Santa vs Parents: Who Gives the Gifts at Your Place?

Who makes the Christmas magic at your house?

In some families, Santa is the bringer of all good things at Christmas. In others, the parents share the gift giving glory.

Here’s why some families are pro-Santa and some are pro-parents! Take a look and let us know how Santa rolls at your place.

Team Santa

Those that are pro-Santa as the main bringer of magic and gifts might argue that Santa is what makes Christmas magic! The idea of making childhood magical means Santa is the bringer all gifts – and all the excitement and wonder that comes with it! And many parents want their little ones to enjoy as much magic as they can, for as long as they can.

Christmas is all about the magic and magic means Santa!”
Irene, Mum Central mum-of-three

Santa is also about imagination, about letting children believe in amazing, impossible things. Sleigh bells jingling, big boots crunching on the roof, a tubby chuckling Santa bringing hand chosen gifts just for them. Isn’t it like letting your children believe in other childhood magic like elves and unicorns and fairies with a tooth fetish?

And of course let’s be honest, Santa is also one great big good behaviour bond for most of December. The idea that Santa and his helpers, those pesky Elves on Shelves, are watching and finding out ‘who’s naughty and nice’ has saved the sanity of many a slightly frazzled festive season parent!

Team Parents

On the other side of the great Santa vs parents debate are those who like to claim some of that Christmas credit for themselves! These parents often give a small stocking of Santa gifts, with the larger, more expensive or more desired gifts coming from mum and dad. Why, you ask?

It makes the magic more believable. Like how would Santa get all that stuff in his sleigh? Or down a chimney?”
Jo, Mum Central mum-of-three

Um, magic? I hear the Team Santa parents say.

Putting Santa in charge of stockings and leaving the rest to the folks makes gift inequity easier to explain. It’s hard for kids to understand why Santa can’t spring for an Xbox or fancy trampoline when the elves make everything. More sensible for kids to understand what a friend of mine’s young son once said. “We have a poor Santa at our house”.

And the final argument on the Team Parents side? Let’s be honest, with parents doing all the buying, wrapping and staying up half the night to ‘help Santa’ deliver the presents, some mums and dads say fair go, we want some of the Christmas morning kudos!

Wherever you sit in the Santa vs parents debate, we all know it’s the mums and dads who make Christmas magic. So Merry Christmas and well done to you!

Ah Christmas magic! If you do have little believers in your house, here’s how to answer their extra tricky questions about Santa.