Who Subs for Santa?

Updated on November 16, 2011
V.W. asks from Atlantic Beach, FL
13 answers

An earlier question today got me wondering... In your family, who "does" the Santa gifts? In our family Santa has always been done by the parents, NOT by grandparents or aunts and uncles, etc. Any gift Grandma or Grandpa or Aunt or Uncle or whoever else buys, is from THEM. NOT from "Santa". I personally think it's a little absurd (assuming that your family "does" Santa) that every house has gifts "from Santa" on them for the kids.
So I'm curious... how many of you have grandparents who are "Santa" for your kids? And how many of you are like me, and find that is a bit presumptuous of the grandparents to want to do that role?

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So What Happened?

Maybe I wasn't quite clear. We do Santa at our house. I think it is great and lots of fun and this will probably be our last year as our kids are "onto us" (sniff sniff). When I said Santa leaving gifts at every house is absurd, I meant leaving gifts at our house AND at both sets of grandparents's houses for our kids. All the Santa gifts are "delivered" to them at whatever house they sleep at on Christmas Eve. Usually we are at our own house. But once or twice we have been at Grandma's on Christmas Eve/morning. And of course that is where Santa delivered their gifts those years, because that is where we were. But Santa doesn't leave gifts for my 2 kids strewn all over the place at various houses. If we were divorced he probably would, but that isn't what I was referring to. I meant at the "extended" family's homes. And I don't think Santa is absurd (though I'm sure some people do). I think having every house my kids visit having Santa gifts for them is.
And yes, to each his own, which is why I was asking the question. I don't know very many people who grew up receiving "Santa" gifts at all their extended family's homes. So I wondered how common it is. I never had to "lay down the law" or anything, my in-laws just seemed to know. So it seems really foreign to me that other people (besides the parents) would also "do" Santa gifts for kids in their families. I mean.. logically speaking, if Santa is real, why wouldn't he leave all his gifts for you where you are instead of all over town? Kids aren't dumb.

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B.G.

answers from Champaign on

My MIL still wants to be Santa and the Easter Bunny. I just let her. She does Easter baskets for all the grandkids, and she writes Santa on most of the presents. My kids are too little to understand, but my nieces know. Even before they knew the truth about Santa, they knew what my MIL was doing. They thought Santa really did bring all the gifts that were from their parents and that Grandma just wrote Santa on hers. When they asked me, "Why does Grandma do that? We know it's from her!" I just said, "Oh, Grandma just gets caught up in the excitement."

I thought it was weird at first, but I've just decided not to care. Grandma's going to spoil them whether she writes Grandma or Santa. I just let her and tell her thank you, because money is very tight and it's nice that we don't have to spend too much on Christmas.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Both my daughter and I give Santa gifts. All the gifts are opened at their home. It's become tradition for me to buy and wrap stocking gifts and Mom puts them in the stockings at their house.

What do you mean presumptuous of grandparents? They most likely think they're being helpful. They can't read your mind. If you don't want them to do that kindly tell them not to.

Christmas is a family holiday. Each family should decide together who will do what.

And if you think Santa gifts are absurd, why are you having them? They're a fun tradition in our family. Even as adults, we children received socks and underwear from Santa/Mother.

After your SWH: I get it, I think. I agree it's absurd to have Santa leave gifts at various houses. Santa only goes to where the children are on Christmas. I help my daughter by putting Santa on a couple of my gifts that I leave at her house so that all of her gifts are from her. She has a limited amount to spend on Christmas.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

We spend every Christmas in FL with my family, so yes my son's "Santa Gifts" are mixed- some from us and some from my parents. Doesn't bother me in the least bit. When we get home there are usually a couple of "bigger items" under our tree in NY that Santa "dropped off" at our house.

I don't find it presumptuous and my mother find the BEST gifts! She picks things up throughout the year and will pick up things that my husband I walk right past.

I guess we just don't draw lines like that in our family. We all spoil the kids and love it!

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L.M.

answers from Dover on

I am with you. Santa comes to your home (if you have a split family, he may leave stuff at both homes) not relatives' homes. Craziest thing I ever heard. My MIL tried to do that with my son and I told kept telling her that the more she tried that (cause she did say it to him) the harder it would be to keep the Santa magic since kids aren't dumb. She's finally got it...at least w/ my kids.

Now, if someone wants to get a special gift and have Santa leave it under our tree for the kids that is fine (we stay home on Christmas Day) but not claiming that Santa left it at their home.

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L.A.

answers from Austin on

Santa is at our house but sometimes our parents had gifts that they wanted to be from santa and that was fine. Our daughter had no idea who was paying for them. Not sure exactly what difference it makes. There was one year santa had to go to my mil home because we spent the night there. Daughter did not bat an eye.

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S.W.

answers from Chicago on

My hubby and I are "Santa" and I would be pissed if the grandparents tried to take that from us.....they had their opportunity, and if they messed that up (ahem, mother-in-law) that isn't my problem!

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V.T.

answers from Dallas on

My husband and I are Santa. I don't think in most cases grandparents are trying to steal Santa from the Mom and Dad, I just think they get caught up in the excitement of Christmas with the Grandkids. That being said, I have made it perfectly clear to both sets of parents, that we are Santa.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

We are Santa.
When my son was a toddler, sometimes both sets of grandparents would say "Santa left some things here for you..." but that's about it.

In the case of the PP (if that's what you're refering to), that particular family has ALWAYS been at the in-laws for Christmas morning, so it did make SENSE that Santa put their toys there....

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M.P.

answers from Houston on

In my house, I AM SANTA, no one else. My mom one day tried to be Santa and I said... no, no way... you can give them as many gifts as you want but they all come from "meme" (granda for my kids).
My husbands family is in France and they are not big on gifts anyway, so my kids do not generally get anything from them, but for them all the gifts from anyone were from Santa, I think it was more an issue of economy than anything else but in my house I do not let them, gifts, if coming... are coming from the aunts or grandma not from Santa.

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A.S.

answers from Dallas on

Who does Santa? Is this a trick question? Of Course Santa does Santa! :) I refuse to believe otherwise for my kids sake. Keeping the magic alive.

However Santa does give Me and Daddy some hints as well as the Grandparents somewhat :) But Santa does Santa!! :)

B.S.

answers from Lansing on

Santa only comes to our house only, too. We go to both sets of grandparents but the gifts there come from Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt or Uncle.

I don't know why grandparents would want to play santa again...seems silly to me also.

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Parents are Santa, no one else.

Santa is a hard enough sell without trying to explain why he is dropping off some gifts at their house and others at one grandparents and then the other.

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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

HI Victoria, when our kids were little we supplied the gigts fron Santa and then gifs from grandma and grandpa were from grandma and grandpa, I have never hear of grandparents wanting their gifts to be from Santa cause most children have a favorite from their grandparents, so why would any grandparents want their gifs to be from Santa. They are your kids so it's your way. J.

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