What does Santa bring?

[LynAnne]

From what I remember as a child, everything on Christmas morning was from Santa - stocking and presents "under" the tree. Obviously this didn't include presents from extended family or anything but all the gifts my parents had bought were from Santa.

DS1 is 3 on Wednesday so this is the first time he really, properly understands Christmas and the idea of santa. The boys don't have a massive stash (they'll get plenty from family as well anyway) so I'm trying to work out what is from us and what's from santa.

How do you do it? Is everything from Santa or just certain things?

 

[Bevziibubble]

We do it so that all the presents we (parents) buy are from santa and everything else is from whichever family sent it. They haven't asked yet about mum and dad presents but we might have to amend how we do it as they get older.

 

[kirstybumx3]

I feel like we have probably done it wrong as all the gifts under the tree at our house are from santa too, Rio has already started asking questions as hes so literal, so I cant go and change loads now without him getting suspicious.
I have always said though that we buy most of the presents and send them to santa, as a lot of toys children have these days are too difficult for the elves to make, santa then decides which presents he will bring based on whether the children have been well behaved or not. Then santa also brings a couple of surprises that mum and dad don't know about if they've been extra good.
Its all an elaborate mountain of lies and I hate it but I have to make adjustments to keep the magic alive for him as hes got such a problem solving little brain!

 

[motherofboys]

We always did everything from Santa, it was that way for me as a kid and the same for my husband (obviously not including presents from family and friends) anyway, when he was around 7 ds1 had obviously been talking to friends and he said to one day "you get us presents as well don't you?" So I said yeah of course we do. And started labelling a few bits from us, with the bulk being from Santa as I figured if all of a sudden the bulk was from us it might be confusing and give the game away haha

 

[c1403]

When I was younger everything was from santa. However with my two only the main gifts (usually unwrapped) are from santa and the rest go in sacks or under the tree. It's usually what is on their Christmas list. I'm not sure what DH used to do.
I find this way they don't expect loads from santa and understand we also buy some. X

Also presents from family and friends we normally have before or after. For example my parents we have the day after boxing day. My auntie/Cousins we have when we do our family get together so usually everything at home is from us and santa. X

 

[ClairAye]

Mine get one thing from Santa. I had the thought of other kids who may not get much in mind when I decided.

 

[salamander91]

We do one gift and the stocking from santa.

 

[Rags]

We do a pile of unwrapped gifts away from the tree, santa brings those, and any wrapped gifts under the tree are from family and friends- I include 1 or 2 from me under there. The stockings are always from me.
When I grew up only the adults gifts were wrapped under the tree, all of the children gifts were from Santa.

 

[Rags]

We do a pile of unwrapped gifts away from the tree, santa brings those, and any wrapped gifts under the tree are from family and friends- I include 1 or 2 from me under there. The stockings are always from me.
When I grew up only the adults gifts were wrapped under the tree, all of the children gifts were from Santa.

 

[leoniebabey]

Santa delivers everything on Xmas eve. The stocking is from Santa as is the one main gift. All of the other gifts I send money to Santa for. Started doing it that way when we first were going to Disney to kind of explain why they weren’t getting as much.

 

[Scout]

I get dd 2 gifts that she opens Christmas Eve. Everything on Christmas morning, plus her stocking, is from Santa. That's how it was for me growing up and so I just carried on the same.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

My 2 DD's get everything from Santa, it was that way when I was younger too - apart from we never got stockings. Family presents go under the tree from the moment we receive them and they understand that they're from family then we all video call each other to say thank you/merry christmas etc, the rest are put into piles.

 

[kirstybumx3]

I think if I told Rio only one or two presents were from santa I wouldn't be able to remind him 3596326 times a day that santa is watching! As he wouldn't be bothered about losing one or two gifts

 

[motherofboys]

I think if I told Rio only one or two presents were from santa I wouldn't be able to remind him 3596326 times a day that santa is watching! As he wouldn't be bothered about losing one or two gifts

it's definitely a useful tool

 

[Bevziibubble]

I think if I told Rio only one or two presents were from santa I wouldn't be able to remind him 3596326 times a day that santa is watching! As he wouldn't be bothered about losing one or two gifts

Haha, comes in handy

 

[LynAnne]

It's so interesting to hear how everyone else does it. I'm pretty sure DH had stockings and his main present from santa and the rest from his parents. That's why I'm trying to work out the best way to do it! I'm quite mindful that my kids will get more than some but less than others and I really don't like the idea of it seeming like santa likes one kid more than another! But equally I got all my presents from Santa on the understanding that sometimes we just didn't get everything we wanted, just what santa thought we'd like so...

 

[motherofboys]

The number of times my boys have gone back to school after Christmas and I've asked them if they told anyone what they got or if anyone told them what they got and they'd look at me blankly and say no. Apparently they hadn't even discussed Christmas at all afterwards. Only ever before. I don't remember ever talking about it with my friends as a child either.
If mine ever asked why someone got something amazing I always planned to say "sometimes parents send Santa money so the kids can get an extra good present, but obviously we can't afford to send him money as well as buying you things" and leave it at that, but it's never come up once.
I think if you want to have Santa bring every thing but want to cover your back on them having more or less than others then the sending Santa money thing works well, that way if they do discuss it with friends and mention that you send money to help Santa bring them more, then any kid with less won't feel like Santa left them out.

 

[mrsmummy2]

I'm so glad lots of other people do most things from santa too! I was made to feel really guilty by a friend the other day about doing it this way. I think its nice to keep the magic alive as long as possible. They have all their teenage/adult lives to know the gifts come from parents

 

[SmartieMeUp]

I'm so glad lots of other people do most things from santa too! I was made to feel really guilty by a friend the other day about doing it this way. I think its nice to keep the magic alive as long as possible. They have all their teenage/adult lives to know the gifts come from parents

It does my nut in when people try to guilt trip me about it. I'm not depriving my kids spirit because some welly nelly elsewhere can't afford to buy as much.

 

[mrsmummy2]

It does my nut in when people try to guilt trip me about it. I'm not depriving my kids spirit because some welly nelly elsewhere can't afford to buy as much.

Exactly!! And when people guilt trip you for how much you spend or how much you've bought! I'll admit yes, I do go overboard but as long as I can afford it, I will continue to do so!