How would you do it?

[Boozlebub]

So this is the first year DS really gets and is looking forward to Santa so this is the year that will set the tradition so to speak.

I don't know how to do it so that we both get our traditions in and so that it is simple enough for The kids to believe for as long as possible.

Here in Finland it is all about Christmas Eve with Santa coming to your house in the evening to hand out gifts to the kids before he heads off around the world. OH wants to continue this understandably. I'm from England so it's all about Christmas morning.

I was thinking of doing so that on xmas Eve Santa comes to the house with the one special Santa gift that is really wanted: e.g. The bike or the games console in the future plus all the gifts from OH's family and then a few small Santa gifts. Then on xmas day morning when we wake Santa has been again with all the gifts that he delivers from my family back in the U.K. That he picked up when there plus the Santa gifts he forgot to leave because of the excitement with the big Santa gift the evening before.

Any suggestions/ideas? This is really bugging me that it will be too complex and they won't believe for long...

 

[wtbmummy]

Wow this sounds amazing!!!

We do elf on a shelf with ds and he leaves on christmas eve but leaves new pjs, a dvd, night before christmas story and a teddy or something to say thanks.
We have family abroad like yourself so we do stocking and ONE main gift from santa.
The rest is from us and family and santa delivers the presents from my mum and the inlaws that he has collected on his trip around the world.

I personally think its important that ds knows that mummy and daddy buy presents and santa just delivers them as I know families where kids stop beliving very young as the suss..... why does santa bring gifts and nanna, aunty etc but not mum n dad.

I think your idea sounds amazing but could you not do just the santa present on christmas eve n a few small gifts and then the rest on christmas morning from friends, family etc.. that he has collected from their homes (even local friends n family)

 

[george83]

Agree think your idea sounds great, I would love it as a child if I thought father christmas was bringing me presents all the way from another country

 

[marmaduke]

I think your idea sounds like a good solution. You could have a note (the same every year) to say he will return when they are sleeping to deliver gifts from the UK.

 

[c1403]

At first I was thinking hmmm how to work around this but yes, great idea. Keep with the tradition of gifts on Christmas Eve then Santa can bring back ones left in the uk. Fantastic idea.

 

[Boozlebub]

Thanks everyone!

Finally managed to get OH to have a serious conversation about it and we have decided that Santa brings the Santa gifts on xmas Eve plus whatever they get from oh's family and then Santa will bring the gifts from the U.K. Overnight and also fill their stockings and leave the presents from mummy and daddy on Christmas morning! I love the note idea too btw, I think that will be incorporated. My soon to be 3 year old already talks about how Santa will come through the front door and also down the chimney so hopefully this is gonna work! Hope you all have a fantastic build up to Christmas!

 

[wtbmummy]

That sounds perfect!!! Xxx

 

[pol.bishop25]

We usually have the entire night to ourselves, me and family. We talk, we laugh. We also ask our daughter if she thinks she was nice this past year, just to make sure she's still in tune with good manners and proper morals. Of, course we don't just ask her directly, but sort of let it slip into the conversation. And then the next day she finds her presents and is happy. I know she won't believe in Santa all her life, but I'm hoping she would grow up to be a responsive and confident adult and honesty is the root of that.

 

[Bevziibubble]

This sounds great! What a lovely tradition.