Gifts: Santa vs. Mom & Dad

[here757]

very good ? lol
mom and dad bring clothes and one toy.
santa brings the rest

 

[disney1990]

My mom did the same thing - the two different wrapping papers for my sister & I. She'd also write each of our names on a sheet of paper to label the piles of gifts. I think I was about 8 or 9 when I finally noticed that Santa's handwriting looked a lot like mom's.

I did my very best to note use my handwriting. LOL

 

[DVCBELLE]

Santa gets all the glory here! And each kid has their own Santa paper - which he then leaves so Mom can use it the next year.

I want them to think it is from Santa...after all - I don't want them to think I would ever buy them the stuff Santa does - they might expect it year round!

When my nephew - now 16 - was 5 - ALL he wanted was gameboy color and it was the toy of the year. He knew I was the one who always got him the best gifts but my sister and I convinced him that there was just no way we would be able to get it for him - that we have searched high and low and we didn't want him to be disappointed on Christmas b/c we couldn't find it. Of course, we had it tucked away and Santa brought it for him - as he opened it - he was so excited and then looked at my sister and I with this smug little look on his face and said "Santa found it." Only time in my life that I really wanted to tell a kid the truth

My niece told her mom once that she knew the tooth fairy wasn't real but she knew Santa was - after all...while she knew putting a couple of bucks under her pillow was something her mom would do - there was no way she would spend the money Santa did

 

[kaywoody]

At our house we open presents on Christmas Eve, because Christmas morning is when Santa comes (who does not wrap presents!). Santa is more about quantity instead of quality. Santa brings a big stack of gifts including books, CDs, smaller toys, bubble bath, etc. Each girls knows what is hers because her alternate stocking (the real ones on the mantle are fancy and not made for stuffing) is full and laying on top of the pile. The bigger gifts (and most wanted) come from Mom and Dad. This is a compromise with DH whose family didn't do Santa because "it's lying to kids" (no tooth fairy either). He doesn't mind having Santa visit because as a kid he wished Santa came to his house too, but he does mind Santa getting the glory for the best gifts. So Christmas Eve is the big deal, but after we do Santa on Christmas morning we play with all the toys and games. Works for us!

 

[mom2d&b]

Sanata gets to bring the cool gifts here too. And no wrapping from Santa. We go 1 step more and no packaging on the Santa gifts. It makes it so much easier on Christmas morning since most of our trash (packaging) has already been picked up by the garbage men. DD9 has told me she knows I am Santa as she went peeking last year. I have told her that "if she does not believe, she will not recieve"

 

[*BTMRR*]

I guess I'm the grinch here. In our house, Santa (St. Nick) is a nice historical figure, and a fun part of the Christmas spirit, but Mom and Dad and other relatives are the ones who bring the gifts. I don't have anything against Santa at all; this is just the way it is in our family and it works fine for us.

 

[McKelly]

Santa gets all the glory here. In fact, my DS8 was questioning the other day and my DD10 looked at him and said "Of course he is real, there is no way Mom and Dad would spend that kind of money on us!" What a nice child! On Xmas Eve, the kids get clothes and one new toy from Mom and Dad.

 

[disneygals]

Santa brings everything, mom and dad give pjs on Christmas Eve and one or two presents....usually ended up being something they saw by accident!

Santa always writes in block letters with a green or red sharpie. Mom writes messy with a pen.

When my dd was almost three, we were cleaning out the storage room in March. She saw wrapping paper and said Look, that's the same wrapping paper that Santa wrapped my presents in!

mine are teenagers now, I miss toys!

 

[magiclj]

Our children are grown now, but, this is what we did when they were little.

One present to each child came from Mommy and one present came from Daddy. All other presents came from Santa Claus. Now here's the catch, all presents for daughter #1 was wrapped in 1 Christmas paper and only that paper. All presents for daughter #2 was wrapped in another Christmas paper and only that paper. No other present to anybody else, was ever wrapped in two two Christmas papers. Strange I know.

We did the same thing with the wrapping paper, I was going to change it once they quit believing and put names tags on and the kids vetoed that.

Mom and Dad gave them one gift that they got to open Christmas Eve, that way it didn't get lost on Christmas morning in the Santa stuff. Plus it gave them something to tie them over to the big event. Santa brought everything under the tree and the stockings. My kids are 19 and 20 and they still get the one on Christmas Eve and they look forward to our "family" exchange.

My kids have also known me to be quite frugal. I don't buy if it's not on sale. The best comment was when my son was at the age when he was no longer believing in Santa. He told me one day "I know there is no santa, not the big red guy, but I can't figure out who puts the presents under the tree because I know you are daddy are too cheap."

 

[PrincessParty]

He told me one day "I know there is no santa, not the big red guy, but I can't figure out who puts the presents under the tree because I know you are daddy are too cheap."

That is what my DDs say! "Mom, how did you find this on clearance!?!"

 

[pklein09]

santa was the only one to give gifts in our house. Parents didn't give gifts until they were older and no longer believers.

Same here. When the kids were little (they'll be 9, 11, 12, and 13 this Christmas), Santa set everything up - no wrapping or packaging. They Barbies were set up, the Matchbox play sets were set up. All they needed to do was discover and play. Two years ago, when Nintendo DSs were all the rage, Santa did the same thing. That year, 3 of the 4 kids went down and peeked and came back upstairs and told the one who didnt' go down what she was getting from Santa. Well, Santa wasn't happy that the surprise had been spoiled. Last year, Santa wrapped everything - each child had their own paper, coded by their stockings. Santa brought a Wii last year that was for all of them, and he used a strip of paper from each child so they knew it was for all of them. I think Santa spent more time wrapping than setting everything up!!! I think the older 2, maybe 3, suspect, but they're not saying anything because of the youngest. Good kids....because I haven't asked them to do this.

Also, I buy very little for them through the course of the year. Clothes only when they need them, and never toys. They might get a book or two, but that's what the library is for! Santa has brought Playdoh that I would never have allowed in my house as well as other toys like that. I've never gone overboard, usually less than $200 per child. My mom and two sisters bring as much as Santa, so my kids are never deprived. The hard part now is finding things that aren't outrageous in price to tell the family. With 4 kids, I've practically got every board game made!!! At one point, I think I had every Fisher Price and Playskool toy on the market!!!

 

[EthansMom]

In our house, Santa fills the stockings and brings one or two moderate-priced gifts ('cause he has to take presents to all the kids). Mom and Dad give around 4 or 5 more gifts, including any big-ticket gifts. We didn't want our kids to think that Christmas gifts just "magically" appear. We wanted them to have reasonable expectations regarding gifts and to express appropriate thankfullness for the gifts.

 

[nunzia]

Santa always brings 1 big gift in our family plus the stocking. Mom and dad give everything else. My kids are now 13 and 24 so they've known the score for years yet Santa still comes.

This is the same in my family. Stockings and the big gift. My kids are 30, 26 and 24 and there jolly well better still be stockings and the Santa gift

 

[pyrxtc]

Santa brings them one item, usually something Mom and Dad said no way to cuz it was too pricey or not worth the money for them. I know my DD's know there is no Santa and my oldest DS might know too but the rule is if they don't believe then they don't receive any gifts from him.

 

[Ericandus]

In our family, Santa brings 3 gifts for each child(usually the ones the kids wanted the most). The reason for 3, is that is how many gifts the wise men brought when Jesus was born! Santa doesn't wrap his gifts (he doesn't have time!) and he also fills the stockings. Our 3 kids get to buy a present for each other and then mommy and daddy buy a few things for each child. It used to really be crazy how many presents our children received, but in the past few years we have really been trying to avoid buying things just to have lots of presents. I am definitely the culprit with this problem! This year we are headed to Disney on Jan 2nd, so there will only be a few small gifts. Last year Santa even fixed our middle daughter's most beloved stuffed bear...sewed up a hole and fixed an eye, then put a bow around bear's neck and put him in bed with her...when she woke up on Christmas morning it was AMAZING to see her reaction! She still talks about how Santa fixed Bear!! I will be so sad when the Santa "truth" comes out.

 

[wdwfan16]

Santa brings all of the kids gifts.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I did my very best to note use my handwriting. LOL

one year, Hallmark sold tags pre-printed "from Santa"!!! I used those or used my left hand to block print! Oh the things we do! I also kept different paper. DD thought it was so cool when I explained it!!!

 

[lspst8]

I'm 30 years old and my sister is 26, and all of our gifts are still "from Santa." I can't remember ever getting a gift on Christmas that had a tag that read "from Mom and Dad."

Of course, now Santa doesn't have to wait until after the "kids" got to bed to put the gifts under the tree. My mom has my sister and I do that on Christmas Eve after church (we spend that night at our parents' house, so we can still wake up and open gifts together ... only now we get mimosas instead of hot cocoa!).

All the gifts are wrapped, and Santa has stopped using stocking and usually fills a medium gift bag with make-up, snacks, and socks for everyone. Last year, my mom forgot to make the bags up ahead of time, and she just called everything out ---"I've got pick nailpolish, who wants it?" "I've got a bag og cashews, who wants' it?"

 

[luvmy3]

one year, Hallmark sold tags pre-printed "from Santa"!!! I used those or used my left hand to block print! Oh the things we do! I also kept different paper. DD thought it was so cool when I explained it!!!

Pre-printed tags are a great idea, I think I'll make my own this year. Usually I write in very fancy scrolly writing and use a red or green sharpie. By the time I finish my hand is so cramped, the tags could cut my work in half!!!
Each of my kids get a different paper from Santa. This year I stocked up early on the Disney paper at Dollar Tree.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Santa always brought the smaller ticket items. Mom and dad gave the big stuff. The reasoning was that if something went bad (loss of job, etc) a little one would understand mom and dad cutting back, but it would be harder if Santa did.

Wow, hadnt thought of that, and now I kinda wish I had! DH is out of work now (sigh)...

Anyhow, kids are 11, 9, and 7...Santa always did huge stockings, big ticket items, and the bulk of the toys -- everything under the tree. CC Jinglemintz (our elf) usually leaves a gift for each kid in their rooms, too.

We (as mom & dad) gave books, clothes, one special item...plus pajamas on Christmas Eve. Sometimes there are family gifts, too, from us, like Wii or some board games, etc.

I love the fun and *magic* of it all...hopefully I can pull off some good bargain shopping this year!!