Gifts From Santa versus Mom and Dad

Tired santa

Christmas is an exciting time in our house. We have three girls, ranging in age from 14 to 7. We’re in that tricky period when the oldest girls think they’ve figured out the secret of Santa, but their little sister is still blissfully unaware. One of the things we must still consider when labeling presents is who is giving it: Santa or Mom & Dad.

Just the other day, our 12-year-old started talking at the dinner table about how the legend of Santa was born. We had to stop her mid-sentence when her little sister gave her a puzzled look. My wife and I agree that it’s acceptable to raise our children believing in Santa. Others may have differing opinions, and I won’t dispute them. In our house, however, Santa is real, and we allow our children to come to their own conclusions over time. We were both raised this way, and things turned out just fine.

When the girls were younger, they never even looked at the tags on the presents. We’ve had instances where one sister accidentally opened another sister’s gift just because she got caught up in the excitement. Of course, this led to inevitable tears (I can’t seem to go through a single day without someone crying in the house). Thankfully, the mood has always quickly recovered, and everyone forgets the transgression.

The Gift-Giving Dilemma: Santa vs. Mom & Dad

As they’ve grown, I’ve noticed they’re taking more time opening their presents, spending a few minutes appreciating each gift before moving to the next. I think there’s some sort of mental calculator in their heads that tracks the number of gifts, the value of the gifts, and who gave them. I wish there was a way to harness that mental ability and channel it toward their schoolwork, but by the time their vacation is over, that calculator has been shoved to the back of their minds, only to be brought out again next Christmas.

Since we have pets in the house, our job is a little easier when it comes to gift labeling. We can’t put presents under the tree early because the cats would tear them up within minutes. Everything must remain hidden until Christmas Eve. There is such a rush on Christmas morning that our youngest doesn’t even stop to look at the “From:” part of the tag. If she sees her name on the “To:” line, she immediately rips it open. Her calculator hasn’t developed yet. If we were to ask her after everything is opened who gave them to her, she’d say they were all from Santa. The older girls give us a wink as they acknowledge which gifts are from Santa and which are from Mom & Dad.

The question of whether a specific gift should be labeled from Santa or us hasn’t been a significant concern. Usually, my wife wraps and labels, but last year, with so much wrapping to do on Christmas Eve at midnight, she wrapped and I labeled. I tried to alternate between Santa and Mom & Dad as best I could, so there would be presents from both of us for each girl. I can see, though, that this might be a more important decision for some parents. Should the larger, more expensive gifts come from Santa or Mom & Dad?

I’ve always relied on my instincts when it comes to parenting decisions. I haven’t read books about parenting, nor do I solicit advice. I don’t have anything against these books; I just figure if we’ve survived a few thousand years without them, there must be something hard-wired in us when it comes to these decisions. And so it is with this question as well. I don’t see how it would be bad whichever way you go. If Santa winds up giving the larger gifts, it may just provide the child with more peace, knowing that he knows them well and cares for them.

We’ve always told our girls that parents are in contact with Santa throughout the year, and that’s how he knows what they want—even if they don’t write a list for him. We’ve seen plenty of Christmas lists over the years, and we’ve saved them all. The mystery of Santa is wrapped into the mystery of how Mama always knows when you’re doing something bad, even when her back is turned!

The magic of Santa is something truly special in a child’s life. To this day, I still say I believe in him. To me, Santa represents the spirit of joy that comes from giving to others. Even our youngest told me the other day that she wants to get gifts for her sisters and best friends this year. So as we celebrate the spiritual reasons for the season, we also use this time to cultivate the spirit of giving to others.

No matter your decision on Santa vs. Mom & Dad, if your house is anything like ours, your kids probably won’t even notice the “From:” line on the label. Merry Christmas!

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One Response

  1. I would say NOT to have all of the fancy expensive presents from Santa. That way, poorer children don’t wonder why Santa skimps on them and gives the other kids the good stuff.

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