Who are kids presents from? Santa or you?

[starfish8]

Couldn't summarise that well in a title. My ds is now 5 so he's going to be more aware this Christmas about how things work.

How do you explain to your kids who presents are from? When I was a child my mum said Santa delivers them but mummy's/daddy's send them off to him. I think she wanted us to know that they contribute to them.

I know others say certain presents are from Santa and others from them, like a particular gift or the stocking presents.

Feel like I need to get my script together before the questions start!

In our house, Father Christmas brings all of the presents. DD (6) has not questioned otherwise. I don't mind the fact we don't get any credit - it's all about the magic of Christmas is our house. She'll realise when she's old enough.

Santa in our house has envolved into a jolly postman/delivery guy. We live in a predominantly Muslim country and the children's class mates have made them question Santa's existence from a very early age.

Father Christmas brings the stockings only. They’re nice, full of surprises, and mummy and daddy get them too. (DH and I do each other’s so we genuinely each get surprises). All other gifts are from whoever bought them.

Tbh we mostly do it that way as that was how it was for both me and DH as kids . I thought that was “standard” really - I don’t know anyone IRL who had or has FC/Santa bring anything other than stockings so this thread has been really interesting for me.

Weelis02.

I had never heard of anyone needing direct thanks for fc presents until I came on mn.
I can't get my head round it. The age range for fc is 3 to 9. Surely a life time of direct thanks from 9 until the day you die?

Why does a parent need it? Why aren't the dc being taught the other days of the year?

Mrspworkingmummy

For me seeing their faces etc is enough I'm not sure what thanks other people want?

Stocking from Santa, big presents from us/relatives. I assumed that was how everyone did it until reading threads on here.

Santa brings the presents that are in their santa sacks and stockings, the rest are from parents & family etc. Santa doesn't do very expensive gifts or live animals. Santa only gets gifts for the children. Christmas eve box is from the Elves.

Santa brings all the presents at home (parents are only "supposed" to do birthdays). Any other gifts are given direct from the person giving them. When they realise the Truth they're then amazed that the parents had any involvement and look back fondly, then conspire to keep it going for younger siblings.

Our Elf brings them the Christmas Eve box as a thank you for letting him stay. Santa brings the stockings and several presents they put on their letter to him. We limit the Santa list to 3 things, but they can be big things. We also include some surprises from Santa and a mix of big and small things they've not asked for from us too. Until I started reading Mumsnet I'd never heard of anyone using Santa as a postal service. I also don't understand needing the validation from young children that you bought all the gifts. It's supposed to be magic and it only lasts for a few years until they realise anyway. I'm quite happy for them to believe at this age.

Stocking and anything with it in the middle of the floor when they wake up is from Santa.

A wrapped present under the tree is from dh and I - usually something useful like clothes or accessories for sports she does.

Anything from anyone else is also wrapped and under the tree.

Presents under the tree are opened later in the day, when visits are finished, turkey is in the oven and we are finally in “relaxation” mode. Whereas Santa’s presents can be opened and played with from early morning.

Dd also bugs a present from herself to DH and to me - the other DP helps shopping (including €😀) and wrapping those. Dd also buys small presents or makes some for DCousons her age and her DGPs

Stockings from Santa, the rest from us.

As DP says, he’ll be fucked if some random auld man is taking all the credit for the stuff we’ve saved for (he’s not really a miserly prick, it’s a joke)

FC flies by the Tiger shop on delivery night and fills DS' stocking with small, fun, entertaining bits. Gifts under the tree are from us/family/friends.

The Caga Tio - basically a smiley-faced yule log - leaves sweets and a Christmas film on Christmas Eve.

The 3 Kings leave one thing on the night of the 5th, after DS leaves breadcrumbs in a shoe for their camels.

Santa, but parents contribute to the cost, so he knows it can't be a never-ending list!

In our family all stockings are from Santa and all tree presents are from the person who actually got them.

We buy the presents, wrap them and send them to Santa who stores them, checks for good behaviour and delivers them on Christmas Eve.

Children write letter to santa and santa is always watching to get ideas what they'd like. Santa delivers everything, sometimes to someone else's house 🤯 Im going to let the fat man, his elves and the reindeers take all the credit and when my dc are older, I will take the credit for making it such a magical time for them. Thats how my parents did it for me and my siblings and not as adults we appreciate what they did for us and remember how magical it all was.

For us, stocking presents are from Father Christmas. These are smaller gifts. Bigger, wrapped gifts go under the tree and are from us as parents (and family/friends). Santa gifts are wrapped too, but in different paper.

Stockings and one present from santa. The rest are from whoever they are from.

First hubby & I split when kids were 8, 7 & 5yrs. The Christmas after we split the oldest asked how they got presents from everyone in the family, except me "even dad gets us stuff & you don't,"
Those kids are now 34, 32, & 29. But I also have a 9yr old & she has always had her stocking from Santa plus most of the smaller pressies. Then her main pressie, & a few other small bits are from me.
It was tough when Santa got all the credit after I'd saved hard for Christmas!

My 5 year old last year was told that Santa only brings one present as he has so many others to deliver he can not fit them all in the sleigh then the rest are from Mummy and Daddy.

Santa brings stocking

I bring everything else as dads an arsehole

And as a single parent santa can fuck off if another imaginary male figure (dad may as well be imaginary) in my sons life is stealing my hard work and passing it off as their own!

Stockings are from FC, while the main present and all the rest from family etc are under the tree, and come from the donor (if that makes sense).

I think that, when we have spent money on the perfect gift, it is nice to get the credit. I certainly would not be impressed if I was sending a gift to a child, and the parents were deciding that it came from FC, not me!

For us the kids know we go and see Santa one day in December (xmas shopping day) and give him money to help buy or make the presents, they also know this day means he is being told if they have been naughty or nice this year :)

I do think it's important our children know that financially it comes from mam and dad but ultimately Santa sorts it all.

They do receive other presents from family for which they know this so they can say thank you.

My children thought they were brought to the house by Santa but I had to pay for them. This explained why they couldn't have everything they wanted because I didn't have much money.