Anonymous wrote:As a former teacher, I’d urge everyone to minimize the number of presents from Santa. I’ll never forget this first grader describing all the toys he got “from Santa”. His friend who lived in low income housing look shattered. I will die on this hill.

Poor kids learn the truth about Santa early.

Anonymous wrote:As a former teacher, I’d urge everyone to minimize the number of presents from Santa. I’ll never forget this first grader describing all the toys he got “from Santa”. His friend who lived in low income housing look shattered. I will die on this hill.

100%. I was one of those poor kids once.

Anonymous wrote:Santa does stockings, family does presents

But then why would the kids get excited for Santa?? The movies all show santa putting presents under the tree too.

Santa does stockings, family does presents

As a former teacher, I’d urge everyone to minimize the number of presents from Santa. I’ll never forget this first grader describing all the toys he got “from Santa”. His friend who lived in low income housing look shattered. I will die on this hill.

My parents did both and I don't remember the ratio. Gifts from other relatives were labeled with the actual giver.

I remember we lived in apartment with no chimney until I was six so my mom would put presents outside the door and ring the bell and say Santa just came and I would get all excited LOL. I was skeptical she had a neighbor do it yet could not conclude that she was just doing it herself!

We do a mix. Santa gives the bigger stuff, we give the rest. This is for a seven year old who has shown no sign of doubting Santa (or that she saw a mermaid in Ocean City for that matter)

We only do 100% santa gifts. Maybe if they see the gift beforehand I'll take credit for it.

My kids think we have to pay Santa a bit and that's why poor kid don't get any gifts. My goal is to make the day as magical for my own children as possible.

What annoys me is that all the grandparents and relatives also say that "Santa dropped this off at our house for you too!" It worries me because it's not believable and I think it weakens the santa magic.

Anonymous wrote:In our household, parents give gifts (want/need/wear/read) and then Santa brings 1-2 bigger or more exciting gifts (e.g., a few years ago it was the LOL glamper, now more toward electronics). I overheard my younger kid telling a friend that Santa must be real because there is no way I would have bought [big gift that Santa brought].

PP again. Santa also fills stockings!

In our household, parents give gifts (want/need/wear/read) and then Santa brings 1-2 bigger or more exciting gifts (e.g., a few years ago it was the LOL glamper, now more toward electronics). I overheard my younger kid telling a friend that Santa must be real because there is no way I would have bought [big gift that Santa brought].

For us, it's family gifts Christmas Eve which includes things the kids have asked us for. Christmas morning is Santa which is bulkier and cheaper gifts so that the tree looks packed when the kids wake up

Anonymous wrote:I like the "way" of santa bringing one/two gifts and the rest are from family. I believe I read about this starting because not everyone can afford 100s of presents, and if they are all "from santa" it looks like santa cares more about those kids, rather than acknowledging that their parents are just much wealthier. So I like for santa to bring a few gifts. I don't really pay much attention to what other people do though.

I should add, my mom still gives me some presents from Mom and some from Santa LOL.

I like the "way" of santa bringing one/two gifts and the rest are from family. I believe I read about this starting because not everyone can afford 100s of presents, and if they are all "from santa" it looks like santa cares more about those kids, rather than acknowledging that their parents are just much wealthier. So I like for santa to bring a few gifts. I don't really pay much attention to what other people do though.

We always did Santa only . I don’t care about getting “credit.” Kind of antithetical to the spirit.

I have three kids - one is in HS, one upper elementary and one in K.

For years for the oldest, all the gifts from mom/dad were disguised as Santa gifts. Grandparents never liked that Santa buys all the gifts set up that we did not separate gifts from us. (No longer believes in Santa)

Middle child, I started doing a small mix of one or two mom/dad gifts. (Questions Santa’s existence but skews more still believing)

Youngest (believes) , I now wonder should I do even more mom/dad gifts with just less Santa gifts? As in Santa brings 1 out of 5 to show that parents do give some of the exciting gifts too.

Does it matter? I feel like I may be feeling the pressure of others opinions within our family to present these mom/dad gifts more than Santa gifts. I’d love to hear your opinions.

I’ll be honest, I cannot remember as a child thinking negatively that my mother did not give me specific gifts. I used to have “Santa” focused christmases where all the unwrapped toys were from Santa. Clothing, some other additional gifts were from my mother’s sisters. I absolutely loved that but I also was a child who loved every bit of Santa culture until atleast 7/8th grade. I was definitely one of those kids that felt that Santa brought magic. I did not have a lot growing up and it was just exciting to see new toys that morning. My kids are not as enthralled as I was with Santa bringing toys but I still want to get that feeling of Santa or Christmas “magic”.