which presents are from Santa in your house?

[heyduggeee]

Hello!
I'm so sorry if this has been done before but I can't find anything.
Me and my partner can't agree on which presents should be from Santa / us. This is the first year DS who's 3 is starting to understand, the youngest is only 1.
my DP grew up with stockings + one big present under the tree from Santa, everything else he knew was from parents.
In our house the big guy bought everything - but we didn't have stockings.
My parents weren't too bothered about keeping the magic alive or family traditions. I can't recall what we used to do Xmas day as a child, so I think I'm trying too hard to make everything perfect tbh and over thinking everything.
But just wondered what everybody else does?

He’s just the delivery guy at our house. DD2 did once ask why Hermes didn’t just deliver the presents

Our story has just developed over time, not necessarily making any sense. It’s literally the first answer that pops into my head when a question is asked.

DD’s are 7 and 10 (Christmas baby) so I’m sure they actually have their doubts but like to go along with it. I’ll actually be glad when they move on to the next stage of keeping the magic alive but the man in the red suit isn’t involved with bringing their presents.

I came on here to ask a similar question.

We have always done all presents from Santa for ds, none from parents.
That's the way we were brought up and my sister's do the same with their children.
DS is six now and I've noticed that other children in his class do things differently, they might have one small present from Santa and one from parent or something like that.

Santa is bringing ds a Nintendo switch, but now I'm questioning whether I should tell him the switch is from us and let the other bits be from Santa.

One main present from Santa but kids are told that mum and dad send him the money for it as Santa can't afford to buy presents for every child in the world without some help from Mums and dads. Then all other presents are from mum and dad who work very very hard all year to afford to buy nice things for the kids for Xmas.
I hate this thing that happens when kids "compare" what Santa bought them - how do you explain that Santa can "afford" to buy one kid an Xbox but another kid only a few quid present. Hence why we tell kids that mum and dad send Santa the money for the present.

Stockings a one big present for FC here, the rest are from family.

Stockings and a couple of small presents from Father Christmas. The main gift is from us and other presents are from who gave them. I don't put anything under the tree until Xmas eve though

Stocking from Santa. Everything else the giver gets the credit! What about presents from aunts and uncles, grandparents? Ad don’t you/your children buy stuff from other people? It concerns me to think of a generation where Christmas is ALL about getting stuff with no emphasis at all on GIVING... 🤷🏼‍♀️

In our house Santa only brings things feasibly made by elves in a workshop, so usually carved wooden items and small chocolates

Santa bring 2/3 games addressed to use as a family for use to share. Everything else is from the giver.

All! I honestly don’t care he gets all the credit.

I think some people are overthinking it. By the time kids are old enough to discuss and compare they are already starting to work it out.

Here Santa brings the stockings (which are cheap and fun). They put three suggestions on their letter to Santa. It was my idea the first year just to ensure I didn't end up looking for a single item that wasn't in stock anywhere. If their suggestions are small and reasonable they may get all three. This year they have ranged in price from £3.99 - £60. Although the average is about £30. They each have got all three gifts this year. We do have a rule that if Santa thinks a gift is inappropriate he won't bring it (eg. one of those ride on unicorns, we said it wouldn't fit in our house).
Then all the other presents are from us. We also take them to the shop individually to choose something for their sibling so they learn about giving. Presents from relatives are just that. They also hear us talking about buying for other people throughout the month and they come with us to drop gifts off with relatives.

All! I honestly don’t care he gets all the credit

You need to look past that and think what message you are giving the children.

Stockings. And that's items like socks, stationery, little books etc.

Everything else under the tree from the giver.

Everything in our house is from Santa, stockings and all the presents. Ds (7) just asked why we don’t buy him anything 😂 as a kid all my presents were from Santa but I remember asking my parents the same question 😂

Nothing from Santa in our house. They see Santa at various parties, but they do not think a fat stranger comes into our home in the dark and leaves gifts. It is fat Daddy that does that.

This is how my childhood was. I do not want them believing something to find out it is a lie, and I do not want them thinking the neighbours kids are clearly better behaved, or nicer, as they got a quad and a pony and mine didn't.

@GreenTulips I don't do this but surely the message is selflessness? Santa gives for the joy of giving, maybe we could all do with being a little more like that?

Stockings only from Father Christmas. My DC are 19 and 17 so it's all obvious anyway, but they often might be involved in asking for or choosing bigger presents so there is a difference. Stocking presents are all surprises. But they have got bigger.

Everything from Santa, except gifts from other relatives etc.

I understand people want kids to realise their parents have worked hard to be able to afford to buy things and you aren't just handed things by magic in life, but there is the rest of the year to install that message, so I don't worry about it too much, especially since they only believe for a tiny part of their lives.

It’s so interesting how many different ways there are! In our house Father Christmas is the ultimate postman who delivers and sources presents for everyone but only gives the stocking presents from him. He is also very clever in that he will leave presents at different people’s houses. So we’re having 3 celebrations this year with various family members and he will have left some presents at each house.

Father Christmas brings all the gifts that we buy in our house. Everything else is from who it's from.

Father Christmas fills the stocking with small things and things that I don’t approve of - slime for example. So socks, smelliest, stationery, books, little puzzles, chocolate treats and novelties.

Gifts to/from other people are labelled and under the tree once wrapped. The big present, a Switch this year, will be set up after bedtime on Christmas Eve and is from us not FC.

BlueOooChristmas

But that’s the point, if kids aren’t involved in present selection and wrapping, how are they learning about the joy of giving when they only receive? No gifts under the tree and all from Santa?

Stockings, which contain mostly edibles and inexpensive things that get used up and need replacing, like crayons, colouring books and play doh are filled by Father Christmas. They should also let Father Christmas know what they want him to bring. Ideally they would make a list of a few options to pick one thing from and let him know (letter or during grotto visit) but also tell other people who might buy them gifts, like us what the list contains. They are still small though so DS1 (4) just said he wanted a dinosaur book (I know he means the Giles Andreae one) and DS2 (2) asked for "lerro ear wings", which is yellow (to include light orange, green or beige) earrings , so that's what they are getting. In future it will just be any one present from their list.

Their other presents are from us/whoever actually bought them. I've got them easels and DH has got them Vtech smart watches, plus we have both chosen them a few other things that will just be from both of us. I think they might find it odd in future if Father Christmas and lots of relatives and friends gave them presents but their parents didn't.

We have to be careful now about hiding things that are supposed to be from father Christmas as the four year old can read quite well (spoilt a birthday surprise back in September) and the two year old is the type who notices everything and will know if he is given something from Father Christmas that he saw about the house or in the same paper as ours. He is always catching me out if I try anything sneaky!

Stocking and big gift from santa (wrapped in different paper of course) then the rest from us. I was saying to DH that I wasn't sure I had enough gift tags and he said you don't put a tag on the present from Santa. Is this true? DS is 3 and my mind has gone blank as to whether I put a tag on Santas present before!

Growing up all our presents were from Santa, we had none from parents or even relatives. I don't remember questioning this at the time but I was having a conversation with an aunt about 10 years ago regarding a santa present I received and she told me it was her who bought it. It appears every present, including those from family members, were passed off as being from the big man!

All the presents are from Santa.

But we send money to Santa in order to help make the presents and pay the elves for their hard work! Grandparents, aunties, uncles also send some money and ask him to bring presents.

This way, we can explain why some kids get iPads and some don't, and why they can't have the entire smyths catalogue because santa is 'magic' and that's what they want.