Gifts from Santa, Parents or Both?

[Jeremy Milam]

My wife and just realized that when we were little Santa was different.

In my wife's family one bigger gift under the tree was brought by Santa, all the rest were from her parents.

In my family all the gifts under the tree were brought by Santa.

We both think Santa did for us what he does for the majority. With a 10 month old we need to figure out what that is.

She really wants me to post this so here it is. Thanks for your response in what Santa did for you or your kids.

[Dan Hintz]

Santa did a mix in our household... maybe 1/3 were from Santa?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Same in our house - was a mix with about 1/3 coming from Santa.

[Jim O'Dell]

Same here. Now this is not exact as there was always a mix, but mostly the big fun gifts were from Santa, and the clothes and such were from Family. As my wife says, she believed in Santa a lot longer than most of the kids her age, because she knew he had to be real, because her parents could never afford all those presents for the 4 kids. :D Jim.

[Ed Hazel]

Santas gifts always had their own wrapping paper different from the other gifts

[Bill LaPointe]

Larger gifts were from Santa. I know that was true because he always signed the "To - From" label.

[Phil Thien]

A few thoughts:

(1) Only some gifts should come from Santa. From the very start, kids will see that giving is just as important and can be just as rewarding as receiving.

(2) Everything should come from Santa. That way when you're pushing the little monsters around in the shopping cart, and they're begging for everything they see, you can say "who do I look like, Santa? Put it on your list!"

(3) Nothing should come from Santa. That way if you're down and out, and can't put anything nice under the tree, they won't assume they got the shaft from Santa.

HTH.

[Phyllis Meyer]

One gift from Santa the rest from Mom and Dad! We still do that with our kids! Ages 24 & 22! Our kids put our cookies, milk, and of course apples for the reindeer (we didn't quite know what reindeer eat but we thought they would like apples)! My husband would rattle bells when it was time to get up if the kids weren't up yet), and bang on the walls to make the kids think the sleigh was just here.

Enjoy every moment, make memories and just hug your kids! They grow way too fast!

Sincerely,
Phyllis:)

[mike holden]

Under the tree were the gifts from family. The stocking was filled by Santa, and usually contained something like a top or yoyo and some candy and nuts as filler.

[Jeremy Brant]

Under the tree was only from family. Stocking tidbits and a few too big to be in a stocking or combined for siblings were from Santa. Santa had his own wrapping paper that only came out on Christmas Day. Mostly the expensive presents were identified from Mom and Dad under the tree. In my house growing up we only got gifts 2 times a year. On Christmas and on your Birthday. You'd get a chance at some new clothes for back to school in the fall, and that was it. Going through stores if you saw something you wanted, you had to remember to put it on the list for the next Big Event...whining got you nowhere.

[John Mark Lane]

One gift from Santa the rest from Mom and Dad! We still do that with our kids! Ages 24 & 22! Our kids put our cookies, milk, and of course apples for the reindeer (we didn't quite know what reindeer eat but we thought they would like apples)! My husband would rattle bells when it was time to get up if the kids weren't up yet), and bang on the walls to make the kids think the sleigh was just here.

Enjoy every moment, make memories and just hug your kids! They grow way too fast!

Sincerely,
Phyllis:)


Amen to that.

This is a "sore spot" between my wife and I (not really, just sort of). In my family, there were wrapped presents under the tree, starting as soon as the tree was up (usually first week of December). This would add up as gifts came in from aunts and grammas etc. Adds to the fun and anticipation. On Christmas Eve night, each family member could pick one to open. Then overnight Santa would come, and leave bunches of bigger (and smaller) things, spread around, none of them wrapped. The stockings would be filled by Santa.

In my wife's family, all presents were wrapped. Those from Santa would mostly all be wrapped in the same paper. Her family was "poor" compared to mine (and we weren't rich). There were far fewer presents overall.

We also decorated trees completely different. (Mine was better, of course.) :)

Now, with our children 5 and 8, we do a hybrid. But mostly my way. The big stuff is just out, but there are some wrapped Santa gifts, as well. And of course, a note for Santa and some milk and snacks.

I managed to catch one of the prime "Santa moments" on film --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuIHFEoImHY

Mark

[Ben Hatcher]

We had a mix. Perhaps 50/50 santa/parents. Grandparents typically brought one or two gifts for each person. All of the gifts were wrapped. Santa's handwriting and my mom's were exactly the same, and he had similar taste in wrapping paper. We did somehow convince my parents to let us open one item on Christmas eve, a tradition that I've continued only because I have no patience.

[Chris Kennedy]

As the youngest of three, combined with very non-sentimental parents, there was never such a thing as Santa.

I'm going through the same thing with my boy. He is old enough to grasp the idea of Santa, and part of me wants to encourage that. Not the person who you ask for presents from, but this kindly person who spreads joy. He really enjoys The Night Before Christmas. If I can figure out how to walk that line, I'll let you know how it is done.

Cheers,

Chris

[Dave Parkis]

At our house, Santa brought toys and/or "extravagant" gifts. Our thought was that if the extravagant gifts came from us, the kids might expect them all the time and we didn't want to spoil them. We only got credit for the more practical gifts.

[Belinda Barfield]

In my house growing up we only got gifts 2 times a year. On Christmas and on your Birthday. You'd get a chance at some new clothes for back to school in the fall, and that was it. Going through stores if you saw something you wanted, you had to remember to put it on the list for the next Big Event...whining got you nowhere.

Only child here, same situation. Gifts were given on Christmas and birthdays. Whining got a swat on the butt.

Any big ticket items, like a bike for example, came from Santa on Christams morning. Presents from the parents were placed under the tree along and along once the tree was up and opened on Christmas Eve. BTW, Santa does not like chocolate (just in case you didn't know that).

[Wayne Hendrix]

... We both think Santa did for us what he does for the majority. With a 10 month old we need to figure out what that is. ...

I think that what is important is not what the majority do but what you and your wife decide is best for your family. Are you going to base all of your parenting decisions on the majority and post them up here for us to vote on? Are you going to be yourselves and raise your kids to your values and standards or are you wanting to just be like everyone else?

You yourself stated that it doesn't matter to the child when you said, "We both think Santa did for us what he does for the majority." If you each thought that you were like everyone else that shows that the act itself, not the method in which the act is carried out, is what is important to the child. If anything you might consider what your each of your siblings, ie the people your children are most likely to spend the holidays with, are doing with their kids.

[Rick Prosser]

We had a mix, everything wrapped (even the BIG stuff). Usually Santa delivered the best presents, and parents provided more necessity items, but not always. I still get gifts from Santa at my grandmothers house.:)

... and Wayne must have gotten coal in his stocking:(

I think you can ask for others experiences and suggestions, and still make your own decisions.
I do agree with:

"consider what your each of your siblings, ie the people your children are most likely to spend the holidays with, are doing with their kids."

as part of the decision process.

Merry Christmas!

[Wayne Hendrix]

We had a mix, everything wrapped (even the BIG stuff). Usually Santa delivered the best presents, and parents provided more necessity items, but not always. I still get gifts from Santa at my grandmothers house.:)

... and Wayne must have gotten coal in his stocking:(

I think you can ask for others experiences and suggestions, and still make your own decisions.
I do agree with:

"consider what your each of your siblings, ie the people your children are most likely to spend the holidays with, are doing with their kids."

as part of the decision process.

Merry Christmas!

I just reread what I wrote and it may be a little harsh, however its there so I will leave it.

And for the record, big stuff was usually from Santa and unwrapped or if wrapped it was in a different paper than everything else. Everything else was from Mom and Dad.