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Original poster

Stockings/Father Christmas presents/presents under the tree, how do you do it?

97 replies

SillySausage81 · 08/12/2022 23:41

I'm dithering over how to arrange things, as this year will be our first Christmas where my DD (2.5) will actually know what's going on.

So when I was a child, we had our Father Christmas presents which were left in our rooms, and then our presents from family under the tree.

Father Christmas would bring us all our presents from our parents - we'd have one or two "main" presents plus a few surprises, which would all be left in a pillow case or sack at the end of our beds. We didn't really have actual stockings or "stocking filler presents". We'd open our Father Christmas presents as soon as we woke up on Christmas morning.

The family presents (aunts, uncles, grandparents) would sit under the tree for ages before Christmas. We were very lucky to have a big family which meant a massive stack of presents under the tree each year. We'd open them with the whole family after going downstairs.

I always thought that's how everyone does it, but now I'm hearing other things from different people, so just really interested to hear how everyone else does it.

My DD only has a couple of aunts and uncles so our tree present pile will look a lot smaller if we do things the way I did them as a kid, so looking for inspiration of other ways of doing it...

Are your kids' "main presents" from you or Father Christmas? Do you have lots of presents under the tree too? Do you have a stocking full of little gifts?

OP posts:
Itaintwhatyoudoitsthewaythatyoudoit · 08/12/2022 23:49

Our main presents are from FC. The children write letters asking for what they would like. We, as the parents, do not give the children any gifts.
FC puts the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve and the children wake up an run down to see what they got.
Stockings are hung on the mantlepiece and are also from FC. They are filled with smaller gifts including chocolates, novelty toys, and whatever smaller gifts from FC that fit into them.

Reading the above, it is little wonder the children are so disappointed when they realise who FC is!

We have a small family and gifts are exchanged when we meet over Christmas. Other than Christmas morning, there aren't any gifts under the tree which is just as well as our hyperactive dog would probably eat them!

Shodan · 08/12/2022 23:50

My boys are older now (15 and 26) but when they were young I did a stocking for each of them- these came from Father Christmas.

Father Christmas also left one present under the tree for them- usually the main one. He would always wrap them in the same paper as the stocking gifts. Everything else came from me. Family presents were usually given and opened as and when we saw them.

As a kid myself we each had a stocking and then a sack of presents under the tree (6 of us so no time to be handing round gifts!)

LBFseBrom · 08/12/2022 23:55

My child's gifts were from whoever gave them. They went under the tree but not usually until late Christmas Eve. A stocking was in the bedroom and opened with us in bed. We didn't do 'Santa' though said the story/myth was magical (I do not mean literally magic), and fun to pretend. It was good.

NatalieIsFreezing · 08/12/2022 23:57

Father Christmas brings small gifts in stockings only. (He uses different paper to wrap them than the main presents! )

My kids have always known that tree presents come from us/ family - I can't imagine doing it any other way as then family get thanked, kids don't think it appears for free etc... it's so much simpler, plus they do get lovely stuff in their stockings too..

Only downside is if adults ask "what did Santa bring you? " they are likely to say "a pencil" or something instead of the massive Lego set or whatever from mum and dad!

WeDontNeedToTalkAboutJamie · 09/12/2022 00:01

Father Christmas brings the stockings. Things in stockings are unwrapped. Usually pants, socks. Chocolate santa/ similar. Colouring book and pens. Sheets of stickers, bubbles when they were small. That kind of stuff. I don't spend more than £15ish.

Presents under the tree are from whoever bought them.

TheLittleMermaid67 · 09/12/2022 00:06

Stockings and the gifts from us are from FC. Stocking is in bedroom and fc presents are under the tree. Other family presents are in a sack and my kids know that these are off nanny and grandad etc and they know we buy presents for our family because we love them.

CuteCillian · 09/12/2022 00:14

FC brings the stockings and the main present. Stockings are left on the fireplace, gifts from Santa have no wrapping.
We all gather at the living room door and go-in together to see "if he has been".
All other presents are under the tree.
DC, once old enough to understand, know that me and DH give FC the money to source the presents so they know there are limitations.

GAH3 · 09/12/2022 00:15

Our daughter is 2.5 so first proper Christmas here too. We'll be doing it the way both out families did: little presents in stockings from Father Christmas (actually grandma as she does them for everyone in the family 😂) to be opened first thing. Bigger presents from us and family under the tree to be opened mid morning with the whole family.

Daughter has a habit of waking at 5ish so I think we'll do the stockings downstairs or there'll be no hope of getting her back to sleep. Also might keep the big presents upstairs till Christmas eve as I doubt she has the self control to stop herself ripping them open the minute we're out of the room 😬

NoNamesLeft234678 · 09/12/2022 00:25

As a kid I'm pretty sure all mum and dad presents were from santa and I can't remember who stockings were from but we opened them on Christmas eve 🤔

We're doing stockings and a want, wear, need and read from santa and the rest from us/whoever it's from. He's only 15 months old but we started last year as I'm doing santa letters too keep as he grows

Wonderspell · 09/12/2022 00:32

We do a mixture of small presents and bigger presents from Santa- all same wrapping paper, left under the tree. Rest of presents are from us/family.

Snugglemonkey · 09/12/2022 00:43

Anyone who gives a gift into our house is acknowledged as the giver of the gift. These are under tree presents. There is a present under the tree from myself and dp for each child. Just one present, this year Lego for one, an interactive cuddly for the other.

Santa fills the stockings and a sack. The main presents are in the sack (or beside if it is a bike or smth).

It was set up to merge our Xmas traditions and to reinforce Santa. He brings cool stuff, we give a desirable but not v expensive gift. We could never afford to give all the presents Santa brings. Of course there is Santa!

Ponderingwindow · 09/12/2022 00:46

Gifts from family under the tree. Stockings by the fireplace. A gift wrapped in red and white paper appears as well. We never actually said they were from Father Christmas, just provided the stockings and presents. Dc started associating them with FC after starting nursery at age 3 and we didn’t contradict or confirm.

Wetblanket78 · 09/12/2022 00:51

Stockings and one small gift from Santa. The rest they know are from me and any other family members who hand them to them. Some children get a lot more than others. Some get a lot less if anything. I didn't want them to grow up spoilt thinking Santa could magic every single toy they wanted no matter how expensive. Especially now with the cost of living.

RobinRobinMouse · 09/12/2022 01:20

The stocking and main present from us are from Father Christmas. Stocking goes at the end of the bed, the main present (sometimes 2 if smaller) arrives under the tree. All presents from other family and friends are under the tree. Dd knows a list is just wishes and FC will use his wisdom to choose what he knows she will love the most.

blackandwhitecat123 · 09/12/2022 01:51

Stocking at the end of the bed- Santa fills the stocking. Santa presents are wrapped in different paper and are just small things- bath bomb, chocolate coins, new felt pens, small novelty toys etc. occasionally another gift from Santa on the side if I've purchased something and mistakenly believed I can wedge it in the stocking. DS is much more excited about these than the big presents- I think there's just something magical about a really lumpy stocking 😆

All other presents are under the tree and are from whoever purchased them, including me and DH. We don't ever get big ticket items from Santa- I just say there's a limit to the amount of stuff he can fit in his sleigh and what an elf is capable of manufacturing, so expectations for the stocking remain realistic.

inappropriateraspberry · 09/12/2022 02:31

Stocking from Father Christmas on/by the bed. Presents from/to everyone else under the tree. We give the big main presents, not FC. I want them to know that I've thought about them and found them what I think kind the perfect gift. Also, as they get older, they may wonder why you're not giving them anything!

EpicChaos · 09/12/2022 03:11

When i was a kid, my mother always used to tell me that although Santa would bring the presents, it was my parents that saved up and paid for them. That way, i grew up knowing that my presents weren't freebies and there was no bottomless pit of presents to be asked for every year, thinking that they were free and there for the asking.
Stockings were left on the ends of beds - a couple of silly little toys, an
apple ( shiny and red ), an orange/satsuma, some coins and stuff like that. Main presents were left downstairs.

ThisIsNotARealAvo · 09/12/2022 03:19

We do stockings as little presents, sweets, little toys when they were younger and now they are teens things like makeup or charger cables. This is from FC.

Everything else goes under the tree and is from us or whoever bought it. We open those later in the day. We did the same when I was a child.

OhThatChicken · 09/12/2022 04:08

Stockings (well actually a pillow case, padded out with pants/socks/PJs, stationery and other essentials, a couple of fun bits, some Top Trumps and chocolate coins) from Father Christmas in their rooms. One present each from him under the tree (different paper, not usually the main present, often something not on DC's radar but we know they'll love).

Main gift from us under the tree with any other family bits. So DC understand (in a gentle ish way) that there isn't an unlimited budget for gifts.

StampOnTheGround · 09/12/2022 04:51

We did a sack of presents which came for FC and nothing from my mum/dad, however when we went to visit other family members I knew I got presents from them separately.

Didn't do stockings.

FallHappy1 · 09/12/2022 05:29

Stockings are left outside the bedroom door. This is from FC. More gifts from FC left downstairs in piles. These gifts are what the DC has asked FC for. Anything extra I've purchased for them are from me and are underneath the tree. Gifts from everyone else are under the tree.

PuttingDownRoots · 09/12/2022 05:43

Stockings from Santa in bedrooms (and opened all together in our bedroom). Usually stationary, toiletries, a small toy and a Teddy sort of thing.

Big presents all under the tree. Mostly from family... and as this is big, only a 3-4 from Santa/us. One labelled specifically from Santa, others blank so they used their imagination. Opened throughout day.

One tip for toddlers... if there is one particular item they've asked for, make sure its top of the pile. When my younger DD was that age, she was so adamant Santa would bring one thing (magnetic numbers! No idea why) she was upset until we found them.

GroundhogGroundhog · 09/12/2022 05:43

Presents from Father Christmas are smaller things as they need to fit in stockings. They both write to him but have always been very restrained and only asked for one thing, so he brings that plus maybe 10 other small presents plus some chocolate. They're both small still so these are things like soft toys, joke box, small lego sets, crafts, board games, mini microscopes, fluffy Christmas socks, maybe a jumper, books, a small playmobil set, hair clips etc.

Stockings go by the fire place and a magically filled overnight, and opened as soon as they wake up, usually in my bed but sometimes they've sneaked down and started opening them before they wake me! As a child these used to be on our beds but I don't fancy sneaking into children's bedrooms to try to do this and hope they don't wake!! So they go next to the chimney.

Larger presents that are from me go under the tree a few days before Christmas, as do presents from our extended family once they arrive to stay. These are opened together at a more reasonable time of day. When I was a child this was done after the Christmas dinner but given we serve usually at 2:30/3pm that is a long time to wait and also by then, full of food, I am tired and just want to relax with a drink and watch a Christmas film! So now we open the family presents at maybe 11am onwards while the Christmas dinner is cooking, then eat then laze around while the children play with their new things.

Brandymakesmerandy · 09/12/2022 05:46

We do everything comes from Santa and it doesn't appear until Christmas morning.He also leaves them small gifts in their stockings that are hung on the fireplace.
That's why I'm loaded because I don't buy anything i leave it all in santas capable hands 🤷‍♀️🤣

GroundhogGroundhog · 09/12/2022 05:48

DS is much more excited about these than the big presents- I think there's just something magical about a really lumpy stocking 😆

Absolutely this. The stockings are the main cause of excitement. And as PPs said, always different wrapping paper from Father Christmas too. A crackly, lumpy stocking full of surprises is what makes it.