Where do your los hang their stockings? Do you wrap all presents? What story do you tell your los? And other questions...

[bramblina]

We always hung a pillowcase on the bottom of our beds, in the morning it would be full of wrapped presents, from Santa. Mum and Dad would have one wrapped present for us, under the tree.
However, they way others do it has made me think about the best way to start off for ds who's 2 and will probably get a good grasp of it this year...

One friend just covers the settee in unwrapped stuff for her dd- surely wrapping is part of it? But as for having the pressies in the livingroom, well MIL used to arrange all the wrapped presents from Santa (though she used to write labels on them- in her own handwriting) on a settee/chair- one per child, thus no stocking but at least the presents were wrapped. The kids weren't allowed in till everyone was up.
Some people hang a stocking on the fireplace, for Santa to fill but he only seems to leave samll things- main presents come from Mum and Dad.

When we were young the thought that Santa had been in your room was probably the most exciting part yet as MIL says if the presents are in the child's room, you have the cnace of missing most of the unwrapping and excitement...

How do you do yours?

Always under tree. Use cheap paper all assorted patterns, dds wrapped differently to everyone elses.

Santa leaves a small stocking for each of them by fireplace.
Small things like chocolate, yoyos, pencils.

Colour themes are for people with too much time on their hands IMHO.

We do ours depending on where we are. My parents used to leave one present "to keep us busy" on the end of our beds (my father's job after Midnight Mass) and all the others went under the tree (wrapped of couse) on Christmas Eve. We weren't allowed to open any presents until after tea, when the candles had been lit and blown out, then my father would distribute them (sometimes with a helper) and we would all open them and thank each other as we went along. It's still pretty much like that when we go there. dh's family on the other hand all get very drunk on Chritmas Eve and presents are opened en mass as soon as anyone gets up (hence one year the children opened all their presents before I'd even got up ). Neither family do Father Christmas much (my parents not at all, dh's half heartedly). the only think I missed when I was little was the stocking presents, so that's what we have added in to our own traditions, which otherwise are more like my family's than dh's. I think that you have to look at how both sides of the family works, pick the best bits and then make up your own traditions to add in to the mix.

We always put the presents under the tree. Some do not have labels on, they are the one's from Santa! But we make sure that is the big main present so we will remember who it is for ds/dd and different wrapping paper to everything else and for boy/girl. We never put the presents under the tree until xmas eve but then we never get around to wrapping them until then anyway!

The last thing I do on xmas eve is sprinkle flour on my slippers/the floor and make Santa prints from the fireplace to normally half way up the stairs just to make it look like Santa has really been. The children notice it but have never really questioned it!

we have always had a stocking, hung at end of bed, or on door handle in our rooms.this started as children, and myself and my big brother and sister all do this still at christmas, with our respective families.

The stockings from father christmas, are opened when we wake up. The stockings usually contain little bits and bobs, gadgets and things to occupy for a short while.

Then, there are pressies under the tree, labeled from each other. one or two get opened mid morning. the rest, after christmas dinner in the afternoon. They are given out by someone, to each of us there. So we can all see who's given what to who...

This year, my DH and my DD are going to my brothers on Christmas eve. then after mum has done her service and taken communion to people in their homes, she'll be coming over to my brother for the rest of christmas day and boxing day.

its dd's first christmas this year... and she wont know what the heck is going on! but we'll all enjoy it, the grown ups that is...

Stockings on beds, things inside wrapped in different paper from any that's used on Christmas Day, strict instructions not to open before everyone up, then open on our bed. That's how we always did it - means you have some small things to play with/break(!) before tree present opening.

Presents under the tree from relatives and friends. Stockings from FC.

Stocking on end of bed with lots of small, wrapped gifts (different paper from the ones under the tree) from FC to be opened in morning on parents bed

Gifts under tree from family & friends. Opened after breakfast.

And, for a couple of yrs, some small 'timed gifts' to be opened ever couple of hours throughout the day to keep us busy - would include a book, board game, CD etc

When I was growing up everything was left unwrapped under the tree. We didn't do Stockings until the year I read an Enid Blyton book on Xmas eve that mentioned stocking and I suddenly hung up one for me and one each for my 2 sisters. I can imagine Mum and Dad's panic now!

Now we have DS we hang up a stocking but he doesn't want Santa in his room so we hang it downstairs. Presents from Santa are wrapped and put near the tree. Like the idea of opening the stocking in bed though. How to do that I wonder? Maybe leave the stocking on the landing?

Stockings on the door (never did that when I was little but dh did). Presents from family under the tree and the one from Santa unwrapped on floor.

My dad's family are scandinavian so we also always open one present on christmas eve and then read the "night before christmas" with the dcs.

we do stockings hung outside the bedroom door (when they start staying awake til midnight in excitement, you'll see why... it is impossible to sneak in )
They are dragged into our room to open on bed. Each item must be exclaimed over and chocolates are shared round
Tea and toast in bed, bacon butties and bucksfizz/oj consumed later before tree pressie opening. Santa also leaves a special handwritten note in gold pen (dictated by me, written by a friend or neighbour) in a special little stocking left by the tree, along the lines of ''well done for being such a good boy this year. I am specially pleased to hear you've been trying really hard at school even though I know you hate it. It always makes feel happy when i see brothers being kind to each other etc'')

This is probably the last year that ds1 will 'believe'. Most of his peers have worked it out

DS was 3 last christmas and didnt fully understand the xmas eve thing. This year he understands and so i've bought a stocking for him to hang on his bedroom door xmas eve. Not sure whether to wrap the contents or not yet - there's quite a few of them as its one of those big stockings from BHS.

I wrap all of his pressies in the same paper so I know that they are from us and dont put labels on them - havent really thought about saying certain ones are from santa. Dont have much space under tree so relatives pressies and ours go under the tree and DS's in a pile close by.

He loves balloons, so have bought ones of those mini helium canisters and xmas eve we are going to inflate a bunch to decorate the room with.

HomeEdder, love the footprints idea.

Filthymindedvixen ditto here for ds2 - he's 8. How old is your son?
I think every year this'll be the last tho' ds1 (10) is brilliant about the pretence which makes me forgive the 12 things he did last week which infuriated me

Our stockings are nice needlepoint ones so they're hung up round the inglenook fireplace downstairs. But very late on Christmas Eve they miraculously fill up and then hang from the ends of beds or bedroom fireplaces. The children are full of sugar mice by about 5am.

DD2 who was 2yo last Christmas, was frightened at the idea of Santa going in her room so we said he'd understand and leave it with mummy, which he did, DD2 was delighted and is looking forward to it this year.

Presents from family are wrapped and under tree. We open a few of them after breakfast and a few more in the afternoon and often a few more on Boxing Day. They get far too much - mostly a result of many of our friends having no DCs and more money than sense. [rolls-eyes]

We're a bit mixed but my family traditions reign allegedly as we were there for ds1's first C'mas Santa leaves unwrapped presents under the tree - open only when everyone awake. Ds2 and dd still believe that Santa makes a special trip abroad for children like them as German children get presents on C'mas Eve.
When we're here in Germany we go to the ILs & mil still tells them the Christ Child (who he?) brings the presents at dusk, tho' her writing is everywhere & they're exhorted to thank her & fil for them The boys think she just doesn't understand properly about Santa and look at her with pity.
December 6th is Nikolaus here - the birthday of Saint Nicholas and the children get a small stocking present from "him" and from grandparents/kindergarten/neighbours.
Ds1 & ds2 came to me about 5 yrs ago with determined looks (they were 5 and 3 then) wanting to know why Nikolaus doesn't bring presents to their cousins in Ireland or England which Is Not Fair.
So now the story is that whilst the German & Dutch children get presents on Nik's birthday as a thankyou for remembering the day, it isn't really him (home with feet up & not working) but his elves who come in his sleigh. Honour satisfied.
Last year ds2 (8) swore he heard the elves.

I do for my DS what my parents did for my sister & I.
On Christmas Eve, we leave a mince pie and a glass of brandy out for Father Christmas, and a carrot for Rudolph, by the fireplace. Then hang a stocking (I used to have an old, woollen rugby sock!)at the end of the bed. I remember being so excited to see presents at the end of my bed first thing, and usually ran into my parents room to tell them. Last year I had to point it out to DS (but then he was only 2).
Then downstairs by the fireplace is the empty glass and plate with a thank you note from Father C.
The Christmas presents only get put out on Christmas Eve. Smaller ones before DS goes to bed, but the special ones afterwards, so it's exciting for him to discover. Really small presents go on the tree for him to find, along with chocolate decorations.
Ooooh, I'm coming over all Christmassy just thinking about it...

Stockings by the fireplace. Small presents - all from Father C. We usually do it so adults have stockings too - so all adults buy stocking presents for each other and the children. Kids can open a couple of presents before breakfast and then we do the rest when we have eaten.

Presents under the tree. All from family. Opened in the afternoon after lunch.

fink he is 10 at xmas and very cyncial about many thiungs but still beleives in the toothfairy (allegedly) though he did make the connection once between mummy passing out on the sofa due to a large, riotous dinner party and the non-appearance of the TF
And on saturday he realised that the shop we were in contained most of the stuff which appeared in the stocking last year. He said: ''santa's shoppers must shop in Harper's Bazaar too...''

Stocking on end of bed. Presents wrapped. From Father Christmas. Children bring them into our room to open them , but when they are older will probably be encouraged to do this in their own room...

Family presents under the tree.

Reading this thread has made me so excited about Christmas

filthymindedvixen - at the non-appearance of the toothfairy.
Last week I forgot (like 80% of the time now) and slid a euro sneakily under his pillow at about 2pm.
"Ds2! Did the toothfairy come?"
"No, Mum, I checked already"
Made him check again and insisted the light must have been bad or he'd been in a hurry the first time ...
That's happened a few times now - maybe he has twigged
Christmas presents: I say that Santa orders them from the shops too as there are now too many children for him to make them any more.

We have a little table outside of ds's room. We have a fishfinger, beans and chips tea xmas eve and then sit and watch the snowman. We put out reindeer food outside his window (oats with glitter so the reindeer can see where they've got to land) He has a bath and then gets into pj's. We then put hang his stocking on the table with a candle, mince pie, glass of sherry and carrot (for rudolph!) on the table. He then goes to be and we read him the story 'Twas the night before xmas'. I wrap everything that goes in his stocking (although my mum never used to wrap all of ours) and he brings that in our room to open (while I go an get a cup of tea). Then once all done (cause i do a stocking for dp too!) we go into the other room where father xmas will have left a pile of wrapped xmas pressies on the sofa for unwrapping!! Once that's all done, we have some breakfast then unwrap pressies under the tree from each other and anyone else who's bought them and once all done we spend the rest of the day eating playing and falling asleep!!!!!

This has made me all Xmassy too!!! I love it!!!

We have a lovely big treaty Xmas Eve dinner - T Bone steaks as a mad delicious splurge thena walk round with the los to look at everyone's lights. Then they open 1 parcel each - Xmas Pjs and leave out their stockings and a snack and drink for Santa and rudolph by the fire. Sprinkle the reindeer food outside and snuggle down to watch Mickey's Christmas Carol - may be Polar Express this year as Ds (5) is getting really in to that!

When they are sleeping we bring all the WRAPPED ( at unwrapped!!) presents down from various hiding places and have huge heaps of presents 'around' the tree - all over hte floor in other words!!!
Paper is not colour coded and most of the presents are from Santa.

Kids usually wake us up in morning. One fo us has to sneak down (while the other dealys in getting up) to switch on ree lights etc and get DVD recorder ready then back upstairs claimingto ahve been to loo! Then mayhem as we all go downstairs and kids hang back - unsure if "he's" been or not!!

Then absolute dlight as they see all the parcels. We don't keep piles back, we just get tore in with me keeping a list of who gave what for thank you letters. Breakfast comes after with dh or dad (every 2nd year!) BBQing bacon, sausage, black pudding etc to have with crusty rolls - kids on second selection box if daddy is in charge!!

Exactly like my childhood Xmases! not like DH's as his were not that good due to having bizarre parents!

Anyway might not be to everyone's taste but it's fab and I love it!!!

scuse typos!

Stockings outside door filled with little bits (although stocking is quite large - made by my mum who made ours as children). I wrap these pressies although my parents didn't (they had 3 children, I only have 1 at the mo which might be the difference !). These are opened on our bed.

Then get dressed, a nice breakfast, then presents under the tree - some from us, the rest from friends and relatives, none from FC under the tree.

This is based on my family's traditions - DH's are different although not massively (their stockings were opened in the sitting room).

We leave a biscuit and some milk out for FC (was a mince pie and sherry when I was a kid but neither dp or I like them!) and a carrot for Rudolph.

Stockings are left on the end of the dcs beds and filled with small wrapped pressies from FC, these are usually unwrapped in our room on Christmas morning.

Then downstairs to see if FC has left them anything else- we used to do individual piles but now we put them all under the tree in an attempt to slow them down!

All the dcs presents are from Father Christmas, they get nothing from mummy and daddy which sounds horrible but it was how it was for me as a kid and they've never questioned it.

Getting all excited now!!