What is your opinion on gifts?

trish123

My children get presents from sant as did i,they know they are realy from us.All other presents from friends and family are put under the tree.

Hush-Puppy

All the gifts we buy are from 'Santa'. All gifts from friends and relatives are from the proper 'giver'.

My 7 year old asked me a couple of years back why her Dad and I didn't buy her anything, lol (I now have to keep one pressie back 'from Mum and Dad) ... and has also decided that she can ask for anything because Santa has no need for money. I was SO, so wrong to go down this route, lol, but as I have four kids (almost-14 to two) I can't really change it now!

XX

Jacqu79

Hush-Puppy wrote: »

All the gifts we buy are from 'Santa'. All gifts from friends and relatives are from the proper 'giver'.

My 7 year old asked me a couple of years back why her Dad and I didn't buy her anything, lol (I now have to keep one pressie back 'from Mum and Dad) ... and has also decided that she can ask for anything because Santa has no need for money. I was SO, so wrong to go down this route, lol, but as I have four kids (almost-14 to two) I can't really change it now!

XX

I had this problem too when my son was about 4. After opening all his gifts from Santa, he burst into tears and asked why everyone but me had bought him presents. :eek: I felt bloody awful!:o

the_rottweiler

my boys had smaller pressies from santa, but the BIG ones were from us. Any others from family and friends were labelled as to who they were from.
how do kids write thank you letters if everything is from santa.
i still enjoy recieving thank you letters, and i hope people that buy my boys gifts do too (they send the 21st century thank you, an email) but at least the gift is acknowledged and the giver is thanked

starbump

All our gifts come from the people who gave them. Baby is still too young to know/care but we will tell her who they are from and I will expect her to write thank you cards when she is old enough.

poppet

Father Christmas is just the "courier" , he brings the stocking fillers and most of the presents from us and other people. then they might get gifts from relatives we visit over the holidays who pysically hand the gift over to them or they might say something like "father christmas left this here for you becasue he knew you were coming"

Its funny but the children accepted this happily and without question (as did i when i was a child) untill they got to about 8 or 9 and then the doubt begins to creep in and they hear rumours in the playground.

With 3 of our 4 we managed to string the beleif out untill they were 10. Our youngest is only 6 so we have a few more years of magic with her before she catches on too - shame really.

LICAPICA

In our house it is made clear from whom the presents came but that all presents are sent to FC who then holds on to them until the big day.
If FC has witnessed you being unkind etc then one present will be deducted but if you do a good deed then it will be reinstated.
FC does send a stocking and one present from himself as well.

evilwitch

Stocking plus one present from Santa, everything else from who bought it, wrapped it and gave it. These are the only things opened before lunch. All the other presents are for after lunch.

My H had a strange tradition growing up. ALL his presents were left in santa sack in his bedroom which he opened before getting up. Struck me as odd as half the pleasure, for me as an adult, is seeing the excitement on childrens faces when they get presents and the smiles whilst ripping open the paper. To open presents on your own as a child seems wierd especially as his parents, and guests, had presents under the tree which they opened during the day but poor old H had done all his by 5am

Amandaj32

Evilwitch - I had the same experience when I was growing up. My 'Santa' presents were under the tree. They were all unwrapped. I was always allowed to go downstairs myself. So, as an only child I opened my Christmas presents by myself. My Mum and Dad got up later. I ran up and downstairs giving them a running commentary. It didn't really bother me at the time- but I did wonder what it was like to have wrapped presents. Now - I wrap EVERYTHING from myself and OH. We disagreed about the 'giver' of presents when we first got together. He said that he was told his parents paid for everything, they sent a cheque to Santa and he 'just' delivered the presents. I thought it was a shame because it shouldn't really be up to the children to worry about the cost. So, we compromise - and the 'big' present is from us and the rest from Santa.

When OH was little he was really upset when he found out the truth. Now, DS is 11 and is finally admitting he doesn't believe! However, he did admit that he was worried that he won't get the same amount of presents. I've assured him that even when he is 20 he will still get a stocking! For a joke - I've shown him a very small felt stocking and told him that is his stocking as Santa is suffering from Credit Crunch!! I'll swap it for the HUGE one in the cupboard!!

rufusdog52

evilwitch - when we were little father christmas used to come in our rooms and leave a pillow case full of things on the end of our beds. None of it was wrapped up. We used to wake about 5 and go through the sacks and play with the toys until Mum and Dad woke up then we all went down stairs. later in the day we would get a present from Mum which was usally a nice pretty dress (she used to make them herself) plus some years a pair of shiney shoes to wear with the dress. Then in the afternoon we would get a present from Dad which was something more expensive like a camera or a record player. We grew up in the 60s in London and I know a lot of kids at my school used to get their gifts the same way. Gifts from other people like Aunts and Uncles were usually sweets, money or saving stamps which we paid into our post office accounts. We didnt have "Santa" back then, it was always Father Christmas.

When I had my own children I wanted to see them open their presents so I used to put "empty boxes under the tree and these would get filled up on Christmas eve when Father Christmas came. The gifts from everyone else were given by them when we saw them. they used to get their big main gift from me later in the day.