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Christmas

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

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Original poster

What's from father Christmas?

64 replies

micc · 08/09/2020 16:07

Just a fun one, I was wondering what you did as a child and what you do for your children. Are the presents In the stocking from father Christmas? Or under the tree? Is there just one big one from him? Or do you let them know you got them all? :) I love hearing about what other people do.
My DD is 4, we do the same as what I did as a child, the stocking is always from father Christmas. Everything under the tree is from mum and dad. Something that my OH does is start putting the presents under the tree before Christmas day! Which was so weird too me. My mum used to leave them until Christmas day, he would have them out throughout the month of December. Which imo requires alot of restraint from a child ahha, but we met half way and put them out a couple days before Christmas. It was so exciting seeing my DDs face when she woke up and her stocking was full, last year was the first year she got it.. and she was so excited! Cant wait for this year.. covid isn't ruining this for me! Haha

OP posts:

anorangeaday · 09/09/2020 18:30

Father Christmas delivers everything, but they get one big presents from him

piglet81 · 09/09/2020 18:47

The stocking is from Father Christmas and the presents under the tree are from actual people.

DH’s family didn’t do stockings at all so he thinks I’m mad for getting excited about them!

TeaOneSugar · 09/09/2020 18:51

Just the stocking.

Strokethefurrywall · 09/09/2020 19:19

Just stocking from Santa with one main gift, the rest from everyone else.

All gifts under the tree on Christmas Eve as we live overseas so as much as I'd love to put presents under the tree as they arrive, it's logistically impossible.

As kids we used to have gifts piling up under the tree throughout December which I loved, and I remember being thoroughly disappointed that there was lots for my mum from various elderly aunts. Mostly boxes of Ferraro rocher or talc!

When the kids were very small, all they think about is if Santa has been. As they get older (they're 9&6 now) I make it very clear that Santa only brings one big gift but mum/dad/family bring everything else, so as they grow Santa seems less "generous" and they realise he is a small part of Christmas.

Anyway, Santa is going to be second best this year because we'll be getting the kids new iPads...

Strokethefurrywall · 09/09/2020 19:22

I say "stocking", my kids have got personalised sacks which is handy when they're little and get proportionately large toys.
Probably won't be as impressive when they get bigger and find all they've got to open is an orange, bag of chocolate coins and an Amazon gift card 🤣

GoldenPlover · 09/09/2020 19:23

When I was little all my presents were from the giver, but my mum and dad "sent" my presents to the north pole after they'd bought them, and he only delivered them if I was good. They always pitched it that they bought my presents and father christmas looked after them and delivered them ready for christmas morning.

I like that thought and would like to do that with any future children I have but my DH thinks it's weird and thinks that all presents from us should be "from father Christmas"

snugglyblanket · 09/09/2020 19:25

Stockings and one good present, usually something off their list, from Santa. Everything else is from us, including the main present.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 09/09/2020 19:25

The stocking

AreWeNearlyHairnet · 09/09/2020 19:32

In our house the presents were all hidden away then appeared on Christmas morning. It was amazing to go from a bare room to it being stuffed with presents!

However, only the 'big present' and the stocking at the end of the bed (containing 'distraction keep them in bed a few minutes longer') were from Father Christmas. The rest were from parents and relatives etc. but they'd sent them to FC and he had delivered them. So we still had to thank the appropriate relative for their gift.

HeyMicky · 09/09/2020 20:22

Stocking from FC, hung by the fire and opened with breakfast. Everything else under the tree.

I earn half the household income and do all the gift buying - why should that fat old bugger get all the credit?

lostlalaloopsy · 10/09/2020 07:50

Everything comes from Santa. It was the same for DH and I growing up.

shreddednips · 10/09/2020 09:13

Stocking from FC, everything else from us and family. DS is still too little to understand. That's how both of our families did it, according to my mum I never actually believed despite her best efforts but FC bringing the stockings was what was meant to happen, I played along for my sister. We still get stockings from mum even though we're 28 and 32 (she was devastated when I said we wouldn't mind at all if she stopped if it's a bother so I haven't mentioned again 🤣) and we still pretend it's from FC, she loves it.

My dad says his side of the family had everything from FC. They also had a birthday fairy that acted as a sort of delivery service for the birthday presents and I think there was an Easter fairy too.

shreddednips · 10/09/2020 09:18

Oh and presents sort of crept under the tree from around the 23rd, although I like the idea of children coming down on Christmas morning to see they've appeared under the tree, that had never occurred to me until now and I might do that for DS. My mum always left wrapping until the last minute and got all stressed, so as soon as I was able to wrap a present, I'd be frantically helping her work through all the ones that weren't mine on Christmas Eve. It took hours, and it's one of my favourite childhood memories.

OnNaturesCourse · 13/09/2020 00:12

Santa sends the elf (who brings weekly activities/snacks)
Santa provides one gift "if you've been extra good!"
The rest of the presents we buy but the story is that we buy them and send them to the North Pole where Santa checks to see if the child is on the naughty or nice list. Only if they are on the nice list do the presents come back. Otherwise the presents go elsewhere (hospital playrooms, less fortunate families etc)

NB - the elf tasks the children with a good deed each week which include donating toys and doing nice things for charities etc so the presents potentially going elsewhere isn't the only way the child helps others. So naughty doesn't equal helping others.

mam0918 · 13/09/2020 19:02

most gifts are from santa and santa gifts are unwrapped and ready to play with (but usually not to expensive)

wrapped gifts under the tree are from us

AdventCaroline · 13/09/2020 19:13

We do just stockings from Father Christmas, everything under the tree is from family and friends.

The stockings are at least 50% edible, I have lots of fun finding lots of unusual and exotic-looking treats. Father Christmas loves chocolate and sweets.

IveBeenGood · 21/10/2020 00:11

All from Father Christmas for me and that’s how we have introduced our children to it, with the added stocking at the end of their bed (cot for toddler). I never did stockings as children but my partner did.

However, I saw a post on Facebook which has made me think differently this year - I have a five and one year old, so not too old to change how we do things. Anyway, this post asked people to say that only the stocking was off Father Christmas, as there may be an awful lot of children wondering why they only got a stocking whilst others got bikes etc.

The focus was on how some households are going to struggle this year and the conversations children have about Christmas. The poster suggesting a change so that all children where possible felt it was a magical time and not one where they questioned their worth.

I know it’s a lighthearted but seems relevant at the moment.

MrsPworkingmummy · 21/10/2020 05:34

In our house, the stocking and gifts under the tree are from FC. Other gifts brought by family are from those individuals. Up in the NE where I live,, I think it's 'normal' for all gifts to come from Santa rather than the parents.

PinkJam · 21/10/2020 11:13

@IveBeenGood That’s an excellent point. My ones are only young and so we haven’t really discussed it much but after reading your post I’m definitely going to go with only the stocking from Father Christmas. The magic should be able to be there for all children regardless of how much their family spend.

GoingBackTo505 · 21/10/2020 11:17

As a child, we never had stockings and I always wanted one, so now we have DS, I like to do him one, and we'll have a newborn this Christmas so will hang one up for her but possibly won't put much in it as she'll be days old.
We had our main big gift from Father Christmas, as did DP, but his stocking was also from Father Christmas too, so we do that now, and then all other presents are just from us.
I always wondered when I had friends that got everything from Father Christmas, why their parents didn't get them anything

CeramicGuineaPig · 21/10/2020 11:22

Same as you in that stocking from FC, everything else from named people.
Presents go under the tree when they are wrapped, so in fact most of the presents under the tree are not for the kids or us but ones from us to cousins, grandparents etc waiting to be delivered. By Christmas morning the pile will include wrapped presents from me to DH, DH to me, the kids to each other, us to the kids, the kid to us, us to whoever we will be seeing on the day, and any presents given to any of us from friends etc. So while the kids only get one main present from us their parents each, there are still plenty of presents there.

Aponcetasticchristmastoall · 21/10/2020 11:41

Father Christmas brought me and bring my DD’s everything (apart from wrapped presents under the tree from grandparents) as a child that didn’t get very much through out the year as my parents were not well off there was nothing more magical than Santa with a sack of presents all for me!!

I’m sure I got less than most and more than others but I never felt the need to ever question it and I was quite a old believer.

ShowOfHands · 21/10/2020 11:56

Stocking (small and has just a few things in it like a flannel, socks, some sweets etc) and a smallish present left by the fire. Last year, for example, it was a small Lego set for 9yo DS and some charcoal art supplies for 12yo DD. Father Christmas does not bring expensive or multiple items. The DC enjoy buying gifts for family and friends as much as receiving them and they understand that it's familial gift giving in the main.

DS did ask some questions one year about why FC brought his friend a PlayStation AND an ipad when he bought another child a new skipping rope and nothing else. DD (non believer) actually chipped in and explained it in a fairly clever way and it was a small conversation but I can see for some families, that it might be a very tough conversation indeed. I work for a charity and we are arranging the Christmas food/toys parcels for vulnerable families right now. I know many of those toys will be rewrapped as FC presents because there is nothing else to give. Christmas this year is going to be hard for a lot of families.

Lovemusic33 · 21/10/2020 13:14

When we were kids....
Father Christmas left a main gift, he put the gifts from under the tree (from other) into a sack along with a few small gifts from him. We didn’t do stockings.

With my dc (when they believed) he would fill their stocking and leave a couple big gifts. The rest were from us and family.

mummyof2boys30 · 21/10/2020 13:25

All from santa that we buy. Other gifts from grandparents etc are given from whoever it's from. Normally all visit xmas morning. I wish id done one present and stocking from santa but too old to change now lol.

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