Stockings: how do you do yours?

[FiddleFigs]

I never had Xmas stockings growing up, but always understood they usually contained a bit of choc, a satsuma, a couple of small presents (nothing too grand or costly) and a book. DH always had stockings and they were always rammed with presents (one of which was ££) then he also had presents from Father Xmas, parents etc. I feel like this is excessive. DH thinks my approach is mean.

How do you approach stockings? Am I being mean?

(In case it comes up: DD will be almost 3, and will get presents in addition to the stocking)

Great thread - we didn't do stockings when I was growing up, we had a present at the end of the bed instead. A well filled stocking seems so lovely though so am trying to do this with my 6 and 4 year old - have had some great ideas here so thanks all! My 2 have a small sack each about the size of a pump bag but reading all these I think a proper stocking is the way to go Can I just ask what the consensus is on wrapping stocking gifts - wrapped or unwrapped?

I wrap most of the stocking stuff. Fiddly stuff and food stuff is left unwrapped.

We open them on my bed to give me a chance to wake up! So wrapping things makes it take twice as long to open.

Growing up both our families did stockings in a similar way, usually:
Chocolate
Satsuma/Nuts
Small toy
Toiletries style stuff

We've continued this, and organise stockings for our DC (Almost 2 and almost 4 this year), and ourselves.
DC:
Tube of sweets
Chocolate coins
Satsuma
Toothbrush
Expanding facecloth thing
Small toy (this year DS is getting a compass, DD is getting a glittery bouncy ball thing, and they're both getting an animal whistle)

Us:
Tube of sweets
Other sweets (i.e. chocolate raisins, marzipan bar, toffiffee sort of things)
Toiletries (stuff we'd get anyway, but mainly for the benefit of the DC to see we get things too)
Something silly (last year DP got santa boxers, for example)

We open these in our room, before going through to the living room for tree presents. I can't remember if I wrap the stocking presents or not, I don't think I do! The stockings are pretty big so DS's little arms have had to do quite a lot of rummaging to find his things!

Baggy I like the idea of little arms rummaging around the stocking - more reason not to cram them full!!

This thread has been so helpful - thank you everyone for commenting. I'm going to add some nice hair clips to the mix, and see if I can find some fun soap/bathbomb thing (though DD has quite sensitive skin, so not sure if there's anything out there that will be right).

I also like the idea of sticking in something to occupy the child(ren) - I'll stick in the Xmas edition of the Peppa/Hey Duggee magazine too.

(now wish I was receiving a stocking too)

Fiddle This is why I do the magic flannel DC are both sensitive skinned, and DD is eczema prone so it's something along the lines without it irritating their skin. This sort of thing is what I mean.

I wrap stocking presents in tissue paper. If uch have more than one child, my advice is to choose different colour tissue for each child. Then you can wrap in advance and not worry if the gifts get mixed up. Amazon sell large quantities of tissue much cheaper than you get in the high street. I've also Sen some personalised stickers that You can buy which would be good for sealing the tissue, they're on Amazon too, and say something along the lines of 'a present for [name] from Santa'.

Me and DH didn't have stockings as children. We both had a sack or pillow case full of presents from Father Christmas and none from our parents.
I used to get my presents left on the foot of my bed and DH's were left downstairs.

We have only done stockings for our DC for a couple of years now,
They all have
chocolate or sweets usually something like jelly belly beans, lindors etc,
A pair of socks,
Some pens or felt tips,
A cd, DVD or book,
The older ones get a voucher for something, iTunes, cinema etc, and something like perfume, body spray, bath bomb etc and a little jokey thing edible money, digi pet etc
The younger ones get a small toy and a blind bag, stickers, a toy car.

I do stockings for my parents too if they are having Christmas Morning on their own.

Stockings are usually full of tat from the pound shop, loads of sweets, bath bomb, small toys etc. Just bits and pieces really. The children love them! I never wrap the stocking presents. I usually buy things a little at a time over the few months before Christmas.

Here the stockings are put on the fireplace on Christmas eve, for santa to fill. The main gifts under the tree are from us.
Santa gives satsuma, apple, raisins, hairibo, toiletries, pens, a silly game, chocolate coins - the coins scattered throughout the stocking, topped off with a chocolate reindeer (lidl/Aldi)
Everyone who is here gets a stocking - last year oldest was 67, youngest was, umm, 24

Bought beautiful stockings from Jojonmamma for their second Christmas and have used the same ones ever since.

Chocolate coins
Large tube of smarties or jelly tots
Neon glasses from TIGER
Light up shoe laces from TIGER
Magic face cloth colour change foam bath. Poundland
White t.shirt and fabric pens M&S sale
Mini pinball set M&S sale
Lego packs free from Daily Mail
Paper plane sets from M&S sale

Pick up the stocking stuff in the sales. Got quite a lot in M&S sale last January. Paperchase and TIGER are great for stocking fillers.

My kids love stockings. Most years my daughter claims it is her favourite present. We leave the stockings on the sofa and they can open them as soon as they wake up. DH and I get a mini lie in and then we do breakfast then presents altogether.

Stockings were my favourite part of Christmas as a kid.

My parents would not countenance going downstairs before 7am. My brother and I were allowed to open our stockings as soon as we got up (usually about 5am!).

I'd either go to his room or he'd come in to mine. There would always be a satsuma never eaten chocolate coins eaten for breakfast a few small toys like a yoyo or mini-boglins and a set of top trumps or something we could play together - which must have been tricky as we are six years apart in age.

We'd open our stocking gifts, eat the chocolate and snuggle up in bed and play top trumps until it was time to go in to our parents. It was a lovely, special, quiet start to a hectic day. Being warm and snug with my big brother knowing that Santa had been and even more delights awaited downstairs was such a lovely feeling.

Stockings were left on the end of the bed - I remember the excitement of a filled stocking and the rustle of wrapping paper....

Hmm, might do a stocking for dh this year...

We only do big gifts at Christmas... so it sounds more indulgent than it actually is.

On Xmas morning, girls get a small stocking (in a proper sock) that they can open immediately. This usually includes a chocolate santa, a magazine and a couple of little gifts like hair clips or a pen and notebook. Something to keep them entertained from when they wake at ridiculous o'clock to 7am, when we're prepared to get up.

Then they have a big Christmas sack from Santa. This is mostly made up of things they need (stationery, clothes, things for their room etc), with some edible treats I don't normally buy them with a few presents thrown in. Santa has a limit of about £10 per item for these things though.

Big presents (£10+) come from us, because I want the credit .

So the kids get a decent loot, but most of it, they would have got anyway... win win all round!

i always had a stocking growing up and my dc do as well. my dd actually has my stocking my nan knitted almost 40 years ago. they always get a satsuma, choc coins and a fruit shoot (or something similar). then they get 5 little gifts, this year my dd will have fluffy socks, name crayons, earrings, christmas lip gloss and an keyring . my ds's will have fluffy socks, name crayons, top trumps, hot wheels car and a torch