How to deal with 'santa makes it in his workshop'

[3princes+1princess]

My ds#3 is 9 years old and wants a WiiU for Christmas. We would NEVER spend this much money on a gift for one (of 4 kids). They never play the Wii they have nor the playstation, and will not get another gaming system for this house.

However, he still believes in Santa and says 'santa makes it in his workshop so it doesn't matter how much is costs.' I don't want to ruin the magic just yet (and my other two didn't want such big gifts for Christmas, so it was never an issue.

What are some ways to say no without spoiling the magic?

Also...I am surprising them with a Jan Disney trip on Christmas eve, so Christmas needs to be small this year (gift wise of course). How do I really limit this years spending? There always seems to be such good deals and I suck at resisting those.

 

[luvthemouse71]

You could just explain that Santa doesn't make everything in his workshop- for some things, he has to send his shoppers out.

 

[ilovemk76]

My ds#3 is 9 years old and wants a WiiU for Christmas. We would NEVER spend this much money on a gift for one (of 4 kids). They never play the Wii they have nor the playstation, and will not get another gaming system for this house.

However, he still believes in Santa and says 'santa makes it in his workshop so it doesn't matter how much is costs.' I don't want to ruin the magic just yet (and my other two didn't want such big gifts for Christmas, so it was never an issue.

What are some ways to say no without spoiling the magic?

Also...I am surprising them with a Jan Disney trip on Christmas eve, so Christmas needs to be small this year (gift wise of course). How do I really limit this years spending? There always seems to be such good deals and I suck at resisting those.

Santa may make the toy at his workshop but mom and dad send him money for the materials and food for the elves, reindeer, Mrs. Claus and himself. Santa uses some of the money for toys for the less fortunate.

At this time, mom and dad cannot afford the materials and food for a WiiU.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

"Santa doesn't bring everything you put on your list. Think of several things you'd like to have and Santa will choose some."

 

[poohfriend77]

My kids figured it out on their own. Electronics and American Girl dolls still have "made in China" labels, so it's obvious they weren't made in Santa's workshop like wooden toys used to be. The elves had to get jobs to earn the money to buy those things.

We have always told our kids that Santa still has to follow parents' rules. At our house (when they were younger), that means no live animals and no TVs or computers for their rooms. We just told them flat-out, don't waste a spot on your wish list for those items.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Like another poster, Santa won't bring anything Mom and Dad won't allow. If Mom and Dad say no more game systems b/c you don't play them now, then Santa's hands are tied...

 

[barkley]

our kids never got their big/really wanted gifts from Santa-the ones they got were from mom/dad. this way if it was not in our budget/something we didn't want them to have (like a drumset) they couldn't pull the Santa card.

ds/dd are big into gaming-they know we don't buy gaming systems (they have to save for them-it took over a year saving allowances, Christmas and bday monies w/ds one year). we do buy games for them for Christmas (though they are old enuf to know that w/the price they run they won't get much under the tree if all they list are video games).

I would use the suggestions people have posted below-and if you aren't totally adverse to him getting one you could do as we did one year. we gave ds a note from Santa saying that he heard that he wanted a particular system and to help him save for it Santa was giving him $25 that mom/dad would hold towards the purchase price. we also gave ds a voucher from "mom and dad" that said when he had the full price together and went to purchase it we would cover the sales tax ("non transferable/no cash surrender value")

 

[wenrob]

We've always told our kids that they won't get everything on their list and sometimes they'll get things they didn't ask for. I also use the "Santa needs our approval" line. I do explain the cost of things and they pretty much know if it's a high dollar item it's not likely to happen.

One advantage I have (and also disadvantage, lol) is that my two little ones bday is Nov 30th. Most have defaulted to giving us gift cards or cash to pick something out since 2kids x's 2holidays=very high potential for duplicate gifts. So if my kids have been eyeing something a little lofty I will sometimes pool that bday and Xmas money and get it. Last year they did get a Wii U but it was from G&G F, Gram S and Auntie. So, if you have relatives that give gift cards or cash, you could explain that if he got it that would be it from them. My kids readily accept this but I've been doing it their entire lives so they don't know any different.

 

[LJSquishy]

Santa doesn't bring everything on their wish list. I don't think you need to explain anything. Let him add it to his list along with everything else he wants, and Santa will bring some of those items.

I've asked Santa for a horse, Dalmatian, $100+ items, etc and he never brought those things but I was never disappointed at Christmas when I saw what he did bring. One year he did bring me a real cash register and I couldn't believe it! I used it for my own candy shop set up in our own basement (haha) and my family borrowed it every once and a while for yard sales (even let the church borrow it for a fundraiser yard sale) so it really got a lot of use! I was cashier/money obsessed as a kid. Some years Santa brought smaller gifts, and every once and a while he'd bring something big. It all made me equally happy!

 

[MomToOne]

Like another poster, Santa won't bring anything Mom and Dad won't allow. If Mom and Dad say no more game systems b/c you don't play them now, then Santa's hands are tied...

^This. In our house, Santa always checked with Mom on what he was planning to bring. He emailed or texted me what he was thinking of bringing, and I would then OK or veto it. And Santa TOTALLY respected the veto!

Now the Easter Bunny, he always was a trouble maker, bringing small things that pushed the edge of what I would (seemingly) approve of.

One other thing I did when DD was younger to keep things under control was I had her identify her top 3 wants - 1 could be "big", 2 had to be smaller - and Santa would try his hardest to bring those, but anything else he brought was up to him. Could be things on her list, might be things he thought she would like but wasn't on her list. That helped me know what were the most important items for her (not always easy to know) and the rest could be whatever I found good sales on, felt she needed, etc.

 

[worm761]

Mom & Dad have final say on all gifts. I don't remember exactly how I handled that with DS as he is 18 and hasn't believed in quite some time. DD is only 4 so does believe. What we have done with her is she gets to ask Santa for one thing. And it has to be pre-approved by mom and Dad. Last year it was a shopping cart for her dolls. This year it is a dollhouse.

 

[scrapshappen]

In our house, Santa only brings my kids one thing. Sometimes it's one medium range thing each and sometimes it's one combined larger gift. Everything else under the tree comes from mom and dad and other family members. We started it that way when our kids were very, very little and I'm glad we did. My thinking was that if we had a year with not a lot of extra month, Santa could still bring them one thing and we'd go without the rest.

We have also told the kids that Santa's doesn't have unlimited resources and mom and dad still have to cover expenses for him too.

This year is a little tricky for us as well. We are going on a very big vacation in January when they kids are off track (5 days at WDW followed by a 7 day cruise). I have already told my kids that there will be very little under the tree because our $$ is all tied up paying for our trip. But the whole santa thing hasn't really come up yet and I expect it will. Maybe I'll just explain that Santa is helping us pay for our trip too. (Like maybe a Disney GC for the entire family on the tree from him this year).

 

[frenzy70]

"Santa doesn't bring everything you put on your list. Think of several things you'd like to have and Santa will choose some."

I use this theory. I tell my kiddos that the list gives Santa ideas but he ultimately decides what to bring. The only exception to this rule is If I find something objectionable I tell Santa not to bring it. My kids know that even Santa doesn't triumph mom. Lol

 

[auger]

We did a couple of things...
1) told kids to number their top five gifts on their list and told them they would NOT get them all, but would get some. That let us weed out ones we didn't want to get.
2) Santa doesn't bring everything you ask for, and if he sees that you already have something very similar, he probably will not give you another, so that a child that hasn't got one, can get one from him(he only has so many to give each year).
3) Santa always contacts moms and dads to get a final ok on all gifts.

 

[DawnM]

Just tell him the truth.

 

[sksjasams]

Santa's workshop can't make name brand items like Legos or WiiUs. Otherwise they would be fake.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

"Santa doesn't bring everything you put on your list. Think of several things you'd like to have and Santa will choose some."

 

[Lisaren]

I told my kids, yes some things are made in Santa's workshop, but he still has to pay for materials. Then told them Santa sent me a bill after Christmas for all the presents they got. Santa picked or made the presents but Mom and Dad had to pay for them.

 

[Maggie Lizer]

"Santa doesn't bring everything you put on your list. Think of several things you'd like to have and Santa will choose some."

This is what I say to my 4 year old. He needs to give Santa some options because Santa is giving gifts to EVERY CHILD in the world and he might not have enough [Transformers Rescue Bots/Paw Patrol Towers/Imaginext Pirate Boats] for everyone.

 

[jrmasm]

Don't forget that the elves are unionized so their pay and benefits are really expensive.