Presents from Santa - Vernon,NJ

Santa brings one gift per child (much like in Polar Express). With so many children in the world - how would the elves have the time to make 10 gifts per children? ;-) When we went to see santa, they all told him their one gift wish and then stood there dumbfounded when santa said "and what else"? The older two (6&4) were so confused about the what else part they couldn't even come up with anything. Santa brought what they asked for: Chess set ($40), candy maker machine ($14), pink princess castle ($60), bucket of blocks ($15).
As far as the rest of their lists - family gets nearly everything. The younger ones haven't started asking for big gifts yet, but the older one did want an ipod touch or a ds. That came from mom and dad.

This year Santa brought one present each under the tree worth about $30-40, and stuffed the stockings. Mommy and Daddy gave the children a home-made slide for the garden and pool. They love it!

In my house growing up, Santa would bring the big gift, sometimes worth $100, and usually the big thing we asked for. Santa also did the stockings.

But for my stepdaughter, Santa brings a smaller "surprise" gift and we give the big gift. Santa's gift is never over $50. This started when my stepdaughter started asking for $###-###-#### gifts at age 6. She wanted Santa to bring her a big flat screen TV, a computer, diamonds etc. She felt sure Santa would bring these gifts because he can bring ANYTHING! Rather than spoil the magic of Santa, my husband told her that there are many children in the world that he needs to bring gifts for, and that he brings toys that he makes in his workshop, not big screen TVs and diamonds. That was the year she got a smaller Santa gift and we've continued that tradition. She knows her PARENTS are on a budget, and that Santa will probably bring her one or two gifts. This year he brought her 2 things plus some stuff in her stocking.

It really depends on your budget and your own Santa traditions. There is probably no "right" answer and maybe not even a common one!

My husband & I are still not sure how this works. Reason being is I grew up very poor & never had gifts at Christmas. My husbands mom changed religions when he was 9 & no longer celebrated Christmas.

We talk to our children about the what the religious aspect means to our family and focus on that.

Our kids asked for 1 thing each from Santa, we asked them to make a bigger list but for some reason they chose not to. My 4 yr old daughter asked for an ipod to listen to music, we got her a shuffle $45. My 6 yr old daughter asked for a lava lamp $8. my 7 yr old son asked for a bow & arrow $45. We got them their requests & also got each of them a snow tube $5. Then I put some items in their stocking stuffers, about $15 each stocking.

I don'y know how old your daughter is, but what a wonderful child she is for not asking/demanding for the most expensive or the largest number of gifts
a child could ask for . Yo are a greeat parent!

@ our house Santa just stuffs the stockings so if what they want can fit in there then usually but all the "big" stuff comes from me & dad.

Santa stuffs the stocking. He usually brings maybe one or two gifts. All other gifts are from family, especially the bigger items, so the kids can learn to be appreciative to family as well. Our resources are very limited so they don't get much for Christmas anyways. They usually ask for only one thing from Santa.

Santa varies. This year he got her a snowman book to match the one she got and loves last year (another in the series), a trike, a radio controlled car that Santa got on sale, and some misc. items for her stocking. In later years she may be more specific and we'll figure out if Santa will bring them or if Mom and Dad will. One thing I pushed back on this year was that I had a big thing I wanted to give DD and I really wanted it to be from ME. Most of the stuff in the stockings are also from Santa but we also put small things from family members in there, too. I think that 1-3 larger gifts from Santa is a good number, and more than that might take away from the fact that Mom and Dad work hard, too.

My kids each get one gift from Santa (their big gift), he fills their stockings, a game for the family to play together, and a box of Fannie May for Mom and Dad =) I don't think Santa at your house is too excessive - this year my older daughters Santa gift was just under $200. I have friends that spend way more than that and friends that spend way less - I think it's all about what you're comfortable with and able to spend.

That is NOT excessive. You should see what some of the kids of my friend's got - the pile of gifts stretched out 2-3 feet beyond the tree and were 2 or 3 gifts high. It was so disgusting.

My kid asked for about 50 things during the 3 weeks btwn Thanksgiving and Christmas. He got a few of them.

its not b/c we couldn't afford it or want to deprive him. He got other presents too frrom family and friends which Santa "left" at their houses, so he wasn't totally deprived Christmas morning.

That sounds about right. This year each of my boys received four of the things they asked Santa for plus some books and their stockings (their stockings each contained one of the things they each asked for). They are little and their wants are not horribly expensive! We buy them a few gifts, and the grandparents give them gifts, but they don't get everything they ask for. Santa likes to surprise them as well! They each got a few of the really important things they asked Santa for, but Santa also surprised my oldest with a cool, flexible racetrack and the youngest with a little bicycle that he loves.

Not excessive at all.
My parents were probably excessive. :)
Needless to say I loved the magic of Christmas.
We have carried that tradition on......even my hubby has done that on his own w/his daughter, our son & me. :) cute.
I say it's fine and here's my logic: kids are innocent and will never again
know this type of magic again in their lives!
What you did for your kids sounds great AND reasonable.
My hubby goes all out, I go all out.
I think it's fine. :)
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

usually Santa brings the "big" gift & 2-3 small ones.

the exception would be when the child specifically requests all smaller gifts from Santa....then those wishes are granted.

hmmm, I guess you could say that the child's wishes determine the giver!

"Santa" brings one or two items each year, and Mom and Dad (or Grandma and Grandpa) give the bulk of the gifts. My boys are 6 1/2 and 9, and I'm not even sure they READ who the tags are FROM, just the TO. :-)
This year we actually did something a little different - we bought them an air hockey table (too big for under the tree!), so we sent them on a scavenger hunt through the house until they found the air hockey table. They enjoyed it, and I think it's a trend that will continue!

That sounds about like what Santa brings my daughter. We just don't see the need to spend hundreds of dollars on Santa gifts. Santa usually brings one large and 2-3 small gifts (this year it was an art easel for the large, a game and barbie for the small) plus some books and just a few small stocking stuffers. The rest of our family spoiled her enough. We don't want her to grow up thinking that Santa leaves PILES of toys. I think you're right on target.

My daughter asked for only two things this year, but unfortunately didn't get either. One was a doll house (Santa left one last year, we just told her he didn't leave the same things two years in a row) and the other was a baby brother. LOL. Imagine my surprise when she asked Santa for that! And we just told her Santa can't leave people as gifts. She's good with it.

Happy Holidays!

our Santa brings one bigger gift usually. It is usually about $100 (until your son tells you on Xmas eve that he knows in his heart Santa will bring him the DSi he asked for--then Santa makes a mad dash for Toys R Us). He always includes a book and stocking stuffers --a little candy, gum, toothpaste, etc.

Santa brought them one main gift and lots of stocking gifts (when they were little).

In my house, ONE item and it is medium range price, never over 3 for sure. We do not do "wish lists" I can not stand when people ask my son what he wants for xmas ... or what he asked Santa for he gets what he needs.

for us, usually, santa gifts are the best gifts my kids get. i just feel they get more excited when it's from santa. for example this year the big item on their list as iPod touch. they got that from santa. the number of gifts from santa (ranging from very cheap to mod expensive) was about 12 gifts each, then a few items from mom and dad. we are creating our own tradition and this one seems to work for us.

Santa brings one present each in addition to their stockings, sometimes he'll bring a joint present for both of them which he did this year. Typically it's in the $50 range for the individual present and $20 for the joint.

We save the big presents to be from Mom & Dad. We want our kids to know that we had to work and save to provide those for them. We don't want them to get the idea that if you can't afford something you want (not need) just ask someone else (santa, gparents, govt., etc etc) to get it for you.

My son usually gets the Christmas gifts he asks for in his Santa's letter, of course I go over the letter with him and try to cut some gifts or make some changes.
He asked 10 gifts this year, and I send the list to my mom and brother and there pick one each, give me the money for so I don't spend that much.

What I do afterwards since his birthday is at the end of October, I make him choose the same amount of gifts he got and get toys he doesn't play with anymore and I send them to the Rescue Mission, that goes directly to the poor or homeless children and it's not "sold" like the Salvation Army does.

I do the same thing with number of Christmas gifts, then when I have few boxes, I call Miami Rescue Mission and they pick it up, and they even give you an invoice that you can use for your taxes but I always forget it.

Hope it helps!

Great question! loved reading the responses!
I think what's excessive is different for every family. For mine, that would be excessive, but if it fits your budget and teaches your values then there's nothing wrong with it!
My children get one Santa gift (ranging $20-30), some small candy & silly dollar store gifts in the stocking from Santa... and the rest is from family. We're not very well off financially and live very simply, so there's usually 3 gifts total for each child under the tree - one from Santa, one from me & my husband, and one from their siblings. Our 2 year old twins and our 13 year old don't seem to mind that we have a more simple Christmas... they really seemed to enjoy & appreciate each gift. On top of that though, they do get plenty of gifts when we visit their grandparents too :)