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?

We open/build/put batteries in everything from Santa and DON'T wrap !!
The LO have a chair each and stockings(with names on) sit on the back of the chair.
All pressies from friends/family go under the tree wrapped !!
This year I'm gonna try and stagger the opening frenzy until after lunch....prob won't work.
OOHHH can't wait now...

DD1 (almost 7) had decided she doesn't believe in Father Christmas any more, because he couldn't possibly deliver all presents, be in lots of places at once etc. Does this mean don't have to give her any presents this year? Have already had to bribe her to stop her telling all her class mates he's not real. Quite sad really.

as a kid santa always came whilst we were at midnight mass and when i got home i could open a couple of presents.

so i let my kids open a prezzie after midnight mass - not a main one.

its about making your own traditions i think.

santa has tinkerbell the magic fairy for any awkward questions magic can solve it

" we havent got a chimney how does santa get in?" etc

Aahhhh, I can almost hear sleigh bells Love it!!

Anyway, we recreating my family christmas as DH and siblings got cheques from about age 6 or something although he thinks they might have had stockings at some point .

'Snack' for Santa and carrot for Rudolph left in living room by the tree/chimney. Stockings hung on windowsill by tree. Family gifts under the tree and Santa gifts in a pile on the floor/chair/sofa. Filled stocknig is then propped on top or beside pile of gifts.

DS only nearly 2 this year but I think we might start a Mummy & Daddy present under the tree as my neice was asking why she didn't get anything from M&D!

On Christmas morning DH goes to light fire and put lights on (under guise of checking if Santa has been) then we just open everything there is!!

Jingle bells, la la la...

Ohh, lovely thread.

DS1 now a bit old and cynical at 12 but DD is really just begining to get excited about christmas at 2.8 and DS2 is obviously clueless at 8 months!

I have always bought new PJ's (no idea why) for the kids so it will be christmas flims on DVD, tea then ready for bed, bath with a christmas lush bath bomb each and into new PJ's. Leave mince pies, sherry and carrot (or sprouts one year at DS1's insistance) for reindeer. Hang stocking on outside door handle as they are all light sleepers. When kids are finally alseep my parents will bring round all the present that I have wrapped, small ones in stocking large ones under tree. Kids open stocking first thing, then good old christmas breakfast before we open them all under the tree. Never really thought about from santa or parents. It has always been that the present from myself and DH are from santa and not tagged and the ones from other relatives are wrapped and tagged from them.

We do it just how my own parents did it for me.
Christmas eve, cookies and milk (evidently Santa prefers this to mince pies and sherry) left by fireplace, along with carrot for reindeer. Stockings left on the end of the bed and filled during the night. There's nothing like a lumpy stocking replacing the flat, limp one to get you squealing 'he's been he's been!' Stockings opened on the beds. Then it's downstairs to find empty plate/glass, and presents organised in piles. All wrapped except for one 'special' present - you need that buzz of excitement to see something new and fabulous sitting unwrapped amongst the gifts. This year I am wrapping the DD's presents in different paper, just to try to avoid that 'who's is this one - it hasn't got a tag on it' moment we inevitably have. Then we have a big ol' breakfast and chaos ensues.

Empty stocking - dangling off end of bed.
Full stocking - reclining fatly over foot of bed.
Contents of stocking - swaddled in ad hoc bits of coloured tissue paper. (Essential, & labour-saving.)

Other presents - wrapped, under tree. Not put there until Christmas Eve.

Story - who knows how Father Christmas gets down a chimney as narrow as ours? Or into houses without chimneys. Yes, he probably does have a time-machine. No, he probably doesn't have a time-machine - maybe all the elves help. Maybe the Tooth Fairy does too. Maybe he's a job-share.

Children hang stockings on the tree in the living room. We don't 'do' Santa, they know the presents are from us, and they don't open anything until after lunch (about 4ish ) - because we both work in churches, we have too much to do before then. Presents - we do in rounds - everyone opens one present, then we play a game, like everyone thinking of a christmas food beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. At some point, ds1 disappears and reappears dressed up as Father Christmas, with a present for everyone - he has done this since he was 3, and it is my favourite part of Christmas - he has made his own magical Santa story! He even leaves a present for himself 'for when he gets back'.

The rounds of presents usually go on until about 6, then we have tea then go to bed!

Should add - the stockings are done in the afternoon as well.

I have only scanned this thread as I am in work.

Top Tip

Picked up on here last year.

Two stockings exactly the same, you put the empty one on the end of the bed and then as you swap them over you do not run the risk of getting caught.

Which happened to me two years ago.

I had to beat a hasty retreat and set the alarm for 3.00 in the morning to try and do it again.

All large pressies are wrapped and under the tree.

Stockings unwrapped on the beds from fc - as a child i often woke in the middle of the night to take a peak.
Properly open stockings which contain a healthy snack on M and D bed- thus delaying going downstairs.
Downstairs all presents magically DELIVERED by FC during the night on behalf of parents and rest of family and one wrapped pressie from FC.
Also do the sherry mincepie and carrot thing the night before and turn front room into a grooto with a note to thank for the mince pie etc from the man himself.
My Dc are far to young to get this but it is what makes Xmas for me and hated the years prechildren due to lack of excitement
I LOVE CHRISTMAS [GRIN]

DS has his stocking on the end of his bed with wrapped stuff in - 5 things that are no more than £5 each.

Then downstairs, under the tree are all the main presents and one present on the tree (for at the dinner table).

We do not unwrap any of them til everyone is up and dressed and breakfast has been eaten / cleared away.

DS's gifts also get split if he has a huge pile to occupy him on Boxing Day too (although he doesn't know that of course - I have a look and decide as I put them out for him).

The stockings get unwrapped on my parents bed (we usually sleep over but may not be this year so will be my bed). It is great fun and he loves it!

Oops - forgot to say; he has The Night Before Christmas book read to him and he has a book/cd that he listens to alone during the holidays (and June as per this year!)

His presents are from whoever bought them and his stocking is from me; FC delivers it all. That way he is grateful to the people for buying the stuff but has the excitement of FC too.