Moving presents on Xmas eve

[CloudPets]

I've currently got dc presents in my bedroom. Hidden in various places.

I'm starting to stress about Xmas eve night when I need to get them downstairs. Ds in particular is a very light sleeper. If I so much as put the landing light on he will ask me what I'm doing. I imagine he will be on even higher alert Xmas eve.

Also, baby is in my room and if I make too much noise they will wake up and cry until I comfort them. No doubt waking up all dc.

Dp will not be available to help.

What do other people do? It all just seems so stressful.

When DDs are in bed, they read for 30 mins and NEVER come out their rooms.

I'm going to put presents under the tree then, and then shut the sitting room door.

If they ask why I'll say the cat brought a mouse in.

Stocking will be done after 10pm. They're homemade so I can't do the duplicate trick I wish I'd known about 11 years ago!

Could you get a cheap Father Christmas outfit, then wear that and make as much noise as you like!

Tell DC that should they see Father Christmas in the house, and look at him, he will disappear with their presents.

Similar to the Smugglers Song by Rudyard Kipling but modified...

If you wake at midnight, and hear reindeer's feet,
Don't go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street,
Cuz them that ask no questions they isn't told a lie.
Watch the wall my darling while Father Christmas goes by.

Agree with pp, my DH keeps them occupied in the bath while I bring everything downstairs. Once bath is done, it’s teeth brushing and then bed for reading time, so they don’t come down again til morning.

Don’t put them in the car my neighbour did that a few years ago and the car was stolen! No presents devastated kids.
mine are older now but we just used to hide in under stairs cupboard etc

Family presents (majority) go under the tree as they are wrapped it's only stocking presents that go out on Christmas Eve which makes it all a lot easier. I hide them all in pillowcases in my room, different paper for each person so it's easy to distribute without much faffing.

Could you put them in pillowcases, then transport down the stairs in the washing basket (could be a few trips) with a towel on top so if someone wakes up it looks like you are just doing laundry.

Not a problem then, they know not to come out of their rooms if they hear anything.

Luckily mine are little enough to share a bath still so one of us with be in the bathroom with them and the other will move everything downstairs.

I’m sort of hoping by the time this trick doesn’t work my eldest will have figured out the whole Santa thing as I’m not quite sure how else it’ll work in our house!

I used suitcases when mine were little...could be moved around at any time of day and there was always a good explanation that could be found!
Also...the roof box of the car on occasion 😊

Ours are in suitcases & bags in the garage. Mine are 11&8 so I had to do it last week on their last day of school as our upstairs is tiny and they would have woken. Did the garage trick last year and it worked brilliantly
Good luck everyone

Haha. Was just about to say this. This is what I used to do and just leave the sacks in the front or back porch or something. Neither DS ever showed any interest.

This is a great idea if it's an option. Never was for us until we moved into our current house though

Actually I'm a bit puzzled. Are people suggesting that Father Christmas doesn't deliver the presents and it was always my parents who did it?

This would explain why my presents have dwindled to virtually nothing over the last few years since my parents died.

I had always put it down to some miserable git at the Post Office intercepting my letters to FC after a dog (that wasn't even mine) bit the postman as he left our house once some years ago.

The suitcase containing DD’s presents has been in the downstairs loo which is actually used as a utility room for a while. She never goes in there.

I will have to covertly sort the stocking later tomorrow night but she’s determined to go to bed early.

Ours after wrapped and under the tree. Stocking and one present from father Christmas are wrapped and ready to go in the wardrobe in the spare bedroom. Will take a minute to put them onto DS' bed. We have nice hand made stockings (MIL) , but not big enough for some of the things for DS , will be when he's older. DH and I use ours. I will just take it tomorrow evening and fill it. He's nearly 40 , he knows what happens.

So for now DS has got a largeish green velvet drawstring bag with his initial on it.. We hang it on the fireplace after he's emptied it, and elves I come and take it back for next year, and Santa brings it back filled

DH is nearly 40 not DS.....