What does Santa bring?

[Scout]

I work in an elementary school and don't really hear kids discussing Santa gifts, or any other gifts when they come back to school after Christmas, so I wouldn't worry about that. I think parents think about this a lot more than kids do! I've always told dd that she can make a list for Santa, but she gets what he wants her to have, which may or may not be on her list. I suppose that way, if she ever did try to compare with someone else's, I can say that what she got was what Santa personally chose for her to have and that makes it special no matter what anyone else got. I don't expect that to ever come up though; I don't recall ever talking about what I got for Christmas once I got back to school.

 

[motherofboys]

I go a bit mad at Christmas too, but mine get around 3/4/5 gifts for their birthdays. The other year ds2 had 2 gifts as he wanted a game and a new controller for his Xbox. They don't get things through the year unless they buy them themselves with money people gave them got birthdays or Christmas either, so they get a years worth of all the little bits in one go really.

I hate the posts all over Facebook right now about it. I think everyone should just do things their own way and not worry about anyone else. As long as you don't guilt someone for the amount they buy or spend, and you don't go around bragging about how much (or how little as it works both ways) that you've bought/spent, then that's the main thing. I never post stash pictures or Santa's been pictures anywhere but here for that exact reason. No one should be judging anyone else's Christmas and no one should be bragging about how they've done it "better"

 

[c1403]

Everyone does it their own way and it's unfair to judge. I have cut back alot this year as they just have so much and I'm all out of ideas if I'm honest.

If I told DDs it all came from santa they wouldn't listen to me as much. I told my eldest I was going to write him a letter (about her behavior) and she was not fussed at all! When I said I wouldn't buy her anything else she started to behave (a bit).

I asked DH what he did as he has a big family, he said most their gifts were already under the tree before Christmas Eve but a few more came out on Christmas morning. His main memories of 'Santa' was putting out the mince pie and milk and not so much what he delivered. I don't think his mum even bothered with the younger ones tbh (not a nice person and quite big age gaps).

I am going to get girls to write their letters this week I think so I can finalise what we're buying! I do like the idea PP put about santa bringing them what they think they will like....as that will cover up some of the gifts they haven't asked for.

 

[motherofboys]

We do lists but have all kinds of cover stories, like Santa only brings what he thinks is appropriate, so no one is getting Grand Theft Auto. He doesn't bring stuff you don't need either so if you've got a perfectly good game a console that you've only had for a year and the company bring out a new one, Santa isn't bringing that as you don't need it. Also, he only has a set number of each item in his sleigh, so sometimes that one is all gone before he gets to your house and he'll give you something he thinks you'll like just as much or an appropriate substitute (you wanted the red one, but he only has blue left)
If you only make a short list you've got a much better chance of getting what you want as he only selects a few things from your list and then brings surprises too. So if your lost is 4 items long, as long as they aren't ridiculously priced or inappropriate, you have a good chance of getting all 4 things. However if you've asked for 20 things, you're not getting them all, and you could end up with something you only kinda liked the look of and not getting something you really desperately wanted. Ds4 has to ally got the hang of that this year and no one has more than 5 items on their list (ds2 has 2 items on his)
It's very long winded but it seems to work for them and covers my butt when I can't afford something or can't get hold of something they want.

 

[c1403]

Our Santa definitely doesn't bring live animals or LOL houses

 

[motherofboys]

Sounds like a smart Santa to me

 

[Bevziibubble]

LOL!

 

[LynAnne]

I think whoever said the adults are the ones overthinking what santa brings is right. I don't remember questioning it at all as a kid. How and what Santa brought to our house was whatever my parents told us, what happened in other people's houses (how many or how expensive the presents were) didn't even cross my mind.

I think because DH did it differently it's got me re-thinking everything. As a kid I don't think I knew that some houses had some presents from santa and some from their parents!

 

[Bevziibubble]

I can't remember ever questioning it either.

 

[c1403]

Nope we never did. It was only as I got much older older and spoke to friends I realised how spoilt we were :-D

 

[Rags]

I don't even remember questioning why I'd not got things that where on my list, I only remember be excited and delight about what was there in the morning.

 

[kirstybumx3]

I definitely don't think kids really talk about it in that much detail! I know I don't remember doing so. The first time I really realised Christmas day wasn't the same for everyone was when I was about 12 and I popped round to a friends house to exchange gifts whilst we were visiting my nan on Christmas morning as they only lived a few doors up. My nans house filled with relatives and huge piles of gifts, Christmas music, excitement, laughter.
I walked into their house and it was so quiet, no Christmas decorations just the cards theyd received on the fireplace, they had each got about 3 gifts each, their mum was still in bed and their dad had already left to go to the pub. It made me feel really sad, but that's what they were used to and they were still excited at the fact they had gifts and that it was Christmas. We lost touch but I really hope they get to experience christmas in a different way now.

 

[Bevziibubble]

My DD asked for diamonds for Christmas DH told her santa doesn't deliver raw materials

 

[motherofboys]

Hahaha raw materials haha

 

[mrsmummy2]

 

[Phantom]

My kids are allowed to ask santa Santa for up to 3 gifts each in their letters. Santa brings those and a few stocking gifts. The rest is from us.

 

[annio84]

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!.

For this reason Santa brings each child 1 gift. I don't really know how I'd explain why we give gifts to church for kids who don't have anything if santa brought loads to our house either. Also I know a lot of the kids at her school will get a lot more big items than she does and I don't want her to think she's been bad.

And while everyone is entitled to do as they please I don't think she could be any more excited than she already is even if santa did bring everything. Our house has plenty of christmas spirit.

 

[Buttercup84]

I've told my kids that we buy the big sack presents and send them to Father Christmas by putting them in the loft and he 'magics' them away. DD2 suggested it was our elf that does the magic so we've gone with that now! Stockings are from the big man himself.
I honestly don't remember questioning it all very much like my oldest has, presents all came from Father Christmas but I didn't really consider how they were made/bought. Maybe I was just a naive kid

 

[x_WelshGirl_x]

I hate all these things going round facebook lately how 'santa should only bring one present' etc. When I was younger, me and my sister had a sack full of presents each, each side of the fireplace, everything from under the tree were from family and friends and we had 1 present each from our mum and dad. This is the way we do it with Alex and Scarlett, they have their own pile of presents, then everything under the tree is from family and friends and a present each of us and eachother. I have told them though that we send money to Santa so Alex wanted an xbox, I told him he probably wouldn't have much else (we have a ps4 so he changed his mind on that one haha) and that he brings what he thinks they would like best.
I actually don't remember questioning anything or talking to my friends about who had what from santa, we just used to talk about what we had for christmas, not who it was from.