Just a little vent...

[elphaba91]

I was so young when my brother told me about Santa that he had to tell me WHO he was before he could tell me what he knew about him. So, Santa never came to our house but it didn't ruin Christmas at all. It actually made it better because we couldn't afford much in the beginning so when my friends were getting Easy Bake ovens and Road Race sets and we were getting a board game and Christmas pyjamas we knew why. By the time my dad got a job in a department store (staff discounts) we were so used to getting said board games and pyjamas, we didn't really ask for more than that (though board games morphed into record albums instead). After awhile we decided to not bother with gifts at all.

It's still pure joy one way or the other.

It's also joy to see a kid who believes in Santa and it's nice to see how long it can go for but it does backfire when your kids are so old they're asking for expensive things. We joked to my friends that their kids were soon going to start asking Santa for cars.

But I think the main problem here was that the games were going to arrive before the system which makes me wonder, like some people...why not let them open the gifts AFTER they open their system or if the kids get into it, say you bought them for a gift exchange at work.

See, my mother covered the cost issue when I was 3 and told us that you had to pay Santa and as we couldn't afford to pay Santa that year we wouldn't be getting anything (pretty sad to tell an almost 6 and 3 yo...especially when it's due to their father's gambling problem). Luckily my grandfather ended up 'paying Santa' (ie. sent money directly to a department store).

 

[nkereina]

If a kid is too young to put two and two together about Santa Claus, then I doubt they'd put two and two together that their parents must be Santa Claus because of OP's gift. As an adult, when you think about, the Santa story is pretty far fetched so if a kid isn't questioning that, they aren't doing the compound thinking that would connect the dots based on OP's gift.

Sounds like OP has figured it out now, but what I was going to suggest was saving the games for their birthdays or Easter baskets since Easter is early this year.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

So kids who don't believe are growing up too fast?

Yes, absolutely!

 

[sunshinehighway]

Yes, absolutely!

Why can't kids grow up and mature at a pace that's natural to them? Some kids mature faster, some question more, some just catch on quick. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[TheDisneyDoll]

Send them after christmas? or send them wrapped and have the opened on christmas morning with a note saying santa told you? It sounds like the perfect time to get creative to me I don't see a point in returning the gift if you want to give it, just adjust the timing that seems easy and understandable.
My parents used to stack gifts a certain way under the tree so my sisters wouldn't open a game before opening the console. you don't want the surprise of the big gift to be wasted on a game Not that it changes the big gift but it does change the surprise of it.

 

[Dawnlight]

I think that's ridiculous.

--

You are entitled to your opinion; I was simply offering another possible solution to the OP, not need to be nasty- tis the season, after all.

The PS4 is my brother and his wife's decision and I am not getting in the middle of that one! My SIL is a pain to start with and I couldn't imagine how mad she would be if I suggested what she give her kids for Christmas! We are only "allowed" to see them once a year if we are lucky so it isn't worth a fight to me about this. I agree though that larger gifts should be from parents but they aren't my kids. I have learned to not get things for them without checking with her first. Takes away some of the fun for me but that's just how it is. They have been together for a long time and it will not be changing.

Oh, geeze, she sounds like a real peach. Good luck with whatever you decide.

What do parents do when all the gifts are from Santa? All our gifts were always from Santa with just one or two from the parents. We did the same for our children. And while I sympathize, I am not going to change our family traditions for unknown families. I do what I can to help even up the disparity by sponsoring several families and making donations to toy charities, but I am not going to change what we call the presents. Kids aren't that stupid anyway. They will see the disparity whether it is from Santa or the parents.

No one is asking you to. It was a possible solution suggested to the OP. Personally, I don't give a monkey's fart what anyone does on Christmas as I don't celebrate it one way or another; I just offered to suggestion as I'd seen it posted a lot lately and many people on other forums responded that they liked the idea. Doesn't work for you and yours? Keep on doing what you're doing.

I get what the message is, but our family tradition since I was little was always that Santa brought one big thing that the parents never would get. It was always put together by the elves and ready to play with. It was always our biggest want. We have carried this on with our kids. One big Santa gift and a game, books, clothes and one smaller want with an extra special gift from daddy.

My kids have mentioned so and so got an x box when they didn't and never thought twice about it. I usually steer their expectations. DS said maybe I'll ask Santa for a PS4 this year and I simply said why would he do that when he got you a PS3 two years ago? Then you'd have no games either and you already have so many ps3 games. He said oh yeah thats right, I think I'll ask for a scooter instead. My dd wanted to ask for Rick Riordan book due to release October 2016...I said even Santa can't get a book that hasn't been written and released, but I bet he could get you a couple of your favorites autographed by rick riordan and she was like , that's a great idea. It isn't difficult to redirect to things you already had in mind or to set their expectations to what's realistic for your family situation.

See above.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Personally, I don't give a monkey's fart

Times I wish we still had a tag fairy.

 

[mefordis]

I see no problem with a 7 & 9 year old believing in Santa. My son figured it out at 8, but my daughter still believed at 10. Both of them appreciated the fantasy when they learned the truth.

I don't blame you for being annoyed. However, you can either talk to your brother and see if it would be okay to say that you asked Santa and got the games for the system, or cancel the order now and get them something else. You have time to change the gifts if you'd like. It seems to be an easy fix to me. (But, yeah, I would be annoyed.)

Great reply! I second all of this!

 

[DeniseinNS]

They are 7 and 9. Why are they still believing in Santa? But anyways, you can always counter with another fantastical story about how you asked Santa Himself what he was going to get the boys as you wanted something to complement the gift. But I'm a smarty pants who doesn't get along w/ my own brother, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Obviously, I don't blame you for being annoyed. It's super rude to dictate to someone else on what a gift should be.

It's totally normal to still believe in Santa at 7 and 9! I don't know ANY kids that young that don't believe

 

[jen0610]

Is it truly that hard for Dad to hold those gifts until after they get Santa gifts open and IF they question how you knew to get them those games, he can say Auntie and Santa had a conversation about your gifts this year, so she would have any idea of what you guys would really like.

Use your imagination people.

We always wrapped Santa gifts in different paper from all the other gifts. That way, the kids could tell in one look, which ones were from Santa. The one year, DD saw the leftover roll in the closet and she asked why did I have it. With zero hesitation, I told her Santa knew how much she loved Tinker Bell and gave me what was left on the roll, so next year I could wrap some of mom and dads gifts in it. She stated that was cool and the issue was solved.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Why can't the games be from Santa as well?

 

[kamik86]

I don't see why kids would question that the aunt could have talked to Santa.

My sister once when I was 4 or so asked my mom how many easter eggs were hidden. I totally believed my parents when they told me that the Easter Bunny doesn't want you to miss any and not get the present so he always leaves mom and Dad a note to tell you how many there were.

 

[SparklePixie]

Why can't the games be from Santa as well?

Because then they wouldn't get a gift from Auntie.

 

[HM]

Hey, OP....
I take it you won't be there for Christmas Eve, when the boys open gifts? Do you think they'd even notice if your gift wasn't opened that night?

What I'd do is have your brother save your gift until the next morning after Santa's gifts are opened. He'd pull out the gift from you later..... "Oh, Look Auntie XXs gift to you was over here and didn't get opened. Let's see what she got you." Then they open it and they have games to play.

If they ask how you knew, he just says "She must be friends with Santa or one of his elves". It's likely that they won't even say anything though.

 

[sdjen]

Op here. I told my brother and SIL I would be sending the games but they can be from Santa. He requested that they not be wrapped as apparently they don't wrap the gifts from Santa that they see on Christmas morning. So, they won't know they are from me which is okay I guess. I have other gifts that were mom approved and ordered they will open from me on Christmas Eve. I'm also doing a family gift for them all. My daughter is making her cousins handmade fleece Packer blankets too!

We won't be seeing them in person unfortunately. We have to be invited and if we are lucky that happens once a year but never for holidays. SIL parents will be there as always though

Thanks for all the input everyone.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Because then they wouldn't get a gift from Auntie.

To me that not a big deal as long as the kids are happy