Why do you use stockings?

[Logan's Mum]

When I was a kid we had a stocking which hung on our doorknob when we went to bed. Santa would then fill it up with little presents. Presents were normally things like chocolate coins, oranges, nuts, some other chocolate thing, Body Shop animal shaped soap (anyone remember those?!?), and small toys. All other presents below tree were from the family. We never asked Santa for presents directly, the main presents were from family.

Now, we still use the stocking like this, but the boys get to ask Santa for around 3 presents too (tradition from DH). These can be anything (this year they have asked for r/c dinosaurs and Hot Wheels). And if these presents fit in the stocking they go in. The stockings are in the lounge, and are still an essential part of the Santa tradition. Im hoping this year to put them in the kids rooms but Im not sure on my silent ninja abilities

Ive seen on this forum where people still use stockings, but if all the presents are from Santa anyway do you need to? Do you just use them for the small presents that would take up space elsewhere? Toothbrushes/paste seem to be popular, I never got one in my stocking and neither do the boys?

How important is a stocking in your Santa tradition?

 

[lau86]

I'm really confused by stockings too! Growing up we had a huge plastic one and bAsically if the presents fitted in there they went in, otherwise they just sat around. No presents were under the tree probably because they would've got opened.
I'm only certain that one of my children has a stocking, because I made it. I'm going to make the other two this year, but they are for decoration at the moment.
I don't do small presents like chocolate/ soap yet so maybe once I do I'll put them in the stocking.

 

[Logan's Mum]

I'm really confused by stockings too! Growing up we had a huge plastic one and bAsically if the presents fitted in there they went in, otherwise they just sat around. No presents were under the tree probably because they would've got opened.
I'm only certain that one of my children has a stocking, because I made it. I'm going to make the other two this year, but they are for decoration at the moment.
I don't do small presents like chocolate/ soap yet so maybe once I do I'll put them in the stocking.

Stockings dont seem to have a point if the presents dont fit in I try and distinguish between presents from Santa and family as I dont want Santa getting all the credit Thats why I think I will try and put the stockings in the boys rooms, so they are excited to see them in there in the morning, then can go into the lounge and see the presents from the family under the tree and be excited again. x

 

[loeylo]

We used to use one of my dads socks haha! Stockings were never really a big thing, we got made open them first and they would generally have "clues" for our main present. For example when I got Baby Born my mum put doll clothes in it, when I got my desk I got paint and pens and things. We got a play hut one year and the key to the hut was inside. We always got body shop soaps or those bath oil pods, a magic face cloth, lip balm and sweets. We also got £1 every year for some reason haha! And a tangerine. It became a family joke as I still get £1 and a tangerine in my presents from my mum and dad.

I bought my daughter a gorgeous personalised stocking last year but I regret it as it is massive!

We are doing stocking and a few large but not main presents from Santa, and then the majority are from us. That's pretty much what my parents did.

This year her main gift is only £22 (a baby trampoline) so that's from us. She's too young to understand yet but her birthday is only 10 weeks before Christmas so I feel we have lots of presents already.

 

[Logan's Mum]

We used to use one of my dads socks haha! Stockings were never really a big thing, we got made open them first and they would generally have "clues" for our main present. For example when I got Baby Born my mum put doll clothes in it, when I got my desk I got paint and pens and things. We got a play hut one year and the key to the hut was inside. We always got body shop soaps or those bath oil pods, a magic face cloth, lip balm and sweets. We also got £1 every year for some reason haha! And a tangerine. It became a family joke as I still get £1 and a tangerine in my presents from my mum and dad.

I bought my daughter a gorgeous personalised stocking last year but I regret it as it is massive!

We are doing stocking and a few large but not main presents from Santa, and then the majority are from us. That's pretty much what my parents did.

This year her main gift is only £22 (a baby trampoline) so that's from us. She's too young to understand yet but her birthday is only 10 weeks before Christmas so I feel we have lots of presents already.

OMG those pods!!! I loved em! Really satisfying squishing em in the bath Your tradition is the same as mine when I was little, but we didnt have the clues, which is a great idea!

 

[catty]

I always got things in my stocking that were either edible or kind of needed, such as new toothbrush, facecloth, bubble bath, chocolate coins, little purse, bobbles etc

I have put things in that i feel id buy anyway and they kind of need but maybe spent a bit more or get a nicer design that theyd like ie. Socks, pants, toothbrush, hairclips, sweets. Then i put little things that are kind of pointless like stickers, crayons etc.


Oh also i see on here alot of people seem to do for there partners. I only do for the kids, if i did for my partner that would be his full budget on little things and just be a waste of money for us

 

[SpringerS]

I never had a stocking growing up, I don't think they are a particularly strong tradition in Ireland but I sort of wanted one when I'd see them on tv. As an adult I've always had stockings for decoration so when S was 2 I took one off the fireplace and put his little gifts (mainly bits of art stuff I'd gotten to go with his blackboard/easel and a couple of satsumas). Last year I did the same thing and put his little gifts in it.

This year he'll be 4 so I've told him about stockings and I'm going to buy him his own special stocking and put it in the Christmas eve box for him to hang up. I've told him he can only ask for one big thing or two small things from Santa but he can also hang up a stacking for surprises. So all his smaller toys that I can fit in his stocking will go in there. I don't wrap anything. So when he goes into the sittingroom in the morning it's like a massive explosion of excitement for about 6 minutes as he sees everything and his head melts in excitement. Then sitting down to check what's in the stocking is almost relaxing in comparison and helps him calm down and get into a state where he might contemplate breakfast.

 

[Logan's Mum]

I never had a stocking growing up, I don't think they are a particularly strong tradition in Ireland but I sort of wanted one when I'd see them on tv. As an adult I've always had stockings for decoration so when S was 2 I took one off the fireplace and put his little gifts (mainly bits of art stuff I'd gotten to go with his blackboard/easel and a couple of satsumas). Last year I did the same thing and put his little gifts in it.

This year he'll be 4 so I've told him about stockings and I'm going to buy him his own special stocking and put it in the Christmas eve box for him to hang up. I've told him he can only ask for one big thing or two small things from Santa but he can also hang up a stacking for surprises. So all his smaller toys that I can fit in his stocking will go in there. I don't wrap anything. So when he goes into the sittingroom in the morning it's like a massive explosion of excitement for about 6 minutes as he sees everything and his head melts in excitement. Then sitting down to check what's in the stocking is almost relaxing in comparison and helps him calm down and get into a state where he might contemplate breakfast.

So apart from the stocking other presents are from family? The not wrapping idea is a good one, I find it tricky finding wrapping paper I "think" Santa would choose, then hiding the wrapping paper from the kids beforehand so they dont figure it out

 

[emyandpotato]

I had a stocking growing up and it was full of little presents, chocolate, and useful stuff. As a teenager it was 90% things like prit-stick, tights, deodorant... So because it's tradition we do them still (for EVERYONE, not just the boys), but they're from us. There is one present for each child under the tree from Santa, and it's usually their most special present (not necessarily most expensive), but not something that couldn't be made in the workshop (so bike yes, hot wheels set no). The rest of the presents are from us. I didn't believe in Santa growing up so don't have anything to copy tradition wise.

 

[Fruitmash]

We just put cheap novelty things and food in there for DD, and all her presents are from Father Christmas as well. It's just our tradition from both sides of our family and something to keep her occupied for a little while in the morning so we get some extra time to sleep

 

[loeylo]

My OH and I do stocking for each other too. Its usually practical things, last year I got him pyjama bottoms, beard conditioner, a bottle of cider, nail clippers (lol) sweets, that kind of thing. A lot of them we would have bought anyway.

He got me a candle, jammies, shampoo and conditioner (nicer than I would normally buy) and cosy socks. We spent about £25 each and only got each other one other present (and a small gift for about £5 each from our daughter - I got him a keyring and he got me a wine glass)

 

[c1403]

Everyone does things differently I guess.
As children we got a huge plastic sack and then the bigger gifts were in the lounge. My mum told us they were from her and dad but Father Christmas wraps them. We never had small stockings.

In my house now we have a really pretty fire place so I got myself and OH a stocking before we had children for little gifts like make up, aftershave, socks, chocolates etc. Stocking were hung on the fire place.

Now I have children we have kept the stockings and also the big sack tradition from when I was younger. I told DD she can ask Father Christmas for 2-3 presents that she really wants, these will go downstairs and Santa will fill the stocking.

Well that's my plan although she doesn't see, fussed with the whole Father Christmas thing TBH

 

[CaptainMummy]

All presents are from santa in our house and the stocking is just for little bits that would be silly to wrap. Chocolate, socks, toothbrush, nail varnish, lip balm, bubbles, pens/pencils etc. It's all little cheap bits and pieces.
We have always had stockings in the living room, hanging above the fireplace.

 

[Eleanor ace]

When I was little we didn't believe in Father Christmas, but he was present as a fun Christmas character. We knew all of our presents were from our parents/family.
With my kids we do stockings, I hang them on a bookcase in the lounge and the kids put them on the end of their beds on Christmas eve. Stocking presents (unwrapped) come from Father Christmas. Other presents are put under the tree on Christmas Eve and we say that some are from Father Christmas and some are from us/other family.
We do stockings because DH did and I do enjoy it, but I worry about enhancing the lie and getting too deep into it and getting myself muddled

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I dont really bother.

Choc coins and an orange usually! Honestly I like to make my life as easy as possible.

 

[Scout]

All Christmas morning gifts are from Santa. (I buy dd one gift she opens on Christmas Eve), and her stocking has little bits in it. I never put much thought into why I do both, but I suppose it's bc it was that way for me growing up so I just continue to do same since I loved my Christmases growing up and thought they were so magical.

 

[motherofboys]

We never had a stocking as a child. About 7 years ago Ds1 and 2 were watching an old Disney Silly Symphony and started talking about how Santa was going to put an orange and nuts and sweets in their stocking, and as they were so small I just went with it. The stockings go upstairs and they are the last thing Santa fills (or more accurately DH at about 4am) if you wake up and the stocking is empty it means Santa hasn't been yet.
Family presents, and presents from mummy and daddy go under the tree. Usually on Christmas Eve as there has always been one who was too small to leave them alone, this year they will go under as we are given them.
Santa leaves the other presents in individual piles in the living room. We had this as w child due to my brother waking up one year when he still couldn't read and opening everything to try to find which ones were his LMAO
Inside the stocking is always a satsuma, some whole in the Shell nuts, like walnuts, and a handful of sweets from the tin of roses or whatever we buy that year. Then small things that usually cost under £2. I've had to make an exception this year as I just couldn't find anything for the older boys in that price range so I've gone up to £5. These include things like blind bags, chocolate coins, a case for ds1s phone.

 

[Kay_Baby]

I never had stockings as a kid. Santa just left a small pile of presents on the end of my bed.

OH had a stocking that Santa filled though. The stocking was the only thing that Santa left for you.

We decided to go down this route. Santa fills one very very large stocking that is left on there bed. It's the only thing that is opened in the morning. Everything else is from family and is under the tree.

I've made the boys stockings myself so I'm hoping they will keep them forever.

 

[rangersgirl69]

Santa brings everything in this house apart from gifts from family and friends those are from them. So stockings for us are really just to buy some time in bed in the morning the kids bring them into our bed and open then while my husband puts heating, lights and sets up camera. Just silly things new pencils, bubble bath etc

 

[jensonsmummy]

TBH we do stockings just really for the tradition of hanging them on fireplace when putting santas milk and cookies out. We only put small things in ours, sweets, toohbrush etc. Maybe hotwheels cars.