sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,592 
|
Post by sweetpeasmom on Nov 27, 2016 15:27:30 GMT
My kids are 14.5 and 12.5. I know they know, you know?  . I thought about having them get in on the fun of shopping for the other's stockings and for dad's. What do you think? My thought behind it is a)get them used to really thinking about the gift and b)hopefully pass on the joy and magic that comes from the idea of it all. |
|
caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,449
Location: So Cal
|
Post by caangel on Nov 27, 2016 15:29:56 GMT
My kids are 14.5 and 12.5. I know they know, you know? . I thought about having them get in on the fun of shopping for the other's stockings and for dad's. What do you think? My thought behind it is a)get them used to really thinking about the gift and b)hopefully pass on the joy and magic that comes from the idea of it all. I love this idea for that age! |
|
RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,382
|
Post by RosieKat on Nov 27, 2016 15:30:47 GMT
I like it. I say give them each a budget and have them be 99% in charge of each other's stocking.
|
|
|
|
Post by leannec on Nov 27, 2016 15:36:33 GMT
Sounds good to me ... if they want to continue the stocking tradition why not join in?  My oldest, age almost 18, helped me pick out a Calgary Stampeders ball cap for dh's stocking ... there is nothing wrong with them being involved |
|
LeaP
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,939
Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
|
Post by LeaP on Nov 27, 2016 17:12:14 GMT
I love this idea. My two (13 & 15) are super enthusiastic about Christmas this year. They would love to shop for stocking stuffers. In fact, I might steal your idea  |
|
|
|
Post by anniefb on Nov 27, 2016 17:19:55 GMT
I think it's a great idea!
|
|
artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,034
|
Post by artbabe on Nov 27, 2016 17:22:52 GMT
The way our family does it is every person buys something for all the other people's stockings. So I just need to find one little thing for every person in the family. Even the little kids buy or make something for the other stockings. The kids never believed in Santa as a real person so the stockings are just extra little presents.
|
|
quiltz
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,698
Location: CANADA
Jun 29, 2014 16:13:28 GMT
|
Post by quiltz on Nov 27, 2016 17:31:38 GMT
The way our family does it is every person buys something for all the other people's stockings. So I just need to find one little thing for every person in the family. Even the little kids buy or make something for the other stockings. The kids never believed in Santa as a real person so the stockings are just extra little presents. My kids never believed in Santa as a real person either and since the German tradition was to do the stockings on the 1st Sunday of Advent (today!), stockings really weren't an issue. Everyone would participate in the "fill the stocking", as this would be the first thing to be opened up, then we would eat breakfast and then onto the presents. I liked it because I didn't have to fill up my own stocking, and this was in the time before gift cards. |
|
|
|
Post by brina on Nov 27, 2016 18:42:25 GMT
A few years ago we celebrated Christmas early because we were leaving on vacation on the 22nd and didn't want to lug gifts along. We opened all out gifts, had a Christmas dinner, the whole 9 yards, on December 20. On December 21 I discovered my passport was lost. I tried to convince the family to go with me, but they said no, and we rescheduled our trip for spring break. It was a first world problem, and none of us was upset, but it did leave us with a Christmas day and nothing to do, no gifts to open, no food in the house. i asked the kids what they wanted me to make and did their request (can't remember what it was).
On Christmas Eve we drove to Target. We gave each member of the family $50 and told them they had to find a stocking stuffer for each member of the family - they could not go over budget, they could not go under, and the gifts had to be of fairly comparable value - i.e., you could spend $14 on one and $11 on another, but you could not spend $25 on one and $3 on another.
They have been begging to do this again every since. For a number of reasons we were not able to do it the past couple of years, but we are doing it again this year.
|
|
|
|
Post by GamGam on Nov 27, 2016 19:29:24 GMT
When our kids reached the teenage years and I grew weary of doing their stockings, we(DH, 3 kids + me) drew names for stockings and kept it secret from each other. I gave them each a set amount of money to spend, and DH and I used this amount on the ones we filled. The kids loved doing this, and we continued the tradition for years until we were no longer together on Christmas morning. It was something we all(well, maybe not DH, but he was a good sport about it) looked forward to doing each year.
|
|
|
|
Post by nightnurse on Nov 27, 2016 20:49:31 GMT
I found out about Santa in 2nd grade. To keep me from spilling the beans to my sisters, my mom gave me the jobs of fillings the stockings and of wrapping the presents. She hated wrapping! When I was a teenager and got lots of clothes, she'd even give me my own boxes taped shut to wrap! I loved being in on the secret and helping keep the magic alive. My daughter was the first of the cousins to outgrow Santa and she was so sad about it. Picking out stocking stuffers for her cousins helped her. (we give the gifts to my sisters and they add them to the stockings. Neither of them really love the stocking tradition, they find it tedious. I love it).
|
|
pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
|
Post by pridemom on Nov 27, 2016 20:52:34 GMT
As my kids got older and "wiser," they were assigned a sibling's stocking. We explained that playing Santa Claus is Fun and they couldn't spoil the Magic. Now we draw names for stockings and each person gets their assigned family member that way. They really get into it.
At lunch today my 17yo DD reminded me that we need to draw names.
|
|
|
|
Post by supersoda on Nov 27, 2016 21:22:08 GMT
I love doing stockings, so no way I'm giving it up. But as the girls became old enough to be "in" on Santa, DH and I try to take them each shopping separately to help pick out the others' stocking stuffers and gifts. It was our way of keeping the Christmas magic alive. Of course now oldest drives, so sometimes the girls will just go out on their own.
Only problem is the twins absolutely cannot keep secrets from each other and will always tell--so we don't let them in on the really good gifts to one another.
|
|
snappydog
Full Member
Posts: 171
Sept 11, 2014 22:53:41 GMT
|
Post by snappydog on Nov 27, 2016 22:20:15 GMT
When my kids got to the point where they knew there was no magical Christmas happenings we changed up the whole holiday. We gave each kid a set amount of money to spend on their siblings and took just that one kid out shopping. It was a win-win because we got to spend the day alone with each kid and made them feel special with a lunch out, etc and they had to learn about budgeting and spending money and gift giving.
They were also responsible for wrappping the gifts that they purchased. They were always so proud of their gifts and loved giving them. It's a nice tradition that they all looked forward to each year.
Sandy
|
|
|
|
Post by Tammiem2pnc1 on Nov 27, 2016 23:25:30 GMT
I so wish my 12 year old would come clean and tell us the truth about whether or not he believes in Santa. I find it hard to believe he doesn't know, but he is adamant that he still believes. I'm ready to just tell him the truth. I think he would have so much fun being part of the "traditions" of stockings and presents. It would make my life easier too. Our 7 year old has a little ways to go get before he stops believing and I'm okay with that. I think it's such a great idea to have them buy stocking stuffers for each other and although Santa is still part of our lives, I might implement the stocking thing sooner rather than later. I think they would LOVE it!
|
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Nov 27, 2016 23:51:32 GMT
I so wish my 12 year old would come clean and tell us the truth about whether or not he believes in Santa. I find it hard to believe he doesn't know, but he is adamant that he still believes. I'm ready to just tell him the truth. I think he would have so much fun being part of the "traditions" of stockings and presents. It would make my life easier too. Our 7 year old has a little ways to go get before he stops believing and I'm okay with that. I think it's such a great idea to have them buy stocking stuffers for each other and although Santa is still part of our lives, I might implement the stocking thing sooner rather than later. I think they would LOVE it! A 12 year old who still believes is going to be the subject of teasing at school if it comes up. I would hate for a 7th grader to be embarrassed like that, so I would tell him. |
|
|
|
Post by Tammiem2pnc1 on Nov 28, 2016 0:30:42 GMT
I so wish my 12 year old would come clean and tell us the truth about whether or not he believes in Santa. I find it hard to believe he doesn't know, but he is adamant that he still believes. I'm ready to just tell him the truth. I think he would have so much fun being part of the "traditions" of stockings and presents. It would make my life easier too. Our 7 year old has a little ways to go get before he stops believing and I'm okay with that. I think it's such a great idea to have them buy stocking stuffers for each other and although Santa is still part of our lives, I might implement the stocking thing sooner rather than later. I think they would LOVE it! A 12 year old who still believes is going to be the subject of teasing at school if it comes up. I would hate for a 7th grader to be embarrassed like that, so I would tell him. He home schools so that is not an issue, but I really don't think he truly believes. He honestly can't be that naive..at least I hope not. I think he loves the "magic" of it all and wants to keep up the ruse. But I think this should be the year he finds out the "truth" from us. |
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Nov 28, 2016 0:36:13 GMT
A 12 year old who still believes is going to be the subject of teasing at school if it comes up. I would hate for a 7th grader to be embarrassed like that, so I would tell him. My middle child still believed at 12 (that was her last Christmas of believing) - she was a very quirky child who wasn't especially worldly. I don't think she got teased but I also don't think she tended to talk about Santa at school. OTOH my children also have the tradition of St Nicholas coming on Dec 6th and were taught from an early age (before they started school) that he didn't visit all families and not to bring it up at school because friends who weren't on his list might be sad so she may well have incorporated that into her Santa ideas as well. |
|
|
|
Post by melanell on Nov 28, 2016 1:38:07 GMT
I'm all for that idea. Sounds great. |
|
sweetpeasmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,592
|
Post by sweetpeasmom on Nov 28, 2016 1:40:28 GMT
These are all great ideas and responses. Thank you!
|
|
pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
|
Post by pridemom on Nov 28, 2016 2:25:25 GMT
I so wish my 12 year old would come clean and tell us the truth about whether or not he believes in Santa. I find it hard to believe he doesn't know, but he is adamant that he still believes. I'm ready to just tell him the truth. I think he would have so much fun being part of the "traditions" of stockings and presents. It would make my life easier too. Our 7 year old has a little ways to go get before he stops believing and I'm okay with that. I think it's such a great idea to have them buy stocking stuffers for each other and although Santa is still part of our lives, I might implement the stocking thing sooner rather than later. I think they would LOVE it! A 12 year old who still believes is going to be the subject of teasing at school if it comes up. I would hate for a 7th grader to be embarrassed like that, so I would tell him. Not necessarily. My youngest was 12 and wouldn't tell us she did or didn't believe. She's 15 and it was not an issue at school. I just asked her and she said it wasn't talked about after elementary school. |
|
. I thought about having them get in on the fun of shopping for the other's stockings and for dad's. What do you think? My thought behind it is a)get them used to really thinking about the gift and b)hopefully pass on the joy and magic that comes from the idea of it all. 
