Santa doesn't wrap gifts?

Mrs JillB

Andrewsgal:

Mrs JillB:

dhviel:

LatteLady5:

joyfullyfound:

For the most part, our gifts from Santa weren't wrapped. They were usually cool stuff that were better to see set up then still in the box.... like a bike, or a train set, or a video game console. We'd come downstairs and they'd be all ready to play with already. That was cool. 

DH and I both grew up like this. We plan to continue this for DD. It would be a bummer to unwrap a toy that had assembly and have to wait for it to be set up. I wrapped the stocking gifts this year, I think I'll be sure to use special paper or just plain brown paper next year when DD will actually notice.

Would it really be that much of a bummer?  Growing up we didn't do Santa so everything was wrapped and my husband, whose parents did Santa, also wrapped everything so here everything is wrapped.  I never thought it was a bummer to have to wait to assemble things.   To me it makes it more fun and the anticipation is more because you get to see how it goes together!

At any rate, we wrap everything in regular paper.  We do Santa gifts but we don't hide that they are actually from us so paper doesn't really matter!  The only thing not wrapped is stockings, but that's like candy, an orange and a couple of coloring books or similarily small.  I'm not wrapping coloring books.

Uh, no. 

how sad for your kids.

Huh?

MrsKatie07

Mrs.Hizzo:

Mrs JillB:

dhviel:

LatteLady5:

joyfullyfound:

For the most part, our gifts from Santa weren't wrapped. They were usually cool stuff that were better to see set up then still in the box.... like a bike, or a train set, or a video game console. We'd come downstairs and they'd be all ready to play with already. That was cool. 

DH and I both grew up like this. We plan to continue this for DD. It would be a bummer to unwrap a toy that had assembly and have to wait for it to be set up. I wrapped the stocking gifts this year, I think I'll be sure to use special paper or just plain brown paper next year when DD will actually notice.

Would it really be that much of a bummer?  Growing up we didn't do Santa so everything was wrapped and my husband, whose parents did Santa, also wrapped everything so here everything is wrapped.  I never thought it was a bummer to have to wait to assemble things.   To me it makes it more fun and the anticipation is more because you get to see how it goes together!

At any rate, we wrap everything in regular paper.  We do Santa gifts but we don't hide that they are actually from us so paper doesn't really matter!  The only thing not wrapped is stockings, but that's like candy, an orange and a couple of coloring books or similarily small.  I'm not wrapping coloring books.

Uh, no. 

LOL...big "uh, no" from me, too. Not to mention I'd prefer not to spend Christmas morning hearing my DH mutter curse words under his breath for two hours. That's what Christmas Eve and a whole lot of egg-nog with brandy is for. 

Haha, this! Part of the fun of it and our tradition is assembling things and playing Santa on Christmas Eve. DH loves it, even though he curses for a couple hours putting things together, and the cocktails make it even more fun! I agree with the elves thing. Santa's elves make the toys from Santa, so why would they be in a box like toys from the store? We make a point to hide the boxes after we put things together.

Also, it cracks me up how passionate everyone is about their Santa traditions. I really don't care what others do...everyone has their own traditions and that is what Christmas is about! 

shortstuff15

Andrewsgal:

I Honestly never heard of Santa gifts being wrapped. I can't imagine giving DD a bike, and DS a basketball hoop then say wait but your daddy has to put it together.

Well for us getting a bike or basketball hoop at Christmas meant we couldn't use it for 4 or 5 more months anyway, so taking the time to have it put together was no big deal!  I think there were only a handful of presents my parents didn't wrap - the toboggan, hockey sticks, and that was probably it.

shortstuff15

Mrs.Hizzo:

Mrs JillB:

dhviel:

LatteLady5:

joyfullyfound:

For the most part, our gifts from Santa weren't wrapped. They were usually cool stuff that were better to see set up then still in the box.... like a bike, or a train set, or a video game console. We'd come downstairs and they'd be all ready to play with already. That was cool. 

DH and I both grew up like this. We plan to continue this for DD. It would be a bummer to unwrap a toy that had assembly and have to wait for it to be set up. I wrapped the stocking gifts this year, I think I'll be sure to use special paper or just plain brown paper next year when DD will actually notice.

Would it really be that much of a bummer?  Growing up we didn't do Santa so everything was wrapped and my husband, whose parents did Santa, also wrapped everything so here everything is wrapped.  I never thought it was a bummer to have to wait to assemble things.   To me it makes it more fun and the anticipation is more because you get to see how it goes together!

At any rate, we wrap everything in regular paper.  We do Santa gifts but we don't hide that they are actually from us so paper doesn't really matter!  The only thing not wrapped is stockings, but that's like candy, an orange and a couple of coloring books or similarily small.  I'm not wrapping coloring books.

Uh, no. 

LOL...big "uh, no" from me, too. Not to mention I'd prefer not to spend Christmas morning hearing my DH mutter curse words under his breath for two hours. That's what Christmas Eve and a whole lot of egg-nog with brandy is for. 

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

Andrewsgal

dhviel:

Mrs.Hizzo:

Mrs JillB:

dhviel:

LatteLady5:

joyfullyfound:

For the most part, our gifts from Santa weren't wrapped. They were usually cool stuff that were better to see set up then still in the box.... like a bike, or a train set, or a video game console. We'd come downstairs and they'd be all ready to play with already. That was cool. 

DH and I both grew up like this. We plan to continue this for DD. It would be a bummer to unwrap a toy that had assembly and have to wait for it to be set up. I wrapped the stocking gifts this year, I think I'll be sure to use special paper or just plain brown paper next year when DD will actually notice.

Would it really be that much of a bummer?  Growing up we didn't do Santa so everything was wrapped and my husband, whose parents did Santa, also wrapped everything so here everything is wrapped.  I never thought it was a bummer to have to wait to assemble things.   To me it makes it more fun and the anticipation is more because you get to see how it goes together!

At any rate, we wrap everything in regular paper.  We do Santa gifts but we don't hide that they are actually from us so paper doesn't really matter!  The only thing not wrapped is stockings, but that's like candy, an orange and a couple of coloring books or similarily small.  I'm not wrapping coloring books.

Uh, no. 

LOL...big "uh, no" from me, too. Not to mention I'd prefer not to spend Christmas morning hearing my DH mutter curse words under his breath for two hours. That's what Christmas Eve and a whole lot of egg-nog with brandy is for. 

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

No the part where you do Santa but don't hide the gifts are from you, so you basically don't do Santa. I think that is sad. Plus whether you pu things together before or after you still see how they go together.

shortstuff15

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

No the part where you do Santa but don't hide the gifts are from you, so you basically don't do Santa. I think that is sad. Plus whether you pu things together before or after you still see how they go together.  Yes that is true but as a kid I was the same way so not seeing how it went together would have driven me nuts.

I am well aware that not hiding that the gifts are from us basically negates the santa thing, but this way my kids get to say they got gifts from Santa, which is what my husband likes. I don't think its sad. I have never recieved a gift from Santa my entire life and I dont feel like I missed out.  I would prefer to not do Santa at all but my husband wants the kids to at least get gifts from him so we do one Santa gift.

Andrewsgal

dhviel:

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

No the part where you do Santa but don't hide the gifts are from you, so you basically don't do Santa. I think that is sad. Plus whether you pu things together before or after you still see how they go together.  Yes that is true but as a kid I was the same way so not seeing how it went together would have driven me nuts.

I am well aware that not hiding that the gifts are from us basically negates the santa thing, but this way my kids get to say they got gifts from Santa, which is what my husband likes. I don't think its sad. I have never recieved a gift from Santa my entire life and I dont feel like I missed out.  I would prefer to not do Santa at all but my husband wants the kids to at least get gifts from him so we do one Santa gift.

I always wondered about this logic. How do you know you are not missing out on something you have never done?

shortstuff15

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

No the part where you do Santa but don't hide the gifts are from you, so you basically don't do Santa. I think that is sad. Plus whether you pu things together before or after you still see how they go together.  Yes that is true but as a kid I was the same way so not seeing how it went together would have driven me nuts.

I am well aware that not hiding that the gifts are from us basically negates the santa thing, but this way my kids get to say they got gifts from Santa, which is what my husband likes. I don't think its sad. I have never recieved a gift from Santa my entire life and I dont feel like I missed out.  I would prefer to not do Santa at all but my husband wants the kids to at least get gifts from him so we do one Santa gift.

I always wondered about this logic. How do you know you are not missing out on something you have never done?

It goes both ways because you've never done it the other way either, so how do you know it's better your way?

shortstuff15

cjcouple:

dhviel:

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

No the part where you do Santa but don't hide the gifts are from you, so you basically don't do Santa. I think that is sad. Plus whether you pu things together before or after you still see how they go together.  Yes that is true but as a kid I was the same way so not seeing how it went together would have driven me nuts.

I am well aware that not hiding that the gifts are from us basically negates the santa thing, but this way my kids get to say they got gifts from Santa, which is what my husband likes. I don't think its sad. I have never recieved a gift from Santa my entire life and I dont feel like I missed out.  I would prefer to not do Santa at all but my husband wants the kids to at least get gifts from him so we do one Santa gift.

I always wondered about this logic. How do you know you are not missing out on something you have never done?

It goes both ways because you've never done it the other way either, so how do you know it's better your way?

Actually people who do santa know exactly what it is like to "not do" santa since eventually the truth comes out.  Hands down - believing in santa is way better than knowing the truth!

ETA: However, I do want to add that I hardly pity any child who gets a gift on christmas morning whether from santa, mom and dad, assembled or unassembled. Any gift is great! (except underwear)

I agree with your ETA and did think of your other point after I posted. However you didn't experience a Santaless Christmas as a kid so therefore once the truth came out, Christmas lost some of that magic.

To me and my siblings and those of my friends and family who also never did Santa, that Christmas magic has never left.  I cannot think of one thing beyond taking decorations down that I dislike about Christmas and so many of my friends & family are the same way. A santaless Christmas as a kid paved the way for Christmas's that were always filled with magic because there was never any loss of that magic by losing Santa.

If that makes any sense at all then great!  It makes sense in my head but writting has never been my strong point!

notkateanymore

amy052006:

it is really blowing my mind that anyone is doing anything other than putting a bunch of gifts under a tree, assembled if it logically makes sense, and saying they are from Santa.

i do not get this bizarre need for your kids to know it from you at all.  I truly had no clue people cared so much about this. 

I agree. I had no idea that people wanted the majority of the credit. I mean, I've joked about it before, but I have always and plan on always giving Santa the "good gifts" to give and the majority of them as well. 

notkateanymore

scatteredtrees:

amy052006:

I truly had no clue people cared so much about this. 

This can be said for 90% of the shitt people complain about around here.  

Things that have been bitched about this week on SAHM...

Rounding up anniversaries

Wrapping gifts

Giving Gifts

Getting Gifts

Baking

Cooking

Visiting family

Not visiting family

Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner

Holidays

Wars on Christmas and Christians

School attendance

Diaper covers

Chores

And the list can AND will go on... 

 

notkateanymore

dhviel:

Andrewsgal:

dhviel:

Eh it doesn't take that much time. Last year my in-laws gave our daughter a toy kitchen. It took maybe 45 minutes to put together and she played with the other toys while we did that. And there was no cursing invovled.

I also am the kind of person who likes to know how things go together so that if/when it breaks I know how to fix it!

No the part where you do Santa but don't hide the gifts are from you, so you basically don't do Santa. I think that is sad. Plus whether you pu things together before or after you still see how they go together.  Yes that is true but as a kid I was the same way so not seeing how it went together would have driven me nuts.

I am well aware that not hiding that the gifts are from us basically negates the santa thing, but this way my kids get to say they got gifts from Santa, which is what my husband likes. I don't think its sad. I have never recieved a gift from Santa my entire life and I dont feel like I missed out.  I would prefer to not do Santa at all but my husband wants the kids to at least get gifts from him so we do one Santa gift.

You realize you're not really doing Santa by doing it the way you are, right? 

Andrewsgal

KateMW:

amy052006:

it is really blowing my mind that anyone is doing anything other than putting a bunch of gifts under a tree, assembled if it logically makes sense, and saying they are from Santa.

i do not get this bizarre need for your kids to know it from you at all.  I truly had no clue people cared so much about this. 

I agree. I had no idea that people wanted the majority of the credit. I mean, I've joked about it before, but I have always and plan on always giving Santa the "good gifts" to give and the majority of them as well. 

I think this is so odd too. Why do parents need the credit for gift giving? It screams insecurity to me.

Andrewsgal

scatteredtrees:

Andrewsgal:

KateMW:

amy052006:

it is really blowing my mind that anyone is doing anything other than putting a bunch of gifts under a tree, assembled if it logically makes sense, and saying they are from Santa.

i do not get this bizarre need for your kids to know it from you at all.  I truly had no clue people cared so much about this. 

I agree. I had no idea that people wanted the majority of the credit. I mean, I've joked about it before, but I have always and plan on always giving Santa the "good gifts" to give and the majority of them as well. 

I think this is so odd too. Why do parents need the credit for gift giving? It screams insecurity to me.

Because I buy my child's love. Duh.  

hey you forgot cash bars an your list. True story my SIL doesn't give good presents from Santa because they work hard for their money and want the kids to know the gifts are from them so the kids will appreciate them.

notkateanymore

Andrewsgal:

scatteredtrees:

Andrewsgal:

KateMW:

amy052006:

it is really blowing my mind that anyone is doing anything other than putting a bunch of gifts under a tree, assembled if it logically makes sense, and saying they are from Santa.

i do not get this bizarre need for your kids to know it from you at all.  I truly had no clue people cared so much about this. 

I agree. I had no idea that people wanted the majority of the credit. I mean, I've joked about it before, but I have always and plan on always giving Santa the "good gifts" to give and the majority of them as well. 

I think this is so odd too. Why do parents need the credit for gift giving? It screams insecurity to me.

Because I buy my child's love. Duh.  

hey you forgot cash bars an your list. True story my SIL doesn't give good presents from Santa because they work hard for their money and want the kids to know the gifts are from them so the kids will appreciate them.

No way. 

jnksmom

KateMW:

Andrewsgal:

scatteredtrees:

Andrewsgal:

KateMW:

amy052006:

it is really blowing my mind that anyone is doing anything other than putting a bunch of gifts under a tree, assembled if it logically makes sense, and saying they are from Santa.

i do not get this bizarre need for your kids to know it from you at all.  I truly had no clue people cared so much about this. 

I agree. I had no idea that people wanted the majority of the credit. I mean, I've joked about it before, but I have always and plan on always giving Santa the "good gifts" to give and the majority of them as well. 

I think this is so odd too. Why do parents need the credit for gift giving? It screams insecurity to me.

Because I buy my child's love. Duh.  

hey you forgot cash bars an your list. True story my SIL doesn't give good presents from Santa because they work hard for their money and want the kids to know the gifts are from them so the kids will appreciate them.

No way. 

My SIL does this as well. Santa brings one gift unwrapped but it is always a smaller gift. They have the same reasoning. I think it is nuts. 

Santa only brings one unwrapped gift to my kids too but it is always the "best" gift that they have constantly asked for. I don't need the credit for their gift. 

jenniann87

Growing up all of our presents were wrapped. Unless they were large in size and needed to be assembled then my parents just put them together with a big bow on it or something. But other than that everything was wrapped and all the Santa gifts had "special" paper. We do the same with both of our boys. They each get their own wrapping paper for the gifts from mom/dad and brother and then Santa has his own special wrapping paper that their presents are wrapped in.

ryry1977

Our Santa presents are always found in piles around the room with each persons stocking on top/by the pile.  Each pile is wrapped in different paper (each person a different one).  Unwrapping is part of the fun!!!!