Does Santa wrap presents or doesn't wrap?

[dreamer17555]

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. ;-)

This will be me when I am older. I am obsessed about making sure they open the same number of gifts. I don't even stress so much about the costs exactly (because toys are cheaper than electronics and my children have a five year age gap) but number of boxes opened must be the same. Our family is blessed by having extended family ship gifts for them and making sure those are even is always fun. Honestly most of my family knows have anxiety issues and have started shipping directly from the store and know I will pick out a paper just for gifts from them, beautifully wrap and tag their gift, and make sure it ends up being the same number of packages. My DD is 15 and could careless if she has left gifts to open but I CARE darn it!

 

[marlynnp]

We were a three gifts from Santa family. If the gift needed assembly, was large, or otherwise unwieldy, it was not wrapped. If they were wrapped, Santa always had much different paper. I actually used the same roll of paper throughout all the "Santa years". Santa would also get presents that mom didn't like, such as the Barbie Shopping Mall with a hundred different pieces.

All the family gifts would be under the tree for weeks. Santa came on Christmas Eve after my daughter was in bed asleep. That stupid mall took my husband and I over an hour to put together & set up - we were always glad she was a late sleeper!

 

[jetskigrl]

For those who do multiple gifts from Santa why is that?

No idea, LOL. That was just how it was done when I was a child and I carried it on to my kids. There is usually the one big present that they ask for and then 2 or 3 more, either from their list or things Santa thought they would like. But Santa always brings books (coloring books when they were really little) and those are not wrapped. They are just leaned up in front of the pile of wrapped gifts for each kid from Santa. Then the stocking is filled and placed next to the stack too.

Now we just do that for fun since they are older, but I still do the big request in the Santa paper with the "from Santa" tag. Then the other stuff (clothes, etc) is from Mom and Dad or sometimes the dog

Neither of my kids ask for much during the year so Christmas is usually big. But it also includes some needed items (new jeans, t-shirts, socks, etc) so 1/2 the fun is unwrapping to see if it is a fun gift or a "needed" gift.

 

[mrs. magoo]

Santa does not wrap presents at our house and I firmly believe that is why my kids believed in him for so long. In fact my kids now 20,19,17,and 15 have never expressed to me that santa is not real. I know that they are pulling my leg but it is still fun. Santa always set up the toys for them too. He made it look like he played with them. The best was when we got my oldest a Kayak and put the American girls dolls in it. To this day they wonder how Santa pulled off a kayak. Santa will still leave them a note and presents this year as well.

 

[lovesmurfs]

When the kids were little, everything showed up Christmas Eve. But, now that they are older, I enjoy wrapping and placing gifts under the tree as I go. It's easier than trying to find places to hide things and risking forgetting something on Christmas Eve. Bonus: it looks so festive with wrapped gifts under the tree.

I want to do that, too! DD is in college and still wants them to "magically appear" while she's sleeping.

 

[jrmasm]

For those who do multiple gifts from Santa why is that?

Because Santa gives the gifts at Xmas. Parents give gifts for birthdays.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Santa does not wrap presents at our house and I firmly believe that is why my kids believed in him for so long.

When my son was 8-9, he still believed, but was starting to question.

DS: "Mom, is Santa Claus real?"
Me: "Well, honey, what do you think?"
DS: Pauses. "He must be real. You'd never buy that much stuff for us!"

Our kids don't admit to Santa not being real either -- we never actually had any conversations about it.

 

[TinkerbEllnor]

Santa wraps everything. Each year, he gets a new roll of paper for each family member, including the adults.

None of Santa’s wrapped gifts comes with a tag - you find out which gifts are yours when you see what paper is on your stocking gifts and match them up. This is not due to tag handwriting analysis, but because Santa and Mrs. C have a long-standing feud on where tags/bows should be located. Mr. C believes the tag should go in the top corner so it can be read and the gift extracted without disturbing the rest, and bows only go on the outermost layer so they don’t get squished. Mrs. C thinks the corner tag looks silly and utilitarian. She likes tags and bows (and ribbons, candy canes, ornaments and other assorted decorative wrapping bits and pieces) in the center of every package because the individual gift looks better that way. They’ve compromised, now they come with no tag on anything, and only a few of the outer layer are “dressed up” with ribbons and bows for the display after they are placed under the tree. The most sought after item is waaaaaay in the back so it is opened last.

If there is a larger item like a bike that can’t be wrapped, he’ll break out the glitter red gel pen on a “toe tag" string style tag. Mom and Dad use sticker labels.

The kids will put their gifts to each other and to mom and dad under the tree as they are bought and wrapped, and anything that arrives by mail from out of town relatives will go there too as they arrive. But Santa’s gifts arrive after bedtime on Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad’s gifts to each other and to the kids usually arrive Christmas Eve too because they haven’t finished wrapping until the last minute.

Santa delivers the stocking and the toys/fun stuff. Mom and Dad give practical boring gifts like clothes and boots.

 

[Kitty 34]

Santa doesn't wrap. He comes on Christmas Eve, leaves the presents and on to the next house.
With all the toys to make, no time to wrap!

It was always fun to sneak a look under the tree with just the tree lights on. So magical.

I sooooo agree, Nancy.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Santa fills our kids stocking (the stocking gifts are not wrapped) and then leaves one "big" present (usually the most expensive) for each kid in our house. That Santa gift is not wrapped, either.

All the rest of the gifts are from us and are wrapped and under the tree. Santa usually leaves his gift under the stockings on the hearth.

 

[DisneyOma]

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.

Ah, they might want to keep the kids from seeing the news then - glitter is now being tagged as not good for the environment. Smart kids might think they are poisoning Santa's reindeer by using glitter!

For those who do multiple gifts from Santa why is that?

I don't get the multiple gifts thing either. Santa only gives one present, at least that's what happens in all the stories and TV specials.

When my kids were in school, they'd come home in January saying their friends got more than one present from Santa - I'd tell them the parents gave the kids extra "Santa" presents, because it's obvious from the stories that Santa just gives one, and fills stockings. Then I told them not to spoil it for the other kids, as it would make their parents look bad, and maybe Santa would stop bringing presents to those kids as the parents gave them enough.

Santa does not wrap presents at our house and I firmly believe that is why my kids believed in him for so long. In fact my kids now 20,19,17,and 15 have never expressed to me that santa is not real. I know that they are pulling my leg but it is still fun. Santa always set up the toys for them too. He made it look like he played with them. The best was when we got my oldest a Kayak and put the American girls dolls in it. To this day they wonder how Santa pulled off a kayak. Santa will still leave them a note and presents this year as well.

See, it was the other way at our house - they knew Santa wrapped presents, and they didn't come from a store. So I'd have to unbox things, put them in a plain box, etc. And then use the special Santa wrapping paper that was hidden in the basement, locked in a cabinet.

Oh the trouble we go through to perpetuate the lie, LOL!

 

[BrianL]

For us, Santa gifts were not only unwrapped, they were out of the box and assembled. One amazing year Santa left me a fully assembled Castle Grayskull with many figures all staged in a battle scene. It was easy to see it was from Santa and for me and not my sister. That was a good one!

 

[CdnCarrie]

Nice thing about Santa having the gift assembled when the kids are younger it gives them something to play with while you assemble all the other junk!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Everything is wrapped unless it is a bike or something. We didn't use special paper and I didn't write who things were from. We didn't push Santa, though. We didn't tell them he was real or he wasn't real, and I didn't worry about them finding out about it. It was fun while it lasted, but my oldest figured it out pretty young, maybe 6?

Growing up, everything was wrapped in my house and DH's.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

Santa wrapped with each kid getting their own paper. As the kids got older Santa switched to gift bags, much easier.

 

[luvsJack]

Ah, they might want to keep the kids from seeing the news then - glitter is now being tagged as not good for the environment. Smart kids might think they are poisoning Santa's reindeer by using glitter!



I don't get the multiple gifts thing either. Santa only gives one present, at least that's what happens in all the stories and TV specials.

Oh it's not really glitter, it's magic North Pole oats that lead the reindeer. We only have a little so it has to be mixed with the regular oats.

 

[bethbuchall]

EDITED TO ADD - I actually had no idea that Santa ever wrapped presents until the DIS. LOL!

And I had no idea that Santa ever left unwrapped presents until the DIS.

 

[IAHFTPT]

I'm apparently not putting enough thought into this. Holy overthinking Christmas, Santa and gifts, Batman.

 

[disneychrista]

Santa doesn't wrap gifts. He leave the "big gift" and fills the stocking. His gifts were NOT left under the tree either, they were left under the stocking.
With my kids, they were allowed to go and see what Santa left but couldn't wake me up until after 6am. Once they got me up they could look at their stocking. Only after breakfast were they allowed to unwrapped the gifts under the tree.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Because Santa gives the gifts at Xmas. Parents give gifts for birthdays.

So why do you buy for cousins, grandparents, mom and dad but not your kids? What do you tell your kids?