC for stockings and when I was growing up, one big present under the tree.

With my dc, we from stockings from FC and everything else under the tree from friends and family. When ds1 was 3 we did do his bike as being from FC but then we were crap at getting him to write letters to FC in subsequent years, so the big present idea has gone by the by.

Agent160 · 10/09/2015 14:09

When I was little Father Christmas brought pretty much all of my presents (except the ones from family members and friends) and then I got one small present from my parents (colouring book or similar). This was apparently because I once opened all my presents and then asked why Mum & Dad hadn't bought me anything!

When I was old enough to understand who really bought them I thanked my parents but until then I think my enjoyment was thanks enough.

I was never allowed to write to FC and ask for things. But, completely off my own bat, because I was a little brown noser I did write him a thank you letter every Christmas Eve listing everything I got the previous Christmas and thanking him for it. I would then leave it with the sherry & mince pie.

I never understood families where FC brought every single present. What about writing and thanking Great Aunt Maud for the handkerchiefs and scented coat hangers?!

Agent160 · 10/09/2015 14:16

Also agree with Datschi. 'Because he's magic' was the answer to pretty much every FC related question when I was growing up.

If the question was related to how did he know things it was 'because his elves are watching'.

Anything not covered by those 2 answers was something along the lines of 'I don't know, I've never met him, but obviously he manages somehow'.

AnnPerkins · 10/09/2015 14:19

I don't remember ever believing in FC as a child so I struggle with what to say to DS. I definitely think the less said the better, otherwise you can tie yourself in knots. More often than not I give a vague answer and change the subject.

I don't think I'm doing a terrible thing by lying to my child like some parents apparently do, but it does make me a little uncomfortable to say too much. I won't disabuse DS of the FC fantasy, but I'm hoping he will cotton on of his own accord soon and just enjoy pretending to believe, like I do did.

I agree it's not necessary to get thanks from your child. If you're doing the whole Father Christmas thing you have usurped the responsibility and the credit.

AnnPerkins · 10/09/2015 14:22

Usurped is the wrong word maybe I was thinking of relinquished

CarpetBagger · 10/09/2015 21:35

ann I dont see the whole operation as wanting thanks though, its never entered my thoughts, the whole point is to make things utterly magical for your child!

this whole thanks thing is a totally new thing to me I only heard ONE person from nct group mention it and I was utterly gobsmacked in 36 years never ever occurred to me or anyone around me,

make xmas amazing or - get the thanks due to the parents then i heard about it again on here and again it staggers me.

you have a window of a few years then the whole rest of their lives to get your due thanks but people need it now, from 4 and 5 year olds, they need their dc to know they BROUGHT THE gift,

it staggers me,

how more gratifying that seeing your childs face light up when they see the spread?

words are not everything!

BabyDubsEverywhere · 11/09/2015 11:57

Santa brings stockings and the pile of presents in the living room, everything given to them by someone else is given by that person, not santa. We only buy them a couple of gifts off us, they go under the tree with tags on from us. We only bother doing a couple of gifts from us so they know we got them something and didn't forget them when we bought other people presents, certainly not for the gratitude! Christmas is magical and I want it to stay that way for as long as possible. Santa is a part of that magic. (He's also much more likely to buy things I have said a flat out NO to, which they love )

candykane25 · 11/09/2015 20:12

Mummy and daddy buy things and send it to Father Christmas who delivers it if you have been good.
I believed that for years. I remember thinking itvwasn't very efficient and the postage must be a pain but I didn't doubt it.

WipsGlitter · 11/09/2015 20:18

A lot of this ^ only works if your kids get loads of pressies from relatives they don't see on the day.

Here Santa brings stocking and bug presents eg bike, games etc. A "pile". Rest are handed over on the day.

KissingFish · 13/09/2015 12:57

The reason we say only one gift is from Santa and the rest are from us is in case we are ever unfortunately in a really crappy financial situation and can't afford to buy gifts. If they think Santa brings everything then you're kinda stuck. No matter how poor we are we would always be able to buy one wooden toy and fill a stocking.

I'm not bothered about getting thanked.

mmgirish · 16/09/2015 14:57

This is an interesting thread. My Dh is English. He was always brought up to believe that Santa brought the stockings and his parents bought the rest. Where I'm from, that wasn't the case at all. Santa brought both the stocking presents and the main one. With our children, we tell them Santa or fc as they call him, bring both.

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