Christmas Abroad with Kids

[calishire]

We are travelling to the states with our kids this Christmas to visit family. Oldest is 7 and we have a baby who will be 9 months. How do we play the whole Santa thing and gifts? We usually do a stocking and then 1 gift from Santa and 1-2 from us. Sounds small but our son gets absolutely shedloads from relatives. Do we do half at home before or after and then half there? Do I buy here and bring over or order stuff to my sisters house?

If you've done this, please tell me what worked!

How soon before Christmas are you leaving. We told our kids who were 6 at the time that FC would deliver here and they'd be waiting for them when they came home. Otherwise you have to figure out what you are going to take / size / weight etc.

Take the stocking presents with you. If you do take anything with don't wrap it.

Have to say though they didn't really like and it have asked to be at home for christmas ever since.

I'd do Santa at your sister's (so as not to spoil the magic that Santa will find them wherever they are) but give the presents that are from you at your house before you go. If you have the luxury of being able to order some things to arrive at your sister's, go for it! I wish I could have done that when we spent Christmas in a hotel!

We're in Chicago for Xmas so I'm going to leave a few bits under the tree at home and take a few things with us for stockings.
Mine are older (13&10) so they'll get to choose a gift there (more than likely Lego for 10 year old) but we can't lug loads back home with us as we get shafted on customs/duties (live non-UK)
I also can't be arsed with ordering masses to an Amazon locker and then trying to get wrapped as well be out and about most days

Ok. Yes I think I'll bring all the stuff for stockings and then 1-2 small gifts. I'd like to skip doing a Christmas tree at home but my son seems to want one!

The one thing I would add to the suggestion of ordering things to your sister’s is to have her check the delivery before you get there, so that if anyone cocks up and delivers the wrong thing, there’s time to do something about it. My cousin tried sending the Father Christmas presents to nanny and grandad but no one checked them until about 8pm on Christmas Eve, by which time it was too late to do anything about the random trainers that didn’t fit anyone which had been delivered instead of the art stuff that was actually ordered!