How does Santa work in your house?

[cookiemonstress]

I'm being a bit feeble minded so in need of help. DD1 almost 4 this year and think will be fully locked on to father christmas and gifts. However she is somewhat freaked out by the big man, especially coming up the stairs. So am thinking that he'll let himself in with key and leave presents in front room. Any better suggestions?

Also what happens with 'main/big' presents. If one of these feature in letter to FC, do they go in stocking or round the tree?

We had tradition of not having presents til after lunch when growing up and these were never from FC. So do you pass of big present from FC or say from Mummy/Daddy etc?

I usually do one small present from FC and then the rest from mummy/daddy/whoever - when the DS's asked how they all got there a few years ago I told them that FC looks after all the presents and delivers them all on Christmas eve.

Santa brings small presents which are opened in the morning, big presents are from mum & dad, granny & grandpa etc and are opened later with everyone together.

Leaving presents in the sitting room is a good idea, means you don't have to creep about so much.

FC comes down the chimney, in to the front room, eats his pie, writes a thank you note, leaves pressies under tree and zooms off again. DD is 4 and ok with that so far!!!!

"Santa" leaves bag of presents outside DS's bedroom door.

All presents from me & DH are in the "Santa" bag, except the biggy (a bike this year). That's always from us, even if it is in a letter to "Santa". Because we're nicer than "Santa". Obviously.

HTH

I think we need a smiley-face-with-a-Christmas-hat-on emoticon.

FC fills stocking (proper stretchy one, not naff gigantic one/pillowcase) with small things.

All other presents are given by the person who bought them and acknowledged as such.

Santa leaves new PJ's on beds on Christmas eve with a little decoration (helps encourage them off to bed).

Santa fills stockings full of smaller presents and leaves on the end of childrens beds, they drag these through to my bed to open when they wake up.

Once stockings opened, everyone gets dressed and waits to go downstairs together. Tea and toast put on and kids encouraged to have a bit of cereal.

Everyone settles around the pile of presents and kids takes turns to select a present to open or to give to recipient. Kids expected to take turns and see what others are opening. (This makes it last, gives me time to see what kids got from other people for thsnkyou letters, and encourages them to appreciate the giving as well as receiving)

This year We are doing stockings at home then round to granny's for presents.

He comes down the chimney here too, but no thank you note (may do that, I like it!) The dc's have quite small stockings so he leaves little bits in them and maybe a few other bigger things around the tree, especially if it is something that has been coveted for ages....

Ok fogot to say kids put out landings lights on the back grass (outdoor fairy lights) and sprinkle a bit of fairy dust.

They leave out carrots, a drink and a pie or something.

He comes in the back door with a special santa key.

Stockings are purpose made fancy ones now given as presents a few christmases ago, not huge, used to be long red rugby socks, I had thse as a kid and they look fantastic stretched out accross the bed.

We have stockings on the fireplace which santa comes and fills he gets down the closed chimmney using magic dust. He eats the mince pie and glass of baileys's we leave for him and rudolph bites the carrot.

They have a main present each that we buy them and they know this as they understand that granparents etc buy other presents too.

in our house FC brings ALL the pressies, the ones in the stocking are from him to say Happy Christmas and the others are from the people on the gift tag.. HOWEVER they have all been delivered by FC.
He brings them all down the chimney here - How? well that is part of the magic of Christmas.
DS1 is only 4 though so we haven't needed to explain more than that yet.

F.C. comes down the chimney, leaves big snowy ( talc) footprints in the living room. he fills the stockings on the fireplace, then puts presents under the tree. Never leaves the living room.

We have everything from F.C. other than family and friends gifts, but nothing from mum and dad so to speak. We also have a tradition of opening a family present each on xmas eve evening.

Skramble... How on earth do you get them to eat before opening presents!!!????

OK so bad Q i Know. But DH goes mad so thought i would see. How much do you spend each (on average) on your children for presents??

rusmum... that is such a scary question on here!!!

I'm going to bite the bullit and be honest. We do spend a lot to be honest.
Ds is 6 and we will spend about £400 on him
Dd is 13 months and we will spend about £100.

I know this may sound a lot, but.... Dh has no family so no extra gifts from that end. Also, we are older parents and have spent years spending money on ourselves and now we don't. Plus, they don't get much through the year..

I did say try, well DS will eat some as he normally eats his own body weight in wheetos most mornings . DD will start with a glass of milk.

I think it helps that we don't charge down stairs too early, by the time we open stockings it could be 8:30 - 9am anyway.

They are used to it its what we have always done so they expect it. No mad present ripping frenzy all done by 7am in my house .

Barnsleybelle we open stockings before breakfast, 1 pressie before church (they get to choose one from under the tree) a few more before lunch and then some more later in the afternoon.. It has just always happened this way so I guess DS's don't know any different.

Also he's Father Christmas in our house rather than santa.

I think it's great listening to all the different christmas day traditions. Makes me all excited.

Skramble... your ripping frenzy comment made me lol!! Ds is very controlled and wants to play with each item he opens and it drives dh mad, as he wants a ripping frenzy!!!!

bythepower... How lovely that you spread it out through the day, makes it last longer.. I may try this as by the time we get to church the house is a mass of wrapping paper!!

GOSH- last year i spent £100 on DD1 (then3) but got lots of bits. she has 2 nans who get her lots too!! am i being a skin flint??

Rusmum.... NOT AT ALL... It's me who gets carried away!! My dcs get very little outside father christmas due to family being small etc. They only have a granny and 2 uncles.

I wish i'd never said now!!!
Also dh works away for 2 thirds of the year so we do go over the top at christmas.