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Original poster

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

147 replies

NoNamesLeft234678 · 09/11/2022 16:28

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?

OP posts:
senua · 10/11/2022 08:18

I also don’t get the whole why should someone else take credit when I’ve bought it
Why do I want the DC to think that some random has brought them presents but their parents haven't? That the people who are supposed to love them the most in the world are the only ones who haven't showered them with gifts?

ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS · 10/11/2022 10:23

senua · 10/11/2022 08:18

I also don’t get the whole why should someone else take credit when I’ve bought it
Why do I want the DC to think that some random has brought them presents but their parents haven't? That the people who are supposed to love them the most in the world are the only ones who haven't showered them with gifts?

Christmas in our house is all about the magic of Christmas, Santa the Elf’s are all magical and like to give presents to children. Why dose it matter if they think the presents come from me or Santa? They are happy and when they are older will know it was all me & DH anyway. I’ve never had them ask once why we haven’t brought them presents.

RobinRobinMouse · 10/11/2022 11:39

@ITSSSSCHRISTMASSS I agree with you, for me also I don't want my child associating my love for her with whether or not she gets lots of presents as @senua mentions. I can show my love for her in other ways, I'm not worried she will think I don't love her enough because her gifts are from FC.

NegroniLover · 10/11/2022 13:51

I just don' buy the whole 'oh Santa only brings a twig so little Olivia's classmates don't ask why he doesn't love them as much'..

Our dc are teens now so we're well beyond that stage. But when they were little any presents given by family or friends went under the tree and were labelled 'love granny' etc

All other presents (from us) were from Santa and these were not wrapped but 'arranged' in a display beside the fireplace, in front of the stockings. Our were given embroidered felt stockings when babies and they're bloody huge! So Santa always filled these too and not with practical stuff either.

My dh grew up in a house that placed zero importance on celebrating anything - Christmas or birthdays etc. They're all really lack lustre affairs and he had no clue what an experience it could be.

I grew up in a house that really celebrated Santa and I persuaded him to try it my way. Now he's a bigger fan that I am and our dc have had wonderful years.

Even now that they're teens we do everything the same way - stockings out, and we lay out the presents on Christmas Eve in the same place we always did.

The only change to our tradition is that now dh and I do lovely stockings for each other too - we started that about 5 years ago and we both LOVE it.

Fabuleuse · 10/11/2022 14:16

Santa brings everything in this house, stocking plus all presents that are bought by us. Any other presents from family members are credited to them. This is the same as I had growing up except we never did stockings.

CakeCrumbs44 · 10/11/2022 14:20

Santa does a stocking (actually it's a box but functions as a stocking) which has about 10-12 things in ranging from 50p chocolate coins to things costing £5 or so - although often worth more. Total spent is about £50 per child.

From us usually one "big" and a couple of small presents totalling about £100 value each - although I try to get things on offer so it costs less. And then things from other people are labelled from whoever bought them, not FC.

illiterato · 10/11/2022 14:24

Santa brings a stocking of token stuff (books, toiletries, stationary, chocolate, little toys, new underwear, lip balms, a mug/ water bottle, football stickers, new mouthguard, shin pads etc, some of which "Santa" might have had to buy anyway). Main presents are then just from who they're from. Then if "main present" requests were impossible to get or just way too expensive I just told them. They do write lists but know it's just ideas and not a dispatch note.

Maybe I'm lucky because normally they've had a few things they've wanted rather than being stuck on one "must have".

They have friends who do both systems and honestly it's never been an issue. When they want to believe they just filter out info to the contrary.

CoodleMoodle · 10/11/2022 14:31

Santa fills up their stockings to open first thing. He also puts a couple of things into the grown ups' stockings (me, DH and DM), but the grown ups usually help him with that.

Everything under the tree is from us/family/friends. Santa usually helps to get that year's big present, but it's still from us!

Thinkbiglittleone · 10/11/2022 14:34

Santa brings everything here, our DS loves the magic of it all.
Family members give their presents as we visit.

Desmondo2021 · 10/11/2022 14:42

Santa brings a sack of far too much ranging from bubble bath and chocolate up to box games, onesie, puzzles, toys, dolls etc. One or two main presents under the tree from us. Presents from family and friends under the tree too. If I could turn back time 20 years Santa would bring just a stocking of small gifts and treats but I've been going OTT for so long now and I've probably only for 4 or 5 years left of having a believer so hey I'm in for the long game now. In fact, I o ly had the little one as I was mourning having a believer when the others grew up a bit 😂...

With 2 birthdays the week before Xmas too it's not a cheap time, but I love it.

And girls are SO much easier than boys imo.

BonesOfWhatYouBelieve · 10/11/2022 14:44

Santa brings stockings, that's it. Everything else is from whoever it's from.

But we still put the presents under the tree overnight on Christmas Eve - we just don't pretend Santa did it.

3peassuit · 10/11/2022 14:45

Father Christmas bring stockings everything else is wrapped and put under the tree from family.

CouldBeOuting · 10/11/2022 14:52

Mine are grown up but we always said stockings (sacks) are from FC everything else from Mum&Dad (as no other family buying them presents). Stocking presents were usually, some chocolate, a book, a jumper or suchlike and a puzzle or small Lego set. DH & I also got a stocking which had chocolate and a family game or DVD (in the “olden days”).

In truth my (now adult) DCs still get stockings with similar contents. DD is rarely home for Christmas so her sack is posted to her with her other gifts. DC know that if they stop believing in FC then the presents can’t happen 😆

CouldBeOuting · 10/11/2022 14:53

Pressed send too soon….

Presents under the tree are put there as they are wrapped….

Underawarmblanket · 10/11/2022 14:53

I made a huge error with my DC as everything is off Santa apart from things that are off any family or friends and one large share present off us! Our DC now think we are tight and Santa is amazing. 🤦‍♀️

firesideglow · 10/11/2022 15:14

I get everything. I send it off, or I send the list off to Santa's elves who prep and wrap everything. Santa's just the delivery driver. He does a better job than Evri so gets a mince pie and and some sherry.

Snugglemonkey · 10/11/2022 15:22

Santa fills the stockings and gift sacks. Everything really apart from gifts from family and friends and one present under the tree from us.

Oblomov22 · 10/11/2022 15:27

One small present from Santa, eg a chocolate selection box. All other presents from us, plus a couple of small bits in stocking from us. Why give Santa all the credit. Santa was always low key in our house.

NegroniLover · 10/11/2022 15:55

I find these threads fascinating and they come up every year - I grew up in Ireland where Santa (Santy) is HUGE. It's a really big deal there. And I have always loved it and replicated for my own dc.

I truly don't understand the mindset of not wanting to give 'santa' the credit for bringing the presents. For us when dc are young it's all about that magic. When they get older they know it was all you anyway!

Until I joined MN I had honestly never met anyone who thought like that apart from MIL. She's English and initially I thought she was just an exception but reading the opinions here I think it's a cultural difference in how Christmas is celebrated?

CouldBeOuting · 10/11/2022 16:09

NegroniLover · 10/11/2022 15:55

I find these threads fascinating and they come up every year - I grew up in Ireland where Santa (Santy) is HUGE. It's a really big deal there. And I have always loved it and replicated for my own dc.

I truly don't understand the mindset of not wanting to give 'santa' the credit for bringing the presents. For us when dc are young it's all about that magic. When they get older they know it was all you anyway!

Until I joined MN I had honestly never met anyone who thought like that apart from MIL. She's English and initially I thought she was just an exception but reading the opinions here I think it's a cultural difference in how Christmas is celebrated?

The thing is @NegroniLover , how do you explain that Santa can give more to some children than others? How do you explain to Simon who’s parents are scraping by on minimum wage that Santa only got him a new dressing gown and a selection box while Peter next door who’s parents just got a huge bonus got a gaming PC, an electric scooter and the latest designer trainers? Is Peter “more good”? Has Simon been “bad”? Shouldn’t Santa treat all good little boys and girls the same?

Not sure it’s cultural either. The Irish side of my family did things the same as I do now.

Fairislefandango · 10/11/2022 16:14

Father Christmas fills the stockings (little gifts and sweets etc). Everything else is from whoever it's actually from.

popandchoc · 10/11/2022 16:17

Stockings and main gift here. Everything else is from the person who bought it.

Fairislefandango · 10/11/2022 16:19

Everything that we get the DC comes from Santa. Everything from relatives is given to the DC by the relatives in person.

But don't the dc think it's weird that their other relatives get them presents but you don't? Or do you say you send them to santa and he delivers them?

DappledThings · 10/11/2022 16:40

NegroniLover · 10/11/2022 15:55

I find these threads fascinating and they come up every year - I grew up in Ireland where Santa (Santy) is HUGE. It's a really big deal there. And I have always loved it and replicated for my own dc.

I truly don't understand the mindset of not wanting to give 'santa' the credit for bringing the presents. For us when dc are young it's all about that magic. When they get older they know it was all you anyway!

Until I joined MN I had honestly never met anyone who thought like that apart from MIL. She's English and initially I thought she was just an exception but reading the opinions here I think it's a cultural difference in how Christmas is celebrated?

Don't know. It wasn't ever a huge deal for us. Santa always only brought stockings so that's what I do now.

I've never been that bothered about the magic of it. DS is 6 and announced in the middle of Wilko the other day that he knows there's no Santa and it's just mummy and daddy. I've seen loads of threads with people heartbroken about their DC figuring it out and ruining the magic. I don't get it. DS is just as excited about getting his stocking and Christmas in general. And he was so delighted that he knew something he knows to keep secret from his little sister it was very cute.

TeddyBeans · 10/11/2022 16:45

We do 5 presents from Santa. The one present they ask for in their Christmas letter to Santa and then a sack using the want, need, wear, read gift idea. All Santa presents are wrapped in tartan paper.

Everything else is clearly labelled as from parents/family/friends