In our house and my husbands house while growing up Santa would bring the one big toy and then the stocking stuffers. We're doing the same for our children.
How do you explain that to your child who's really good and has the one gift from Santa and was happy with it until she hears that Bad Girl Suzy gets the Barbie Dreamhouse, TV and Holiday to Disneyland and now your child views her Barbie Computer which she was originally happy with but now views it as dinky from Santa?!!
Do you think that the belief of Santa would exsist longer if we all had some sort of unspoken rule?!
2007-11-30 04:41:14 · 37 answers · asked by Yummy♥Mummy 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Quirky, It's a great idea, My daughter does currently donate her toys every 6 mos or so...what a great idea!
2007-11-30 04:57:14 · update #1
I agree with you! It helps the myth so much more if Santa only has room for one toy for everyone. My husband and I agreed that the "big" toy will always be from Santa, and everything else will be from Mommy and Daddy. And we already warned our parents not to put "From Santa" on their gifts to her. I think it will help her to realize that her family loves her and gives her presents too, not just Santa.
As far as what to do when the kid down the street gets everything from Santa, well, you'll have to be creative. Say something like "Santa knew we love you and we wanted to give your toys too, so we left him a note to only bring you one thing," or something along those lines. Not a question you want to be caught off-guard by! Or you could tell a sort-of truth, that parents "help" Santa by pretending to give extra gifts from him, but there was only one "real" Santa gift in there---wink, wink."
It takes lots of imagination to keep the story up, but it's so worth it! Kids get so excited by the thought of Santa and Christmas and magic, and we should keep it going for as long as we can!
2007-11-30 04:59:34 · answer #1 · answered by Jacqueline D 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Every home is different and happy with how their family has done it for years. My family has always had 1 big gift from santa a few smaller ones and then the stocking stuffers. And then we also got presents from our parents. One year there may have be more than the previous. The number of gifts a person gets is not what counts. It is the thought. If you think 1 present is good then do so. But I will continue to carry on the tradition my family has always had. I do not believe that the belief of santa would exsist longer if we all had that 1 rule. Look at the world, nothing will ever be what you want it to be.
2007-11-30 06:31:51 · answer #2 · answered by Momma 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I've been thinking about this too. And though you might think I'm a Scroodge, I'll share my thoughts anyway :-)
I decided that my 3 year old will get only one present for Christmas. We have money, that is not the point here. The point is that we are parents. Parents raise their children. And I want to teach my child that he should be thankful Santa gave him the one gift he really really wanted. (and it doesn't have to be, or will be a $$$ priced gift!) It's not the number of presents that count, but how much thought Santa had put in to it, that counts.
The Christmas spirit shouldn't be about quantity anyway. I'm pretty frustrated about how far the world around me is taking the gift giving part every Christmas.
So, if my son comes with questions about the amount of the presents Bad Girl Suzy got, I will explain to him that what you get or won't get has nothing to do with how good or bad you are. That is a myth that haunts me even in my grown up years anyway. As if everybody gets what he or she deserves, as if "being good" will be a guarantee to get what you earned.
And if my son is not willing to accept my explanation, I think that Santa is not serving the Christmas spirit anyway, and I would tell him the truth about Santa.
Wendy, San Jose, California
2007-11-30 06:22:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I seriously don't know....
I know that Santa only leaves one toy at our house...even in the movies he only drops off one present per person. (the fight in my house was whether or not Santa wrapped....he doesn't in my family but does in my husband's - how weird is that? LOL)
And I would simply tell your daughter that Santa doesn't give trips to Disneyland...how can elves make that?
Seriously though....simply talk to your child....I know that my son's best friend gets a ton of crap from Santa...when my son tells me that I look at him and say "Are you sure that it wasn't from his parents and he just 'thought' that it was from Santa?" By the time he would have the chance to ask...he's already forgotten about it.
You could also try the whole "maybe he was giving her an incentive to try harder next year to be good?" talk. And honestly...if your child is young enough to still believe in santa...then "Bad girl Suzy" really couldn't have been THAT bad right?
I think that it's a shame that our children grow up so fast now that santa is a bad dream before they are 10 even. That was always part of the joy of Christmas as a child...the anticipation of Santa coming. Sure I get the joy of seeing my children's faces on Christmas morning.....but before kids....Christmas simply wasn't any fun anymore.
Have a good holiday.
2007-11-30 05:04:07 · answer #4 · answered by Miss Sunshine 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
To make it more feasible to my kid's way of thinking, I tell him Santa only has time to visit the really special kids that were extra nice. And he will leave one special present for them.
In this its easier for him to beleive in Santa and that magic lasts longer for us all. He's at the later ages where the doubt starts beginning and he starts wondering how Santa can get to every house on the planet.
Of course he can't. He's a bit like a wizard and has his team fly that one night, cuz we all know deer can't fly, and he only visits a few houses, not ALL. That would be impossible. Then he's like Oh, ok. cool.. I got maybe 1 or 2 Christmases like this left if I'm lucky then the magic you have right now will be gone until grandchildren days.
In the end, I know he won't take it as a lie. He'll be a little disappointed perhaps, but he will see it all as a great story and perhaps still see Santa as the spirit of the holidays rather than a real man. In that case, he's still real.
Enjoy it while you can :) Merry Christmas.
2007-11-30 04:48:13 · answer #5 · answered by Janey 1 · 5⤊ 1⤋
We could make it a rule, but just like any law, there would always be people who broke it.
In our house, the big item is usually from us (because we selfishly want the kid to be pleased with us, and not Santa! lol), and then a few medium-sized things are from Santa. This year it's a puzzle and a singing Elmo.
From us, it's a book, a remote control car (the remote only has one button, for forward- he's only 2!), and an inflatable bouncer (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3168464)
I'll pick up a few more things for stocking-stuffers, but that's pretty much it for this year.
2007-11-30 06:00:31 · answer #6 · answered by Queen Queso 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok I think your way is great we do the opposite though and we mark all the presents from Santa except the one big one we get for our girls. The rule of thumb in my house atleast for my 9 year old is that their gifts depend on their behavior. The more well behaved they are the more gifts and my children are pretty well behaved all year round.
I also agree that Disney is was too much for Santa's elves to make.!
2007-11-30 05:19:39 · answer #7 · answered by teal_eyed_girl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At my house Santa writes a letter that asks my kids to give their gently used toys from last year to poor kids, so that everyone has enough. Then he also writes a thank you letter.
"Dear Maddie,
Thank you for the toy boat and the rain coat and the lego blocks and your Emma doll. The kids really loved them and I delivered them all on time for Christmas. I am returning the Emma doll because I know she is your favorite- and you are a very kind child. I hope you like the gifts I sent. I was watching you in the play and you did a great job as the angel. Keep up the good work and be nice to your sister.
Love,
Santa"
2007-11-30 04:51:52 · answer #8 · answered by quirky 5 · 7⤊ 1⤋
i think that giving one gift from Santa is a good idea. I believe that kids should only get a few present total. 1 big present from Santa and like 5 little presents from family. i believe that kids get over whelmed with so may presents that they for get what they get and don't really take care of the things they already got.
2007-11-30 05:00:41 · answer #9 · answered by favorite_aunt24 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Santa is based on a real person! Some people just need to keep their comments to themselves! Do your research!
It's a great idea! I was having "Santa" bring several gifts, but I think this year I'll give that a try! Thanks for the idea!
2007-11-30 05:22:56 · answer #10 · answered by Rachel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋