In the home that my husband and I are building for our children, we have developed one hard-and-fast Christmas rule: Mommy and Daddy are the givers of the most exciting gifts at Christmas.
Not the big guy in red.
There are several reasons for this policy. Firstly, my husband works very hard for the money we spend on their Christmas gifts. We want the credit for something that cost us a lot of money. Selfishly, I want their lit-up eyes to turn my way when they are so excited they can’t contain it.
Secondly, perhaps this will short-circuit the impression that I seemed to have gotten as a child, that Santa Claus’s resources are limitless. He will bring you anything you ask for. This includes ponies, starships, a new house, and possibly even a unicorn.
On a slightly more long-term note, when the illusion is broken {hopefully} quite a few years down the road, it won’t be the end of Christmas magic. All those awesome, Christmas-making gifts? They came from Mom and Dad, anyway. So gift-wise, it’s not a huge loss.
What do you ask Santa for?
One thing that has thrown a wrench into this plan for us is commercialization. My children hear their friends talking about asking Santa for an iPad, or a pony or the Lego set that’s the size of Mom’s house. And then, after Christmas, they hear how their friends have gotten said monstrous gift. From Santa.
Well, hopefully, this will teach my children that everything isn’t always fair, right? So far we’ve gotten away with my oldest getting a few dress-up dresses. Santa gifts aren’t extraordinary, but that doesn’t mean that Christmas isn’t extraordinary. We certainly don’t give our children coal.
Stockings
Another peculiarity in our household is that it is a well-known fact that Mommy does stockings. Maybe someday I will have to explain to the kids that Mommy just loves doing it too much, so I fill them, and then when Santa comes he sees that they’re done, the end. Again, this is a selfish thing. I just enjoy doing the stockings, and I want the credit.
The good part is, the kiddos love the stockings, too.
What did Santa bring, again?
This year I’m really running into the problem of figuring out what exactly it is that Santa is going to bring. Because here’s my biggest issue: none of my children can have seen it before. Even the 2-year-old is watching me like a hawk. When do I do any shopping without any children?! Thank you, Amazon. Hiding things and keeping them hidden is a huge hurdle. The bigger hurdle is remembering which things qualify.
What craziness goes on in your Christmastime household?
Which burdens are your biggest, this time of year? And don’t try to tell me you don’t have any problems at Christmastime — I see you. You’re human. Children are insane. They make us insane. You can’t fool me.
