This is totally random, but I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas, and I’m not sure my feelings on Santa. My son is two and not quite old enough to understand yet regardless, but I’m seriously considering not including Santa in our traditions. Does anyone else do this or have other special traditions(that are not religion-based)? 
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Santa gives me child a stocking and thats it. Period. I want them to grow and know Santa brings stocking and we get them the gifts they want.
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We go see Santa and do the typical Santa photos. But my oldest knew from a very young age that mom and dad bought the gifts. I never told him Santa brought his gifts.
i have a two year old a well and she knows who santa is but he only gives her a little gift. just one. i don’t want her growing up thinking santa gives her the best stuff and mom & dad only get her little things you know. i work hard for big presents & i want them to be from me 
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We arent doing santa. Everything will be from us.
I do Santa and Elf on the Shelf for my 1 and 3 year old. They love the elf 
We “track” Santa the night before, leave him cookies and carrots and each kid gets 1 special gift from Santa (nothing expensive). I mean, I think Santa adds something special to Christmas and I just love the way my kids enjoy the make believe. I honestly don’t know anything besides Santa and Elf on the Shelf
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I do include Santa so I can’t really answer your question about alternatives… I just wanted to comment to ask that if you do decide to not include Santa in your traditions, please talk to your child about playing al8ng for the sake of other children and families.
I have a lot of fun playing Santa and it would break my heart to have my kids’ belief crushed at school or something.
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My 4yr old knows about Santa. We refer to him as a spirit that lives in our hearts that makes us want to give to others, not a real person that comes to our house. She also knows some kids believe that he’s real and that she shouldn’t spoil their belief. She actually gets it so I don’t worry about her spoiling it.
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We don’t do Santa, we never have 
I didn’t believe in Santa as a kid and honestly just didn’t see the point in lying.
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We do stockings and one or two special, but insignificant in price gifts from Santa. The rest is from us.
Iv always hand Santa no matter the age of the baby or child in my home or my family Iv always done it and always will some years it hard to but I make it work even if it’s one gift and a stocking a peace
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I tried to not do Santa since most of my immediate family is pagan and we technically celebrate Yule. My daughter is 3 now and last year she was ALL ABOUT santa even though I never mentioned him. So I let her believe because she chooses to
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We do a couple small things for everyone from Santa and the rest from us. We don’t want our kids to go to school and be like I got a tablet from Santa when maybe some kids only get small things their parents can afford. I never want my kids to inadvertently make another feel bad
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We dont talk about Santa. Our oldest is 6 and wants Santa to visit. Because she hears about him at school.
My girls almost 3 and we don’t speak of santa. Shes had one picture with a santa and she hated it but its a no go. If she asks eventually about Santa im just gonna say hes to help people remember to be nicer basically lol
With my kids Santa brings the stocking and items needed like gloves, socks that kind of stuff. When my oldest now 8 asked me last year why Santa gave some kids big fancy gifts and she got little stuff I told her that some parents like to pretend that Santa brings them big gifts but it was actually the parents but they can’t tell the other kids that. They never said anything to anyone or asked about again. I also read the story of Santa every year. How he brings fruit and little toys to the children.
Ours know santa but santa doesnt deliver gifts. It’s more like the spirit and what he stood for. Giving, kindness, and more importantly the time spent with family and creating memories
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My son loves Santa. Hes only 3 so he doesn’t comprehend santa too much but i want him to believe in santa. I want him to know about saint Nicholas and teach him about who he was and how that has traversed from then.
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I am thankful I’m Gen X. My millennial raised his daughters on the magic of Santa. I’m thankful my parents didn’t feel the need to make it all about them
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Whoever got mad at this, you’re ridiculous. That’s totally their choice. I see the ups and downs of both sides. We taught our kids about Santa but there are some years I wish we didn’t.
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I have three children. I have chosen not to do the santa thing as I dont believe in all that. I chose not to lie to my children like my family did with me. My family though they push Santa…
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There’s nothing wrong with not including Santa. We haven’t done Santa in over a decade. Instead, every family member has a wooden box that they decorated and everyone puts a gift in each of the boxes. The rules are it has to be hand made, home made or second hand and under $10. Other gifts that don’t fit those rules are wrapped separately and opened in place of Santa gifts. Stockings are still done for the younger kids, but they aren’t Santa stockings. They are fun stuff from the family.
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We tried telling our 12 and 10 year old we were santa…they dont believe us… but our 3 year old has no idea. Santa will still bring a few things for the 3 year old sake, but everything else is from us. And both big kids agreed on 1 big present this year. Son will get a playstation 5, and daughter will get a cell phone. (She’ll be 13 in January)
We do Santa as a person who spreads the magic and joy. We make them known that he doesn’t bring expensive stuff. That’s all from mom and dad. And when they are old enough we explain to them that Santa is actually us and it’s the spirit of Christmas that we pass on. The happiness of spending time with family and we explain we want them to be a new Santa to help bring that joy to the kids that still believe
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We taught our kids Santa is a real person who wantes to give to and spread joy. So while he brings our kids one gift they know the rest are from us. Then we adopt a family in need (so those kids can have more then just their 1 gift from Santa) help with food and clothing drives and deliver everything to families who are in need.
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my daughter knows there’s no Santa Claus because I don’t want her to think that kids whose parents don’t have a lot of money in can’t afford nice things that Santa brings the gifts
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We always included Santa in our celebrations, but never went crazy with it. No visits with Santa, no crazy forced pictures of Santa, that type of thing. Santa did bring gifts, but we concentrated with our son on the religious background of the life of St. Nicholas, which is where the current day Santa came from.
We always make cookies, give homemade treats to neighbors and friends, and concentrate on the giving aspects of the season-and not just material giving. That’s really where the magic is and our family traditions are. It’s a wonderful time of year to teach your kids the magic of loving and giving to others. That probably sounds sappy. My son no longer believes in Santa, but because he wasn’t a huge focus in our house- the magic is still around and no Santa is no big deal.
We do Santa, but he only brings one gift and it’s usually a stuffed animal because his elves can make those. But everything else comes from us, and they know that. We only do it to give them a little make believe and a little wonder.
We have 3 daughters and we have told them the truth about santa from the beginning. They know that they are not allowed to tell other kids about santa because it will make them sad. Alot of people don’t like the idea and say I’m “stealing their childhood” but that’s not the case at all. Id rather tell them the truth from the beginning that way when they have questions later in life about other things they know we will tell them the truth
We love including Santa. I miss it now that my boys are getting older.
My ex hated Santa. My older kids grew up without Santa. I feel like they missed out a little. My oldest doesn’t care but my 2 other older children from my ex really do like Santa. Nothing wrong with Santa, they don’t have to believe he is “real” just that Santa is an embodiment of good deeds and giving.
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For religious reasons, I grew up knowing Santa was make believe. As a parent, Santa is “real” and this is because I missed out on the excitement of Santa’s magic & going to bed early just so I could rush downstairs Christmas morning like kids on movies. 
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How sad, my mum said on my 63rd birthday the last one we had together I was the best Christmas present Santa gave her
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My children will know that Santa isn’t real. I do plan on telling them the actual story of st.nick when they’re older but that’s it. I don’t believe In lying to my children
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We aren’t really doing Santa. Maybe a stocking or something but that’s it for us. Well tell him he can’t spoil it for other kids but mostly he’s going to know that Santa is more like a giving spirit and such.
We do Santa but Santa brings books or puzzles only. Every Christmas Eve they get to open one gift that is marked Christmas Eve and each child gets new Christmas pjs, movie, popcorn, hot coco and a snack and they change in to their pjs and we watch the movies they got.
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My sister doesn’t believe in lying to her child so she told him about Christmas but the presents are from them,not santa. She’s had many conversations about how other families tell their children about Santa as well
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I have never told my kids that Santa is real. They are now 7&8 I plan to keep it going when their new sibling arrives.
If you do please teach him not to ruin it for other kids.
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My husband wants us to do stockings from Santa and gifts from mum and dad
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I think kids are little just a short time…Allowing them to believe in Santa is a magical time…That no kid should be deprived of…There is so much more to believing in Santa than presents…Santa represents Joy…Love…Hope…Faith…
Peace…Kindness…
Gratitude and so much more…x
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I would let him ask about it and go along with when he strayers wondering
I have always wanted to make sure my son knew Santa was not actually real. A lot of my family has disagreed with me on this, but I do think it’s important for kids to know Santa isn’t real. I’ve always disagreed with some parents buying these pricy presents like x boxes and dirt bikes and other things like that, saying it’s from Santa. Some parents can’t afford a lot but do their best to give their kids the best Christmas each year. I think Christmas should be about family and being thankful for what we have and what we get present wise.
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I told them we were santa🤷♀️
We include santa but my child knows I get the presents and we send them to santa and his elves to check over and wrap and bring on Christmas day they need to no value of money
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Even after my kids knew Santa wasn’t real, they still got excited, cause I always tried to make it special. Not large gifts from him. It was more the excitement and magic of the season.
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So we do Santa in a different way. We spend all of December gathering up things around our house that we no longer need. Clothes that dont fit, toys we dont play with or are broken and we put it all under the tree. Santa comes on xmas eve and he takes all the stuff we put there to be fixed, and gives it to others who can use it next and leaves a gift in return. We donate everything afterwards. Teaches our kids to worry about giving instead of getting, and they still get some of the Santa magic.
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If you decide to do the Santa thing, please follow through with it. My nephews are 10 & 12. There have been a couple of years that my in-laws didn’t have money for Christmas so the boys got nothing. They assumed Santa was mad at them and didn’t bring them anything and it crushed them. Their parents let them believe that instead of explaining the situation. They could have gone to the dollar store for a $5 gift for each from Santa but they didn’t. It killed me to see the boys crushed but they didn’t want to ruin the “tradition”
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I put all my gifts to people, “from santa”
If my baby daddy & I could’ve agreed, I wouldn’t do Santa
Glad you’re not my mom 
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We are transitioning from Santa to baby Jesus. We put a baby in a small crib and have been talking about the real reason for Christmas.
I have 5 kids. 11, 8, 5, 4 and 1. We’ve never done the whole Santa thing and never will. We also don’t do Easter bunny or tooth fairy.
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I’ve always done the more generic little toys and stockings from Santa and the bigger things from me
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The idea of santa is a lie and fraud God does not approve of lies and fraud is teaching your children a lie the proper and God way of rearing your children and letting them break gods law without reprmaning them a good way of of being gods child is letting them go to hell without saying something a thing called real love I do not see supporting them in sin is a godly way to be I love mine enough I don’t want them in hell with Satan supporting you children in sin is sin
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I do it’s for fun my oldest just figured out that they’re all fake all I asked him to do is not to ruin it for his younger siblings who haven’t got experience yet as a kid that was always so exciting it was magical in a way 
My boyfriend and I aren’t going to don’t feel bad. It’s not something I ever planned to do as a mother anyways. Obviously we will still tell stories of him but they will know it’s not real. I grew up never having anything and never understood why Santa only brought me socks while other kids got tablets and games. I just don’t want my kids to feel left out and if we were to do santa all the socks and clothes would be from santa and all the nice gifts from mom&dad. We plan to explain how other families do santa so hopefully we don’t have kids that go around breaking other kids hearts or ruins others traditions. Its gonna be tricky (I can already feel it, but I never liked the santa tradition) Also who knows it might change the older they get.
He will feel left out when he is older (elementary school) and wonder why all the other kids get a visit from Santa. Let them be little and believe. I always told mine Santa brings toys but the parents have to help pay for things so that can clear up why one kid might get something very expensive but they didn’t.
Santa 
I don’t put up Xmas trees in the last 2 years. 20.00 present one per person. I am not a millionaire and have heaps of presents under a tree hilarious.
I just let Santa do the stockings. I’m not all that into ‘lying’ about his existence or whatever.
On easter eve we plant jelly beans and the next morning they’re lollipop flowers. 
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We’re not doing Santa 
we want our kids to know that we bought there gifts
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We’ve always done santa I feel it make Christmas more magical. There so many activities to do with kids that revolve around santa that just bring so much joy to kids (decorating cookies for Santa to eat, leaving carrots out for the reindeer, and many more)…We do tell them anything more expensive is from us so if they go to school and tell other kids what they got it doesn’t seem unfair to kids who maybe didn’t get more expensive stuff.
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We do Santa. My parents done it when I was little & it was the best experience of my life. I had such a wonderful imagination because of it. I think the magic of Christmas is important & that’s probably why there’s no Christmas spirit nowadays. People have forgot about the magic.
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I tell my kids I get all the presents except 1 (usually the best ones) that comes from Santa unwrapped under the tree. He’s in a hurry he doesn’t have time to wrap. It helps me being a single parent, they are more understanding of 1 year they do not get as much.
I told mine that Santa is a fun game that even many adults like to play too.
We don’t love the idea of Santa but it is a great kid memory so we do 1 gift (that’s usually the same for both kids toothbrushes, bubble bath, stuff like that) from Santa and I have wrapping paper just for Santa and stick it where we left milk and cookies then the rest is from mom and dad
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Santa always brought three smaller gifts to my girls, then the rest of their things came from mom and dad
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I thought about it too. Then I remembered the joy I had as a kid believing. I will mark all the big gifts from mommy and daddy because I don’t want my child telling other kids that Santa brought them expensive gifts when other’s parents can’t afford it. I don’t want his belief in Santa to hurt other’s feelings, even if it is unintentional.
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Ok, we did Santa with our kids and our oldest ones sort of naturally evolved out of believing. Never a big deal or anything, just outgrew it on their own. My youngest, found out from a friend at school. I have always told my kids if they ask me a question I will tell them the truth, so they had better be prepared for that. For her we even had the Elf on the shelf. That girl was Committed to her belief in Santa and all things elf. Wrote notes to the elf and expected notes back. Anyway, kid at school tells her isn’t real. She asks me. I tell her the truth. This girl is hella pissed at me for lying to her for her whole life. Trying to explain to a child why that lie was ok and other lies are not defiantly changed my mind on Santa, Easter bunny etc. it made me think critically on why the heck we lie to our kids about that stuff but teach them lying is bad and not to do it and give consequences if they do. My girl had a good point and I now wish I had not done Santa.
Does it matter!!! Santa fuels a child’s imagination. Teaching them that money doesn’t grow on trees, that the things they get they should be thankful for, and that giving is an expression of sharing. Wrap it up with a please and thank you. When they get older they will learn more that Santa really isn’t real, but what the tradition teaches us is what counts. Do what you will, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Overall, it doesn’t need to be complicated.
I did till my kids were old enough to realize that he wasn’t real but I do believe SantA gets way more credit than he should
I’m not religious but I grew up with Santa and for me, he represents the magic of Christmas. If you choose not to include Santa in your traditions, that’s fine. It’s your choice but make sure that your kid knows not to ruin it for everyone else’s kid(s) by saying he’s not real or whatever
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Our traditions:
We believe that Santa shouldn’t bring the iPads and such.
They get 3 things for Christmas. Something to read, something they need, and something they want. Jesus had 3 wise men. They get 3 gifts.
We’re not getting them anything for their first few Christmases. But with that, We’re also not limiting the grandparents.
We don’t do the Easter bunny. We have a traditional Easter.
I never did Santa for my kids. As my son got older and was in school he asked and started to believe, I never told him anything one way or another. My fav tradition is buying my kids board games and we spend the evening playing our new games as a family.
We don’t do Santa. Our daughter (now 5) has known for years he’s not real (we just remind her not to break the news to other kids).
Christmas is still Christmas. She still gets presents but know they are from us (vs some imaginary guy dropping off a gift for her that may be more then another kids & that kid feeling like Santa doesn’t like them as much etc). Plus, yeah, she knows we work for the money we have. Not her just asking someone for it and magically getting it. It comes from real work & money.
We still decorate the tree. Still make cookies (not for Santa but just bc she loves baking). Still do stockings. Visit family. Watch Christmas movies. We still make it fun & special & she still loves it. You don’t need to have Santa if you don’t want to. Not missing out on much. I remember doing santa as a kid & 
ehhh it wasn’t that big of a deal.
You parent however you feel is correct. You don’t Have to carry on any traditions you aren’t comfortable with. But as a mom that has grown (and nearly grown) children… Christmas isn’t nearly as fun now that they know.
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I include Santa for my almost 3 Year Old. However, Santa gives a couple of small toys like puzzles, sand buckets and clothes. The big gifts or items are from Mum and Dad.
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I always told mine Santa is someone that loves you
We always did a small gift like a tricket or a bracelet. It was always wrapped in a shiney red paper with a gold bow and hidden in the tree.
We did santa and at 11 and 12 we still do the elf on a shelf. They know it’s not real but we all play along because it’s fun.
I still say if you don’t believe you don’t receive, you will never hear me say there isn’t a santa.
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My kids know that Santa isn’t real. (But know not to ruin the idea for anyone else) we still do stockings and a special present Christmas morning.
Why would you not religious based. That is what’s wrong with our country now. Why would you want to bring a child up with no faith?
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I truthfully would include Santa… Cause then all the kids at school will be talking about him, and your son is going to wonder why Santa doesnt bring him gifts…
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I did it for a little but stop it years with the kids and still did the xmas things
I never planned on doing Santa with my kids. But when i was pregnant I was doing a polar express thing with my family and seeing my little brothers (he was 6) face light up when Santa came out completely changed my mind. We do stockings from Santa and all other gifts from us.
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We do santa for my kids just for the magic of it my daughter is 2 and we are already talking about Christmas she absolutely loves santa and i dont feel the personal need to take that away from her
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Did you grow up with a 
Santa?
I dont, family doesn’t. But my daughter picked it up in pre-k.
We do everything but don’t mention it.
Our family is not religious and we enjoyed Santa. My daughter loved Santa and we would bake him cookies, write him letters and make crafts for him (we love going through the old letters and gifts she made.) She grew out of it but remembers the fun. My son wasn’t as obsessed with Santa as my baby girl was. The big gifts were from me and dad the rest from Santa.
My kid is 4. The big ticket item comes from Santa, the rest from me.
Thou shalt not bear false witness means don’t lie it is in the ten commandments in the old testament I Exodus twenty li to a child or supporting the in a lie is not love for them or God lying is Satan’s ways to be precice it is Exodus twenty 16 and Exodus is the second chapter in the Bible if you teach your children a lie you are teaching them I ncottectly
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We never did santa as kids. I see no point in it and when people say be good or Santa won’t bring you any gifts it makes me wanna smack them. How about we teach our kids to be good regardless of what they might get. Not be good and you’ll get a reward. Be good or you’ll be punished. Plus it’s incredibly u fair for the kids who get big gifts from Santa and go brag about it at school while the other kids who’s parents don’t have as much money got socks or pajamas from Santa. I just think it makes no sense and idk what this magic is. Give gifts because it’s fun to see others happy and it feels good to be generous. Not because you want things in return. 
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When we were little we didn’t know Santa, we knew baby Jesus.
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My kids are 10 and 9 and they still believe in the magic of santa all the wayyyyy in south america and that is magic to me…
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That’s just horrible and sad and feel bad for him 
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I did santa with my kids, but if I could do it over i would only have santa leave one or two presents.
Santa and the Easter bunny is one of the joys if childhood.
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If I could do it over again I would still have santa, but he would only bring one or two gifts and the rest would be from mum and dad. That way they still get to enjoy the fun of Santa but also understand they can’t just get everything they want as mum and dad have to pay for most of it.
Each to their own. But I grew up believing in Santa. An I jusg remember it being THE most magical time of the year. Not just for gifts but for every single part of Christmas. I now have 4 children of my own an they believe in Santa. I will carry it on for as long as I can. Also every single gift is off santa in our house. It was the same for us growing up. I .remeber finding out santa wasnt real an my parents were actually santa. I was never angry at the for lieing to me, I just remember being so grateful N thinking how amazing my parents were for being able to pull it off every year. Everyone has their own ways I suppose. But this was our way an I will never change it.