Making Christmas Memories???

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

When my sister and I were little my parents did such a great job of keeping the idea of Santa alive. We truly believed in Santa.

Now I have a DD who is almost 3 (this is the first year she is really into this and kind of understands the concept) and we have been talking about Santa and who he is and what he brings and the whole story. I want to do what my parents have done for me but I would like to get some other opinions on what you have done to keep them believing.

Thanks for your creative ideas.

Lisa

 

[RUDisney]

The only idea that I can come up with is DENIAL and special Santa wrapping paper that the kids never see.

My parents still won't fess up about Santa's existence and we are 36, 34, 31, 27 and 12. If anyone questions them about it, they simply deny that they have anything to do with the under the tree gifts on Christmas morning.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

We have always celebrated Santa (emphasis on Jesus though) even last Christmas when DS was 18 and DD was 14! He wakes us up at 6AM and wants to bolt downstairs to see what Santa left. Then I fix a big breakfast of homemade cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, fruit and hot chocolate. We spend the morning playing with whatever Santa left! Even though they were teenagers we still play along with the plate of cookies and eggnog and yes they are gone in the morning!

One of the things we when I was teaching preschool was make reindeer food. Put oatmeal in a small baggie and add gold gliter so the reindeer can find the oats when scattered on the grass! The night before when you leave out cookies for Santa don't forget the reindeer food! Just sprinkle it out on the lawn!

We told the kids when they ask if Santa was real that he wouldn't come if they didn't believe.

DS is in the Marines now, this is his first Christmas away but I'll always have the memories of the biggest kid int he house trying to bolt pass me to the tree!

Good luck figuring out what works for you and enjoy the holidays!!

 

[ChiTownZee]

Oh Santa always delivers packages that are wrapped differently at our house too!

I think they naturally believe in Santa until they are old enough to really understand the concept of ALL those kids in ONE night by ONE man, and reindeer flying etc. To a young child anything is possible.

And don't forget to put out the carrots with the milk and cookies. And Santa always rights a thank-you note for the cookies

 

[MerryPoppins]

Santa always comes to our house while we are at midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We are together as a family, so there is no way that DH or I could pull it off. I have to admit he does it differently each year. It's puzzling to our kids (15 and 11), but they believe. Who wouldn't? Santa brings amazing gifts!

 

[RUDisney]

Ooh, I just thought about something else... other than denial... that was always done at our house.

Each year, my grandfather would call and "ho ho ho" into the phone and tell us that he was on his way to our house and we should make sure to mind our parents and go to bed very soon. When we started to wonder why Santa sounded so much like Grandpa, my parents got a friend to call every Christmas Eve.

 

[CrazyBoutDisney]

We always left an apple or carrot for Rudolph, too! There were 6 kids in our family and the gifts from Santa were never wrapped. that's how you could tell what was from Santa and what was from Mom & Dad!! The stuff from Santa appeared while we were sleeping, of course.

When I came home from college for Christmas the first time, I found out that my mom never wrapped anything until Christmas Eve after all the kids were in bed!!! I got to help and even wrapped my own jammies. Mom had forgotten who they were for!!! LOL!!!

 

[ChiTownZee]

I remember a couple of times Santa used showed up at our grandparents and drop off our presents at the back porch around 7!! LOL We heard some banging, some jingle bells and a HO HO HO, but we never made it to the back intime to see him Santa knows if you are on vacation or visiting someone or whatever.

 

[RIDISNEYLOVERS]

Thanks for all these great ideas.

My parents never really confessed the true Santa but as we got older we just figured it out but the thought was truly awesome while we still believed!!

Santa left us so much stuff - some things were not wrapped (bikes and chalkboards for example) but other things were with tags that read from "Santa". We always left out carrots for the reindeer and cookies and milk for Santa (yes, the cookies and milk were gone in the morning and there were always some crumbs left behind!! It truly is amazing what a child believes, my dad showed us where Santa came in from (because we didn't have a "fireplace").

Keep the ideas coming.

Thanks,
Lisa

 

[CajunDixie]

Santa never wraps presents here. He simply leaves them under the tree with a note telling the boys how well behaved they have been and how he is proud of how well they've done in school. He loves leaving a lil Santa clipart or background on the note too. One year the boys even found a little "present" from the reindeer under the end of the gutter.....courtesy of CoCo Puffs. Santa is great about remembering our pets too....never knew Santa was a Notre Dame fan until Lacey came in Christmas morning with a ND collar on.