Santa Questions?

[shine87]

All of dd5's presents are from santa even the ones from grandma/schrampa since we do christmas with them, all presents from everyone else's houses are from them (aunts, uncles, her other grandmother) shes never questioned it since she cant really read yet. And as sad as it sounds I dont think Ill get another christmas where she believes in santa, since she's already asking me about him

 

[bjscheel]

I am gradually shifting to more from us and less from Santa. At first I was doing most everything from Santa, and one or two from us. In hindsight, I wished that it was the opposite so that 1. I would get the credit and 2. as they grow older it wouldn't be such a big deal to find out about Santa and 3. if we didn't want to spend so much the kids would understand about not getting much from us (they get tons from family) but they wouldn't understand about Santa cutting back.

So this year it is 50/50. I have one that knows, and one that believes, probably for the last year.

When they both know, what do I do then? We have been opening immediate family presents on Christmas Eve so that we can get going to the in-laws sooner in the morning. I guess we can switch immediate family to Christmas morning to take the place of Santa surprises.

 

[Bluestars]

I'm with your husband. Santa gave all the gifts! I never once thought "Why didn't Mom give us anything". It just never crossed my mind.

As for being grateful and being able to thank relatives for gifts they gave, we were grateful and we did thank them, when we saw them on Christmas and received our gifts from them. Of course, we didn't have family from out of state or really, anyone who lived more than a half hour away. If we did, I could see my mom saying something like.. "And this gift is from Aunt so and so, we have to call and say thank you later" or something like that.

That's exactly how it was in our house. Santa brought all of the gifts. We always went to my mom's parent's house for Christmas dinner and got gifts there from relatives.

Also, the gifts were never put under the tree until Christmas night, after we were asleep. It was magical to wake up in the morning and see all of the presents and the lights on the tree sparkling off of them. All of the gifts were wrapped. I have done the same thing for my kids. It makes Christmas morning special for us.

 

[ilovejack02]

Growing up it was 50/50 and Santa didn't wrap .

DH can't remember how it went, but does remember Santa had special wrapping paper. He couldn't believe I was going to just put out the presents unwrapped lol.

NOW , we wrap some in Santa wrap and the rest is from us . Last year the Ipod touch was from us , but Santa gave everything else. This year Santa is giving the Nintendo 3ds with one game , stocking stuffers and the rest from us . I even used the wrapping paper Santa used last year on our Mom and Dad presents , DS9 didn't remember, just said... " OH you got me Snoopy paper ! I love it. "

This is our last year of believing in Santa , he has brought it up a few times.

 

[YodaGirl]

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.

Because DH and I are their "family" too, why shouldn't they be taught to acknowledge that we love them and purchased the gifts that they wanted, and be grateful to us? I honestly see no point in labeling gifts you give to someone because you love them as being from a Fat Jolly Old Fellow in a Red Suit.

We were driving home the other day, and DD was talking about Santa. We don't have a fireplace, so DH and I always "wait up" for Santa so we can let him in the front door.

She wanted me to be sure to tell him that she said thank you, and that she loves her presents. I thought that it was so sweet.

Yes, right now, she's thanking Santa, but in a few years, she'll figure it all out and know that it was all from us. In the mean time, she's appreciative. I don't think that she has to know that the presents are from us in order to show her appreciation.

To each their own, though.

I have seen more than on thread on the DIS over the years where people talk about ALL gifts being from Santa. The first I saw was someone who was newly married into a family and was shocked that the rather expensive gifts she and her husband brought for a niece of nephew had the tags removed and "santa" put on them because ALL gifts are from Santa. I remember it well ebcuase i was so surprised by this concept.

Oh, wow! I've never heard of that. If mom and dad want to have all the presents from Santa, that's one thing. Changing name tags to specify from Santa is a bit much, IMO.

 

[dislaney]

That's exactly how it was in our house. Santa brought all of the gifts. We always went to my mom's parent's house for Christmas dinner and got gifts there from relatives.

Also, the gifts were never put under the tree until Christmas night, after we were asleep. It was magical to wake up in the morning and see all of the presents and the lights on the tree sparkling off of them. All of the gifts were wrapped. I have done the same thing for my kids. It makes Christmas morning special for us.

Christmas morning is always the best at our house too. I still do this even though my children are older now. They go to bed and there are no gifts under the tree, and when they wake Santa has brought a bagful of gifts.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It's interesting all the different customs...

I've never worried about someone (the man in the red suit) taking "all the credit". We've always told the kids (around when they began asking things like why we buy for the gift trees for other kids) that mommy and daddy still have to pay for the things that Santa provides. It has worked for our household and explains why we also must help others.

We have gifts from Santa (unlabeled but wrapped in special paper) and gifts from us (so that like happened to me when I was little, they didn't think I wasn't giving them anything.)


But it doesn't bother me at all if they believe (without my encouragement, but only by my omission of information) that Santa gave it to them. I don't need all the glory so to speak. They know that mommy and daddy provided the funds to procure these items regardless.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We've always done it 50/50 and Santa gifts are unwrapped.

I can remember being exhausted from work and trying to wrap the presents from us and thinking "Why couldn't it all be from Santa? then I wouldn't have to wrap anything!" LOL

 

[brookmey]

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.

That's exactly what we do. Santa usually brings the most wanted gifts, in his own wrapping paper. My kids know my handwriting (I'm terrible at disguising it) and I'm too lazy to type up name tags, so each kid gets their own Santa wrap so they know whose is whose.

Gifts from Mom and Dad go under the tree on Christmas Eve because my 5 year old cannot handle gifts under the tree before then. It kills him to see the gifts there and not be able to open them!

We make up crazy names for the Mom and Dad gifts and the kids have fun guessing what's inside based on who the gifts are from. Makes Christmas Eve really fun!

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Growing up it was 70/30 with Santa getting most the credit. I was going to do the same but my son informed me only Santa leaves presents at our house and they are all wrapped he is almost 3 so I can't disappoint and will wrap them all. I'll have to ask DH how it worked for him growing up.

My son also informed me that Santa will leave presents at my parents house for the cats and a red truck for him in my dad's shed. Demanding little boy!

 

[LadyZolt]

I think I've read all of this thread -- am I the only one who has never given anything from Santa? I have told my kids about Santa, we read Clement Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," and watched Rudolph, Frosty, etc., but only as fun stories and not as someone who is real and coming to our house. For me, (and I think Sorsha mentioned this), I wouldn't want my children to at any point think I deliberately told them something I honestly believed isn't true as if I did believe it was true. I am Christian, so for us, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. Now, I honestly do believe that Jesus is God, so telling my children about Jesus is not the same thing as telling them Santa is going to come to the house, etc. All of the presents we've given have been from "Dad and Mom" or "Mom and Dad."

We always have a birthday cake for Jesus, too, instead of leaving cookies for Santa. My kids are all adults now, and we still have a birthday cake.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Becky2005]

Good question. It's always interesting on how different things are done.

Santa in our household NEVER even wrapped his gifts. I asked my mom why not once I had kids of my own & her answer was Santa doesn't wrap gifts -- if you notice in his sack of presents...they aren't wrapped in a lot of the pictures! She's right! There always seems to be a teddy bear, book, drum, something sticking out of his bag unwrapped.

The BIG gift was always from Santa, etc.. we did have one advantage in the fact that we always knew my parents were Santa so it really wasn't a big deal if the gifts came from Santa or my parents (this is how we do it with our kids too). The Santa gifts though were on the designated couch cushion along with our stockings (there were 3 of us).

My parents could do that though because we had French doors and they were able to shut those doors until everyone woke up. I am not able to do that and must wrap all the gifts otherwise I would have a couple kids awake before even I got up to take pictures -- now they know to not step one toe from the hall to the carpet where the gifts are until everyone is up and I tell them they can -- just as I knew growing up you didn't DARE open those doors until everyone was up & you were told you could.

I attempted to do the Santa paper but gave up on that -- I'm just not that good plus I forget. Somehow it has morphed that each child has their own paper each year (I do that instead of buying name tags)..so each child's pile is grouped together. The paper changes each year though but each of them get their own. So...umm...hmm...basically they all come from Santa I guess since I don't use name tags either with the To or From part.

I never really thought about it since it has morphed around each year.

 

[bekkiz]

We're only on our 4th Christmas, but we don't give any gifts from the big man We sit on his lap, and we've talked about who St. Nick was (in very general terms). We talk about how he's a symbol for kindness and generosity. I'm just not comfortable with actually lying to my kids about something that's kind of meaningless. I really have no memory of Santa being a big deal at our house, so that might be part of it too.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I am gradually shifting to more from us and less from Santa. At first I was doing most everything from Santa, and one or two from us. In hindsight, I wished that it was the opposite so that 1. I would get the credit and 2. as they grow older it wouldn't be such a big deal to find out about Santa and 3. if we didn't want to spend so much the kids would understand about not getting much from us (they get tons from family) but they wouldn't understand about Santa cutting back.

So this year it is 50/50. I have one that knows, and one that believes, probably for the last year.

When they both know, what do I do then? We have been opening immediate family presents on Christmas Eve so that we can get going to the in-laws sooner in the morning. I guess we can switch immediate family to Christmas morning to take the place of Santa surprises.

Both of mine know, and we still have fun and have the gifts from us (which we open in Christmas Eve as we always have) and the gift from "Santa" (all on display, unwrapped, under the tree Christmas morning and stockings). It is still fun to do it that way even now that they know how it works. The only difference is that the kids will sneak things into my stocking before they go up to bed now. Heck, they even still leave out cookies for DH and I to eat while we set up the display

Sounds like something that my SIL would do! When I first started dating my husband there was only one grandchild in the family. As you can imagine the sun rose and set on that child! Even when my SIL had her second there still weren't any other grandchildren and my SIL used to assign gifts for us to get for Christmas and birthdays! That's right....assign! I will never forget the first Thanksgiving that we were married my SIL handed out photo copy's of my neice's list and my SIL had written names next to certain items!!!! I didn't get anything on the list and my SIL was not happy with me but I didn't care!

I wouldn't have bought the assigned gift either. What is with some people?

 

[JaneBanks]

Also, the gifts were never put under the tree until Christmas night, after we were asleep. It was magical to wake up in the morning and see all of the presents and the lights on the tree sparkling off of them. All of the gifts were wrapped. I have done the same thing for my kids. It makes Christmas morning special for us.

Christmas morning is always the best at our house too. I still do this even though my children are older now. They go to bed and there are no gifts under the tree, and when they wake Santa has brought a bagful of gifts.

Same here! The only gifts under the tree before Christmas morning were for cousins, aunts, etc.

Christmas was all about Santa and the magic, etc. in our whole family. It was a magical time that I'm glad I got to experience as a child.

There was nothing like going upstairs with my brothers, all excited that Santa was coming, trying to stay awake all night to listen for the jingle bells and reindeer on the roof. Of course, we fell asleep almost immediately, lol.

Then, we woke up, all groggy and sleepy and after a few seconds, we realized what day it was and we sprang out of bed (lol) all excited and rushed in to my mother's room to wake her up. I can still feel the excited tension and the anticipation as we walked down the stairs to a tree lit room with piles of beautiful presents that were wrapped in our own special paper from Santa Claus.

Sigh, to be a kid again!

 

[JaneBanks]

I wouldn't have bought the assigned gift either. What is with some people?

Tell that to my little cousin who gives everyone a copy of her Christmas list.

 

[npmommie]

I voted "one from Santa", but it's really usually 2 or 3 or 4. Less than half, though.

This is about what we do as well. If there is a big ticket item, it comes from Santa. I make sure to include a few things from their santa letters labeled from santa.
the rest is mom and dad.

I used to do more from santa, but then one day ds asked how in the world santa had room for so many presents in his sleigh for all kids, so then we began the tradition of just a few from santa,

oh and we also put everything out christmas eve after the kids are in bed, so its all there when they come down in the morning, santa gifts in santa paper. ( I started doing santa paper a couple years ago when I read about it here, LOL)