Santa Questions?

[Pluto the Pup]

Gifts from family are placed under the tree and opened on Christmas Eve. There are typically a lot of gifts, including some of the "big" gifts.

Gifts from Santa appear Christmas morning under the tree and in our stockings. There are also "big" gifts from Santa. Also, Santa uses different wrapping paper than the family gifts used.

 

[scrapquitler]

We do a split. Santa always brings the main fun things that the kids ask for, Mom and Dad tend to get more practical things.

When I was growing up, Santa brought everything. We kids had tons of presents from Santa, but none from Mom and Dad. I remember feeling hurt that Mom and Dad bought presents for everyone else in the family, plus friends and neighbors, but they didn't buy a single gift for their own kids! One year I mentioned it to my Mom, and the next year, a few of the gifts were from Mom and Dad instead of all of them being from Santa.

When DH and I started having kids, we had this discussion, and he had the same experience as a child that I did: Why don't Mom and Dad give me any gifts? So Santa doesn't do it all.....we get some credit too.

 

[mrodgers]

My wife always said, "No way some fat guy in an ugly red fuzzy suit is getting credit..." A few small items were from Santa, usually the clothes.

Growing up I think I remember opening a few things from Mom and Dad Christmas Eve and the main stash was under the tree Christmas morning from Santa.

 

[Crystal824]

We only have a 16 month old so we are still figuring out the whole Santa thing. This is what we have so far...We give DD clothes and other practical items. Santa does the fun stuff. In fact, we have already wrapped several gifts for DD that are under the tree...a few books and some clothes from us. Santa will bring the toys and fill the stockings. Those gifts will appear under the tree on Christmas morning.

DH and I went back and forth over wrapping Santa gifts. Growing up, my gifts from Santa were always wrapped, his weren't. We split that...some of the Santa gifts will be wrapped; some will not. We bought one roll of "Santa paper" used it as far as it would go. It was a small roll (it wrapped about 4-5 gifts) and then the rest will be unwrapped with a tag that says Love Santa.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Santa brings a big pile of toys and a stocking, and mom and dad wrap a few select gifts. Some years, we have even given the big gift.

 

[Uptown Girl]

Santa usually brings the big present and sometimes more, sometimes not, depends on what the kids are getting each year and how many gifts. Santa fills the stockings too. Santa has his own Santa wrapping paper too-it has to have Santa on it.

 

[indimom]

When our kids were little, Santa brought one or two gifts, plus the stockings. Mom and Dad did the rest.

We had to compromise on this issue also.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Santa brings one gift (not necessarily the big one) and the stocking stuffers. Everything else is from the family.

 

[rszdtrvl]

When DS was younger, Santa would bring one cool gift.

Now that he is older (15) Santa is bringing him something he will need for his trip (see ticker) - luggage! I will probably buy him 2- 3pks of packing cubes from ebags to match his luggage for his trip too. They are pretty cheap on ebay.

He is an only child, doesn't really *need* anything. He is getting some fun gifts and gift cards to spend this year.

 

[Soben]

I put the precedent that I wish we had done 16 years ago, that Santa does one biggish present.

We pretty much give him credit for everything. Not that there's any credit now.

I think that 1 from Santa has a few benefits:
1. It keeps the Santa thing in proportion, he gives you something, but he's not the focus of the day
2. If you had to cut back at any time, you could probably scrounge up one present for Santa to give and explain why your pile was smaller

 

[Mkrop]

Santa brought it all when I was a kid and I never once questioned if my parents loved me or why they didnt give me a gift

Santa brings it all here too. Each kid has their own wrapping paper. Mom and Dad get gifts from Santa too, just not as many, we all get stocking stuffers from Santa.

Where we differed growing up was the quantity, we got quite a number of things, and DH only get a few in all.

Which my mom stills seems to have an issue with, she wants to buy us quantity of things instead of quality. She would rather buy me 5 cheap purses for $100 than maybe one nice one for that same amt. I dont need 5 of anything, I would like one nice thing though. She has gotten a little better over the years but not much.

My mom also wants the really cool gift the kids want, and I put my foot down and said that no that is for Santa. I have one that still believes so maybe after he is done believing I wont care.

 

[mickeyboat]

The toys and cool stuff is from Santa. The clothes and "necessity" type things are from Mom and Dad. Santa has his own paper.

Now that the kids know, it isn't an issue. Even when they didn't know, it wasn't an issue.

 

[Minnesota!]

Mom and Dad presents are under the tree leading up to Christmas and Santa leaves his early Christmas morning, all in a pile with his own wrapping paper. The big ticket/asked for items and stocking stuffers come from Santa and Mom and Dad get everything else.

This, for the most part.

We give the kids 3 presents, plus one to share. Santa brings 3, as well.

I would have been sad had my parents gotten me "nothing" and I would feel horrible if my kids thought I did the same..

 

[Sorsha]

The gifts are from friends and family, and the stockings are filled by Santa. I want my children to acknowledge the generosity of others and be able to tell them thank you.

However, we don't encourage a belief in Santa once the children get old enough to start questioning. I don't encourage a literal belief in myths, so they get a history lesson on Saint Nicholas, on the Christian belief in the birth of baby Jesus, where all the traditions originated; and why we honor these myths and traditions with the spirit of loving and goodwill at this time of year.

Therefore they place no more literal belief in the Jolly Fat Fellow on the Rooftops then they do in the possibility of the prophet Jesus being born in dead of winter (instead of spring).

However we still sing the songs, tell the stories, and honor all of the traditions, so Santa comes in the front door (no chimney) and fills the stockings.

 

[HM]

Santa gives one big wrapped (if you can wrap it) gift. An example of unwrappable was the 'kitchen' that DD got when she was 3. Santa also brings some wrapped and unwrapped smaller things for the stocking...usually includes a DVD or music CD. Mom and Dad give anything else.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So DH and I were having a discussion last night. We were decorating the tree and I was wrapping the 3 gifts we got for our 6 month old. I turned to DH and asked, "Alright, which one is from Santa and which ones are from us?"

He looked bewildered and said "They are ALL from Santa. It's Christmas and that is the guys job!"

I was equally stunned and dumbfounded. "What... Santa got you everything each year?!?Your mom and dad (in theory) just got you NOTHING and that didn't seem odd to you?"

We were both equally dumbfounded by the other. So how does it work in your home? Does Santa bring ALL the gifts with nothing under the tree being from Mom and Dad? Does the big red guy just bring a couple things each year while Mom or Dad get credit for the rest? DH and I are both rather convinced our way is the norm.

Yes, I know at this age it doesn't matter and she won't notice. I more thought of it as in interesting issue.

When I was a kid, my mom never got me anything. I could not stand it and asked her once why as it made me upset. The following Christmas, she got me something. It was even better than to just get stuff from Santa.

 

[Magic Mom]

I couldn't vote. My answer isn't there. Santa brings most of the gifts, but Mom and Dad give one or two small gifts.

 

[MrsKreamer]

Somewhere in between Santa brings 1 and 50/50.

Santa usually brings the big (size or price). It is never wrapped(I discovered Santa had the same wrapping paper as my dad one year), and it is out and ready to be played with. He fills the stockings, and every year he leave at least 20 hot wheels all over the living room.

We wrap a few small things. Usually toys they have to share, like board games, puzzles, etc.

 

[NYEmomma]

The toys and cool stuff is from Santa. The clothes and "necessity" type things are from Mom and Dad. Santa has his own paper.

Same here (as it was when I was a kid, as well). Santa brings the fun stuff, mom and dad buy the clothes & a new Christmas book that she's allowed to open Christmas Eve for us to read.

Santa has his own special paper here too. The clothes/book get wrapped in the same paper that we wrap the rest of the family's gifts in.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

You need an Other.

Most gifts are from Santa (even for DS17...LOL), but there are a few from Mom and Dad (usually the ones we buy through the year that the kids know about, or ones that they may have "discovered").

Same. In addition, wrapped gifts were from family and were put under the tree during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Everything Santa brought was unwrapped and, of course, didn't appear until Christmas morning.