Santa

[StepIntoXmas]

After reading a few threads on here about how we all "do" Santa, does anyone else wish there was a rule/law about what Santa brings? 😂 My daughter is 3 next month and starting to understand things. Both hubby and I did it differently growing up so trying to think the best way to do it without it being so different to other children she knows etc.

These are the rules in my house. ( Set by me! DH had some weird ideas, all completely wrong, which I completely overruled!)

1.Santa brings chocolate
2.Santa brings a tangerine and a red apple
3.Santa brings at least one thing on your List, but never everything (this is extremely important when DC are older and start asking for things like "a real unicorn to live in the garden")

1. Santa always leaves the stocking on the bed.
2. Santa comes on the night of 24th. Even if he leaves gifts in your cousins' shoes on a different day.

I set expectations around what you can ask for. In our house you can ask for one reasonably sized gift, and Santa brings a few surprises too. But I have always emphasised the importance of not being greedy. And while it’s not very nice of me, I have been mildly disapproving when they’ve told me about classmates who got something particularly extravagant. In our house Santa is a very generous old man and it wouldn’t be right to take undue advantage of him. It comes down to having a difficult mother (who also insists on bedtimes and screen limits regardless of everyone else’s mum letting their dc do everything I won’t) rather than Santa being inconsistent.

In our house Santa can't bring live animals (he doesn't want poo in his sleigh or sack!) Or electronics (elves just can't do it, their magic interfers with the technology. Besides they might fill it with candy canes rather than wires! Pesky elves!)

Mine write a list with 3 things that santa will choose something from. He drops off the sack with gifts and the main next to it if it doesn't fit in there. Santa uses brown paper and stripy pick n mix bags for stocking fillers.

Santa brings the stocking and one present. He shares the christmas list with grandparents, oarents and other family. But its an ideas list, not an order form. He might bring you something unexpected.
Stocking is small, fun, practical things. Nothing can cost more than a fiver. Other family members are allowed to add something to the stocking as well.

Santa is a glorified postman here. All presents are bought by people then sent to Santa to be delivered. If you're not good he gives it back to the person who bought it (which is why you should always buy presents you secretly want yourself!)

DS is still wayyy too young to care, but DP and I were talking about our Santa rules last night, for future Christmases. So in our house:

• santa will bring a (very small) stocking which will be left in/outside the bedroom. He will also leave a main present and a sack of surprises but the fireplace.
• on top of this, mummy and daddy will put a present or two under the tree from them.
• Santa does not bring animals or technology. Any presents like that will be from us.
• he will be allowed to write a letter to Santa asking for maybe 3 gifts plus surprises
• if he starts asking awkward questions, the party line is that parents send Santa money. The answer to everything else is "it's magic"

I'm loving reading what you all do 🎅 so many ideas to think about.

However I was being serious when I said does anyone wish there was one law/rule on how to do santa?? 😂

The midwife should give you a contract to sign called "The Santa Rules"

Santa brings the stocking...a sock with choc coins orange and a tiny £2 gift
He also brings the pillow case he leaves by the tree with small gifts in ...you know..pjs socks a book etc
Under the tree is the present/s from mum n dad...the main gift whatever it is...

We've always done this
My children are now 26 & 27 !!!

No I am very glad there is no rule for Father Christmas, the thought of doing Christmas in some kind of standard way would ruin it.

It is creating our own traditions that has made Christmas so special.

My family's Christmas is definitely the best Christmas

Ours ask Father Christmas for presents suitable for a stocking. They love having to think outside the box and we’ve had some very funny requests over the years. Stockings are hung on the kids beds but all brought into our bed to open.

The presents are in named present sacks under the tree and these are from us. So the main presents they ask us for and we can manage expectations a lot easier.

In our family Santa leaves everything unwrapped on the couch (or chairs/ other couch if more than one child). He also fills the stocking/ sock with tangerine, apple, chocolate coins and a variety of crap/ tat.
We send the money to Santa who also doesn’t bring live animals.
The letter to Santa can be as long as you like but “I want” doesn’t get! He will choose a couple of things off the list.
This is pretty much the way it’s done by our whole village.
Santa doesn’t deliver parcels from anyone else, just him.

Santa does the stocking and one or two presents (usually a board game/toy, never electricals) here, its always in different wrapping paper.

Anything else comes from whoever it is from.
The key is keeping is simple, a friend has really over complicated it with a story of buying everything and sending it to the North Pole but I just don't understand the point. She said she wanted her children to know she had bought it but the one present from santa and the rest from us covers that aspect.
As a pp has said though, its the family tradition side of it that makes it special.
Have a lovely Christmas

I think there should be a rule that says Santa brings stockings only.
It makes it much more equitable for children from poorer families.

After all, if anything, surely children from poorer families deserve more than those from richer families, not less?

@santasmincepie

The midwife should give you a contract to sign called "The Santa Rules"

Love this idea! 😂

@BefuddledPerson

No I am very glad there is no rule for Father Christmas, the thought of doing Christmas in some kind of standard way would ruin it.

It is creating our own traditions that has made Christmas so special.

My family's Christmas is definitely the best Christmas

Yeah I do actually agree with you when it comes to own traditions. Only after reading threads on here about children comparing gifts it got me thinking. To be honest I never compared when I was a child.

My tradition growing up was santa brought everything and it was from him, left either in a sack or pillow case. Family presents were brought and labelled by themselves. I never even wondered why my parents didn't give me anything!

@TeenPlusTwenties

I think there should be a rule that says Santa brings stockings only. It makes it much more equitable for children from poorer families.

After all, if anything, surely children from poorer families deserve more than those from richer families, not less?

It was reading others saying similar that got me thinking that's why I decided to ask the question 😂

OP I feel your pain I have agonised over this!

Mine are little too and in the excitement although we did it slightly differently last year I don't think DD who was 4 then will notice.

I planned this year to do only stockings from Santa for a variety of reasons, then presents under the tree would be from us and family.

I'm now getting round to thinking about wrapping everything and it just doesn't feel right. I put so much effort into the stockings and so there is not a huge load from us under the tree, plus some things that I wanted in the stocking won't fit so will be under the tree.

So what my heart is happy with is - Santa brings all presents from us. Anything under the tree from us will be from him and the whole stocking will be from him. Presents from family will still be from family, and if they ask the question along the lines of "Why does nanny etc get us a present but you don't?" The answer will be that mummies and daddies (or insert primary caregiver here :) ) help Santa with your presents - we send him the letters, we tell him if you've been good, we tell him what we think you'd like and what we'd like to get you. And then Santa kindly does his best and brings what he can.

I know there are issues with this and one of my original "stocking only" reasons was the whole comparison, why do other children get nothing or less etc.. well I think kids young enough to believe will not think too long and hard about that and frankly I am okay with keeping them sheltered from the harsh reality of poverty etc until they are just a little older. I know I was done believing in Santa by 8 or 9 and that is more than enough time to learn the woes f the world IMO.