Does Santa wrap presents or doesn't wrap?

[BLAZEY]

Santa wraps and brings 1 special requested gift, everything else is from mum, dad and family. Santa has his own hidden paper that is kept separate from my wrapping paper. I purposely change my handwriting for his gifts. I do stockings and DD8 knows this. My mum did too and this is the story she told us. Mum wrote a letter to Santa, telling him that she had so many neat ideas for filling our stockings that she would like Santa to give all the gifts that would have filled our stockings and give them to kids that might not get as much ast Christmas and the she would fill our stockings for him. The same story was told to my daughter and my sister did the same with her 2 kids.

 

[design_mom]

A little off-topic - Each child has the same number of gifts from Santa & gets the same number of presents to open under the tree. And I try very, very hard to spend the same amount on each child - or, if I'm not spending the exact same dollar amount, the gifts have the same "value" amount, if that makes sense. Even though they're different ages & one is a girl while the other 2 are boys, I try to get them similar things or things that match up.

As they've gotten older, this has gotten harder & harder. This year, their lists are impossible. DD hasn't asked for anything that expensive, plus she hasn't asked for the same amount of items for which her brothers have asked. For instance, DD has asked for decorative pillows for her bed, while our animal-loving younger DS has asked for several different stuffed animals - that's easy to match. But there's nothing on older DS's list that "matches" pillows or stuffed animals. Older DS has asked for a particular model car kit, & younger DS has asked for a remote controlled jeep which, again, are easy to match. But there's nothing on DD's list w/ which I can match. I've got blanks all over my spreadsheet, & it's driving me crazy! LOL!

LOL! I understand! We also try to keep it pretty equal, but I'm not *that* particular. (But I also keep a spread sheet to try to figure out how much I've spent, how many packages and what's coming from Santa.)

But to make it even worse, my *mother* is stressing out. She always made an even number of packages even if someone ended up with 2 unrelated things in the same box (so they wouldn't have "more packages" than the other kid.) I don't think anything on my sister's list this year was under $50... and I don't think anything on my list was over $25. My mom is stressing out. She said "I don't know what I'm going to do. I could only get her three things, and you have a whole pile." I said, teasingly. "Bwah-ha-ha! I will have the biggest pile of gifts. I always knew you loved me most!" and she said "I don't know, Kim.... I think I might have to put all of your stuff into 3 boxes. I don't know what I'm going to do!" And she's serious. By the way, I'm 45... and my sister is 42. ;-)

 

[Turn the Page]

What about the poor Reindeer? We always left carrots out for Rudolph

We always leave treats for the reindeer also and Santa always leaves a thank you note which the kids always thought was the coolest thing.

DD11 finally "figured it out" this year and the only question she had was how we got the teeth marks in the carrot sticks lol.

 

[prprincess]

Santa wraps at our house. Unless it's an oddly shaped item, then he uses gift bags.

 

[mamamary]

When Santa brought gifts they were always wrapped - separate wrapping paper than what I wrapped my gifts with.

 

[wenrob]

Santa "mostly" wrapped here when DS was little. - Usually, one or two large or awkwardly-shaped items were left unwrapped (and assembled, if necessary) in front of the tree, but other things were wrapped (and always in different paper than Mom and Dad's.)

Even now, we put some presents under the tree as they are wrapped but don't put the last batch out until Christmas Eve.

This is how I do it too. Things like a bike or dollhouse are “displayed” and everything else is wrapped. Santa has his own papers, tags and swoopy, handwriting. Santa does not wrap stocking gifts. The jig is up with my kids but the tradition will continue including waiting until Christmas Eve to put out Santa gifts.

For both DH & me, growing up, gifts from Santa were NOT wrapped. We both also had presents under the tree from our parents that WERE wrapped.

So, that's how we've continued things w/ our own children.

Our children receive gifts from Santa which are not wrapped. Instead, everything from Santa is set up in 3 "displays" = one for each child. If Santa is bringing a toy, the toy is unboxed & put together. Santa brings the "big" gift plus 1 or 2 smaller gifts plus some other things (a book, movie, winter scarf, etc.) to round out the display.

Items in the stocking are not wrapped either, &, most of the time, there's always something like a stuffed animal or similar sticking out of the stocking.

Santa comes after everyone goes to bed on Christmas Eve, &, on Christmas morning, everyone rushes downstairs to see what he's left.

There are presents under the tree from family. I keep a spreadsheet & decide what's going to be from Santa & what's going to be from DH & me. Once I'm done shopping, I wrap the presents that are going to be from DH & me & go ahead & put them under the tree - hopefully, well before Christmas Eve!

A little off-topic - Each child has the same number of gifts from Santa & gets the same number of presents to open under the tree. And I try very, very hard to spend the same amount on each child - or, if I'm not spending the exact same dollar amount, the gifts have the same "value" amount, if that makes sense. Even though they're different ages & one is a girl while the other 2 are boys, I try to get them similar things or things that match up.

As they've gotten older, this has gotten harder & harder. This year, their lists are impossible. DD hasn't asked for anything that expensive, plus she hasn't asked for the same amount of items for which her brothers have asked. For instance, DD has asked for decorative pillows for her bed, while our animal-loving younger DS has asked for several different stuffed animals - that's easy to match. But there's nothing on older DS's list that "matches" pillows or stuffed animals. Older DS has asked for a particular model car kit, & younger DS has asked for a remote controlled jeep which, again, are easy to match. But there's nothing on DD's list w/ which I can match. I've got blanks all over my spreadsheet, & it's driving me crazy! LOL!

You sound like me, lol. I don’t have a spreadsheet but I do the same thing, matching “alike” things for all three. I have them grouped in my closet that way. I thought I was done but I keep forgetting about the Tiana Dooney I bought older DD. So she has one more but I can’t “match” because I got younger DD and DS a purse and wallet for their birthday. I’m thinking maybe a watch?

 

[dlavender]

Growing up, Santa never wrapped our gifts, just neatly placed a pile of awesome toys and things for each of us.

In DW's family, Santa always wrapped.

For our kids, Santa leaves one extra awesome gift unwrapped, and he wraps everything else.

Compromise.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Wraps.

 

[DisneyOma]

Does Santa wrap on the Christmas specials? Rudolph, etc, I thought the presents got wrapped? How do explain it if they aren't wrapped in real life, but wrapped in the specials? Just like buying something in plastic whatever, from Walmart - why would Santa's present look like it does at Walmart? (My daughters asked those types of questions, had to stay one step ahead at all times!)

 

[AquamarineSteph]

At my house, Santa left wrapped gifts. Nothing was ever unwrapped unless it was in a stocking. There was no special Santa paper for these gifts, though, and there was no leftover paper left beneath the tree.

 

[Southernmiss]

Santa never wrapped growing up. I would wonder why he didn't wrap our gifts and our cousins were all wrapped... so from that experience, I always wrap. Different paper than other wrapped gifts, and always wrapped from Santa.

My kids are now 23,20,18 and 16. I will still wrap their gifts.

 

[karmic]

I always wrapped everything including stocking stuffers and still do for my adult kids and 2 grandsons- I like to have The unwrapping fun last as long as possible!

 

[jetskigrl]

Santa wraps an equal number of gifts for each kid (small number but usually one is the most requested item) and then there will be some items left unwrapped (usually books, a calendar, etc). Santa paper was purchased in bulk many years ago and remains hidden. Tags are matching and already have "from Santa" on them and I just write each child's name in upper case using a sharpie so it doesn't look like my writing. LOL - my kids are 19 and 14 and I still do this (although of course they know where the presents come from now).

Growing up I had a bunch of presents for me under the tree during the month but I don't do that with my kids. I like the wow factor of them coming out Christmas morning to a tree full of gifts that weren't there the night before (both from us and Santa). But when we travel to my sisters, all presents from family are under the tree a day or two before and then the Santa presents are put out on Christmas Eve, which is getting harder now that my kids stay up later than I do

 

[Mizzoufan]

growing up NEVER. Now it depends on how Santa feels

 

[luvsJack]

It was always some wrapped, some not wrapped. One gift from me (mom), one from dad and one from each sibling. The rest from Santa. When my sons were small, the gifts left unwrapped were usually the ones for both of them together. Then there were equal number of wrapped gifts. Same way in the stocking, some wrapped, some not wrapped.

The paper was always out of my stash and the kids picked it out the night before to leave for Santa to use. The reindeer always had magic reindeer food (just oatmeal and glitter) that was sprinkled all around the edge of the house so that they could see the glitter and find the house. Both of my sons still do these things with their daughters.

 

[kdonnel]

Santa wraps all presents for the same kid in the same paper.

 

[Kitty 34]

Santa was lazy......or possibly too busy so no wrapped Santa gifts.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Santa never wrapped. Too many people to visit. Growing up he would leave our name by our Santa gifts because there were 4 girls at our house very close in age.

My kids were easy to tell which gift was for which kid - one boy, one girl and 4 years apart.

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

Santa has no time to wrap! He leaves a pile for each kiddo & they are psyched to get to the living room & find their stash! Merry Christmas!

 

[Dumbo777]

Santa wraps and he uses special paper to wrap the gifts, unless he is super pressed for time and then he uses gift bags.