What does santa get your kids and what comes from you?

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My little boy will be 16 months old 2 days after Christmas so he won't understand but I want to keep it the same every year. Last year I did a letter from santa (will be mics to look back on as he grows) and mentioned some things I said he liked and then santa got him his stocking presents and a want, need, wear and a read and everything else was from us/whoever got him it. Does this seem like a good idea going forward? What do you do?

We decided to stick with FC brings the stocking and then let's mummy and daddy know what else is on the list.

That way there isn't any santa brought me the biggest present etc as I hate how Christmas has become more about parents feeling guilty they can't afford the latest thing!

Everything from Santa, apart from gifts from relatives. They never got everything off their lists. I’ve never actually heard children questioning why so and so got an Xbox when I got a felt-tip.
By the time they start to question logistics/fairness/monetary value etc then they tend to work it all out.
This is our first Christmas without any believers but they are all still writing to Santa (in between gcse mock revision 😂)

I really wish we'd put some rules in because we always had a letter to Father Christmas, and if he doesn't get some stuff on it then what's the point in writing to him/ visiting him.
However I didn't factor costs up when we had more than one child and it just got really stressful. Now I would do letter, he picks one or two, and the rest is chocolate, silly things like fluffy socks etc.

Santa brings everything apart from one gift which is from us. Tbh I'm not sure why I did it that way, but I can't change it now as it's been the same every year. I wish I'd have done a more equal mix between us and Santa.

when DC were young, Santa brought stockings only. The rest was from us. Stockings did have a few more expensive things in it like a gaming controller or aftershave, perfume as well as the usual bits.

Father Christmas brought one gift. Not always biggest or most expensive. But one that was particularly requested.
Arrived Christmas morning unwrapped and ready to use. Often traces of elf dust glittering in it.

Everything else from whoever bought it, including from me abd Dh.

Father Christmas hers. He brings the stocking.

FC bring stocking and whatever gift they asked him for if we went to a grotto. We/family/whoever get everything else. Same when I was growing up (although we rarely did a grotto).

Stockings are from Father Christmas, other presents are from whoever bought them. When they are deciding what to ask Father Christmas for we always remind them he just gets small things that fit in stockings. This year we've got Breakfast with Santa on the 22nd so hopefully they don't go rogue with their requests because there won't be long to source unexpected items!

Santa brings the stocking fillers and most other presents. DH and I have an ongoing debate about how much is too much 😂 I like a lot of presents, whereas he literally got a pillowcase of little things and a toblerone each year.

Any big ticket items like iPads and bikes are from us though, as they’re too expensive for Santa to give to everyone.

Stocking is: Silly things, little "pocket money" time games, several chocolate/sweet things, a magazine, at least one book, at least one DVD and a few things thart are needed like pants, socks, new pyjamas or slippers, or t-shirts that would be just bought from household funds at any other time of year but are wrapped up as extra stocking gifts just for a bit more fun. A £2 coin in the toe.

a "Main" present from us and everything from relatives etc is all under the tree and from the person that gave them, with Santa not being involved in those at all.

I don’t think I’ve ever said Father Christmas brings anything. We are clear that the ones under the tree are from us or whoever gave them. I don’t really mention the stockings. We didn’t want the children thinking Father Christmas favoured certain children but let their imaginations decide about the stockings. Father Christmas isn’t really a big thing in our Christmas now I think about it!

This is how it was when I was a kid (and among all my friends too) but when I mentioned it at work once everyone felt really sorry for me as if I’d had a deprived childhood. I don’t have my own kids but my siblings do the same with theirs.

Stocking and main present from Santa. The rest from whoever so that thanks can be given and over expectations from Santa himself.

Santa just does stockings here (normal stocking size), it's quite strange how excited my eldest gets for Santa when he knows all his presents are wrapped and down in the cellar, and the stocking from Santa is actually only a tiny part of Christmas day!

We don't put gifts under the tree before Christmas Eve though, that would be a nightmare with my 2 year old! They all come out after bedtime, they're always excited to see the tree Christmas morning :)

This

Our dcs get to ask for three gifts from FC / Santa. Nothing massive. Usually three toys. They also get a stocking with sweeties, bath bombs etc (no toys). We get them something they want, need, wear, read ourselves. Again, nothing really big. We aren't at PlayStation/ x box stage yet so gifts are all quite small. Like a doll or a toy fire engine.

Santa brings everything in this house too

Father Christmas brought the stocking presents, and the big present came from dh and me. And the presents from other people came from them.

Same here.

We changed to stockings only from Father Christmas and everything else from whoever bought it when my boys were younger. It made life so much easier - I wish we had done it from the beginning.

Each to their own I suppose. Is it regional? Father Christmas is a pretty big deal here in the North West!

Father Christmas brings stockings and maybe one large present (it was a play kitchen last year). Everything else is from us/ other family etc.

To be fair we have never expressly explained anything in detail unless asked and no one has really asked much.

My oldest asked around 4/5 why I was buying something he wanted for xmas (had to get it while he was with me because it was sold out everywhere) and I just said we buy stuff or send money to north pole and santa delivers things.

Think I have told my youngest when clearing toys that they get sent to santa who gives them to new boys and girls to love which also explains second hand stuff.

But they have never asked whats FROM santa, until the santa sack thing started 4 years ago I dont even think they thought santa gave them anything, he was just a delivery service lol.

I think as parents we have our ideas clear as day in our heads but our kids probably dont even think about it or know and might even make up their own ideas.

Like I have zero ideas if my gifts where meant to be from mam or Santa, I knew Santa wasn't real from a rumor at school when I was 5 so almost always 'knew' it was my mam and never really asked for clarification on what I was 'suppose' to believe.

When Little everything came from Santa and all went under the tree. I never had stockings or sacks so didn’t understand them or what to really put in them. I also don’t get the whole why should someone else take credit when I’ve bought it. I don’t care about credit as long as my DCs are happy.

As they have gotten older they now know some things come from us.

Santa list is 2 items, we ask them to be realistic and also be prepared not to get what they ask for, they have a choice to write something else just in case Santa can’t get their first choice. We have always told them Santa and parents have to ok everything so asking for a pony when we don’t have a field for it to live in isn’t going to happen. So never had the issue if Rosie got xyz why didn’t I? When my DDs friend got a phone and hover board at 8 I had already told my DD not to put them on her list as we didn’t approve of phones so young and we didn’t have the space for her to ride a hover board so we told Santa she wasn’t allowed these.

Now they understand a bit more and that we get presents also we have asked what they want from us, again 2 things each. They get way more on the day but these are extras.

They have acquired stockings and sacks and what ever fits just gets put in them. Last year was the first for sacks so we just put chocolate in the stockings.