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Christmas

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

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Original poster

Santa or You or Both

49 replies

FearandLoathinginLasVegas · 20/11/2016 21:19

In our house DCs get lots of presents from santa (stocking filler type stuff and a 'big' present) and one smallish present from us.

WDYD? Do you buy as much as 'santa' as from you? How do you split it? Does anyone not buy presents from them and just do 'santa' presents?

OP posts:

BonusNewt · 21/11/2016 10:19

Santa fills the stockings with small gifts . (Eg stickers, astronaut food, CD, book, playdoh set, bath colours)

One main present from us under the tree (eg this year roller skates for one and a vtech watch for the other). Another present for each DS from each other that I have supervised the buying of and is something nice that they have asked for (possible Hero Mashers and a board game respectively this year).

Also they get presents from: three sets of aunts and uncles, two sets of grandparents and sometimes random ones from friends if they happen to be visiting over the period. Some of these might be under the tree if not seeing these people over Christmas. So while they dont' get a pile of big presents from Santa they are not at all badly off.

BiddyPop · 21/11/2016 10:28

Stocking and most big presents from Santa. Always a present wrapped under the tree from DH and I (usually something more "useful" like clothes).

Then there's a birthday present(s) next day, from us.

Anything that anyone else gives, whether Christmas, birthday or both, is from them.

(I say that last as I know from MN that there are families where Santa brings every last thing and no family members give anything - that blows my tiny mind, as there are still presents from all the adults to each other from each other).

BoboBunnyH0p · 21/11/2016 10:30

In our house Santa brings one present each, it will be a lego set each this year and the rest are from us and whoever else gives them a gift.

BrieAndChilli · 21/11/2016 10:37

Santa does sticking which is things like novelty chocs, stationary, hair clips, toothbrush and little novelties as well as the big main present and a couple of small presents.
We then give them a medium present and a couple of small presents.

Ilovenannyplum · 21/11/2016 11:14

We don't do stockings but Father Christmas brings all DS's presents.
bloody Father Christmas taking all the credit!

Birdlet · 21/11/2016 11:25

Still pregnant with number one but we've already decided that once he understands Christmas, his stocking will be from santa and everything else will be from who it's actually from.
Brother and sister law tell their children that everything is from santa the spoilt brats little darlings have obviously never thanked anyone for any gifts as they have no idea that anyone else buys them anything

Fueledwithfairydustandgin · 21/11/2016 11:45

So then that doesn't make them spoils brats

We do the same as we were raised with. Santa brings everything that we buy. I did suggest less people seem to do that now and should we do 50/50 but DH (who is very easy going) said no that would be weird, so we do it that way
I do get confused when people only do stockings coming from him. I wouldn't have been half as excited about him then.

Purplebluebird · 21/11/2016 11:48

We do both :) Stocking + a present or two (small ones) from Santa, the rest from us.

Ilovenannyplum · 21/11/2016 12:19

When I say FC brings all of DS presents, I mean just the ones we buy.

He knows that the ones from my mum are from her and the ones from my sister are from her etc. He doesn't think every present he receives comes from FC.

BonusNewt · 21/11/2016 12:28

It's just what you are used to isn't it, Fueled? When I was little we did it the same way we do it now - stockings from Santa, one present from parents, other presents from siblings and relatives. For me it was very exciting because the thing about the stocking presents was that you had no idea what they were going to be, and my parents used to source things from weird catalogues which actually did look as if they could have been made by Santa or at least came from some strange other country (probably China!) whereas I would have questioned how Santa was able to make me a My Little POny Castle which I had seen in the shops.

minipie · 21/11/2016 12:35

Santa does stockings only, but there are usually a couple of fairly substantial things in there (eg, this year DD has asked Santa for a bike light and a trumpet god help us) along with the chocolate coins, stickers, hairclips etc.

Everything under the tree (which includes anything big) is from who it's from.

winterisnigh · 21/11/2016 12:43

I would have done all gifts from Father Christmas happily but my DD recognised I like certain brands eg djeco so I had to give those gifts from me.

Then I thought, its actually nice to have a few gifts under the tree, to prod out before the big day....so we get a few - and say "just in case he cant make it - you have something from us to open" but all big gifts and everything else comes from FC. We have no other relatives for example to put gifts under the tree from.

This year DC are getting their biggest most pricey gift ever, an xbox one, we have never had any consoles, wii or whatever in house, so its a biggie but one I hope will last for many years to come! That will be from FC because "we" couldn't possibly afford it

Myfanwyprice · 21/11/2016 12:43

Ours get a small sack of presents from Father Christmas, generally some books, pjs, a cuddly toy, new pencils and the thing they have asked him for.

In the past, we have also got them a pile of presents from us, but it's really too much, so this year we've told them that we will get them one surprise present.

Everything else is from whoever bought it, mil drives me nuts because she does the look what santa left for you, as they did everything from santa.

SatsukiKusakabe · 21/11/2016 12:46

Facto King and one present they've asked for from Santa. It was just stocking until eldest started school and they made him write a letter so we felt obliged to fulfil it.

It was nice hearing him wake up and find a big box at the end of the bed alongside his stocking though. Everything else is under the tree and tagged from whoever has given it.

MistyMeena · 21/11/2016 12:49

Mine know the presents are from us, they just think Santa delivers. They have never questioned the logistics of this

winterisnigh · 21/11/2016 12:55

I look back on my parents going to such lengths to give me what they did on Christmas morning and taking absolutely none of the credit and that level of generosity floors me

just wanted to pick on this phrase we see so much on here, which is the "taking the credit"

I would love to know what this credit given to the parents is supposed to be?

I mean on birthdays - dd gets great items and is jumping round thrilled, throws her arms round us in excitement says its the best day of her life etc she cant believe it and so on.

And....christmas is the same. One year she got the much coveted out of stock elsa dress, I had suitable warmed her up that this dress was impossible to get, and she never even asked for it - but she got it.

Her face, I have the photos, contorted into shock, disbelief, wonder, amazement, she cried, hugging it to her, she was looking at it like it was an angel, come to life. She clutched it to her and danced round the living room, she shed a tear, she put it on and wouldn't take it off for days.

At no point did she say " thank you mum and dad" because she thought it was Father Christmas, but I could see from her reaction how grateful she was, what on top on that is a parent supposed to get? It was one of the best moments of my life.

SymphonyofShadows · 21/11/2016 13:05

Stocking from FC here, but it does usually contain an item he has asked for like a DS game or similar as well as the usual small bits. The rest round the tree from us or whoever sent them. I do wonder what happens when they talk to their friends and realise that some get loads from FC and others just get a stocking.

SatsukiKusakabe · 21/11/2016 13:25

winterisnigh that is lovely and I agree, no more gratitude needed.

I think we don't do everything from Father Christmas because I feel the pressure of expectation that it creates is something I would get anxious about living up to, I prefer to create the magic in other ways. Also I am not a very good fibber so don't want to get too tangled in knots.

I am not bothered about the 'credit', though I try very hard to make sure they get what they want and have an amazing day, as you say their reaction is thanks enough, but I do like the fact we give and receive gifts from each other and don't just have them bestowed from an unseen source. Presents given as a token of love from others that do not have unlimited resources is an important part of the meaning of the day for me, so we have a mix of both.

BiddyPop · 21/11/2016 13:50

It's not about the credit here either - we both were the eldest growing up (and I had 2 parents who were also the eldests!). So there was an element of pragmatism, as we would stop getting Santa things long before the youngest would, and it wouldn't be fair for the eldest to get loads under the tree and the youngest nothing (from DPs that is). So there was always a present for everyone from everyone under the tree - the fact that the items got bigger as Santa disappeared for some, was then unremarkable.

Yawnyawnallday · 21/11/2016 14:01

Both - biggest from us. Massive shock when I moved down to Manchester and discovered DH family and all neighbours did some weird Santa UPS thing where Santa delivers everything.
Even when I went to secondary school I had Santa presents which were lovely surprise treats (even though I knew who had bought them) as well as wonderful gifts "direct" from family. We saw the wrapped presents that we had bought each other in the run up to Christmas around the tree. The Santa surprises came on Christmas Eve after I'd gone to bed (or before I came in from the pub!)

Taylor22 · 21/11/2016 14:13

Santa does everything we may sign one present from us and then they'll have presents form family.

Seeing his excitement is enough for me. I don't need him to say the words then you to me.

Pengweng · 21/11/2016 14:53

Santa only does stockings here and everyone gets one adults too.

Bigger tree presents are from us and family members.

lostlalaloopsy · 21/11/2016 15:10

Santa brings everything. We do not give the dc anything for Christmas and family bring presents throughout the day. I never actually thought about a present from Dh and I before.

KC225 · 21/11/2016 17:20

We do a main present from santa. Stocking and other presents not more than four or five from us. Other gifts from whoever gave them

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