My children discovered their Santa present.
Their present came by mail and I'd left the box (nondescript and unopened) on the kitchen floor while I went into the other room. I underestimated my children's dexterity and their propensity for mischief. Anyhow, the children got into the box and successfully peaked at their toys.
The box is up, but they haven't forgotten. They already know. too. much.
Every day, fifteen times an hour, they ask about the disappeared box. "Did Santa bring that? What's in the box? My toy? Yes? No? Yes? Is that for me? Will it be mine on Christmas? Mama, mommy, mama! Where did it come from?"
My children are clever little monkeys and haven't been thwarted by my evasive non-answers, "Hmmm, look, have you seen the...ummm...floor - whoa, uhhhhh, hmmm...errrrrr" (yes, I know, the secret service should hire me...I am a master of deception).
Santa needs some help in the public relations sector. Any ideas for how I can spin this?
PS
They are three and four years old. Our Christmas will be fairly humble. One special, frivolous toy from Santa, and a few practical, less exciting gifts from us. Thanks so far...these are great (they're giving me a chuckle too).
Spin it that Santa had to cut staff so he is pre-sending gifts and asking nicely that the parents wrap them. Then point out he sees all so there is no way they can get them early and really shouldn't be talking about it so much.
It would work with my kids but thankfully they always gave me credit for creativity.
If they think that Santa left the box, then put out the toys for Christmas with a note from Santa saying that he had to get some of the deliveries out early because there were so many kids on the nice list this year that the workshop was getting full. Have the letter explain that he asked you as the parent to keep his gifts for the kids to open on Christmas day.
Can you swap out what Santa brought in THAT box with what YOU were going to give the kids as gifts?
"I have no idea what your talkin about you silly kids! WHat box? I dont see a box?!?"
My kids too found their gifts. Our basement is a maze, literally. We have a wood shop, family room, playroom, my husbands man room, a bathroom, and a furnace rooms. Behind these rooms runs a small narrow walk way about 12 feet into nothing. Just a dark place that is 3x3 feet. They have never walked back there. It looks dark and uninviting. Well we had friends over the other night and their children curiously started looking everywhere to see what all was down there. I suddenly hear a herd of animals coming up the basement steps and my daughter yelling "Daddy come here I need to show you something". I knew right away.... In those 5 seconds I came up with a plan. I grabbed a small paper and hid it in my pocket. I went downstairs and pretended that I found the note on top of the gifts, and I told them that it said "Dear H., I am way too busy and have run out of time. I need your help. I have left gifts and wrapping paper for you to wrap these gifts for children in your area. I will be back to get these soon!" It worked. Luckily the majority of the gifts were in their store bags still so they only saw a few things. The next morning my husband put them in a locked area of our wood shop.
Could you tell them the delivered box was for some special families that need help at Christmas?
Tell them Santa sent you an email to let you know that he would be delivering a gift to your house because it was something the elves were having trouble making so he had to have it ordered. Let them know that you have no idea what is in the box but when Santa comes on Christmas he is going to wrap it himself and put it under the tree. Let them know he did it that was because FedEx (whoever) doesn't deliver to the North Pole. Tell them it will be a surprise for everyone.
My oldest found a santa gift and was so excited I told him "wow, you should ask Santa to bring you that since this one is for someone else!" and that is just what he did. Yes, I "lied" to my son. Shame on me.
"Must have fallen out of Santa's sleigh when he was training the reindeer. We should leave it out on the porch one night to see if he picks it up!"
Ephie, how old are your kids? Santa might have delivered some things for you to store (to save room on the sleigh)... either for your kids or someone ELSE's kids on his route...
You could also threaten (for the future) that any time they snoop, if they find something, it will be sent back.
Sorry... wish I had a solution...doesn't sound like there are any re-do's on this... they've already seen. Can you just give it to them from YOU and let Santa give something they DIDN'T discover?
Not sure how old your kids are, but my mom tells a story about how when she was young she was snooping through the house looking for her gifts and her mother caught her. She was told "if you want all your gifts right now, you can have them. But you won't have anything to open on Christmas morning. Which do you want?"
Solved that particular issue...
My personal thoughts are to send them back. Get them something else. Tell them you were holding them for a friend and her children so HER children wouldn't snoop.
Or, just tell them you're holding them for a friend, then give them to them anyway from you instead of Santa.
I had a friend who got a dog for her son for Christmas. They told him they were keeping it for a friend to give to his wife on Christmas. They let their son take care of the dog while they had it to "see if he was responsible enough" for his own dog (had been asking for one for a while).
On Christmas morning, they tied a bow to the dog's collar and sent it into their son's room to wake him up.
I love that story. I know it's not really on-topic. =D
I think you're ok!
They are so little. If they ask again, say: "that is for ____!"
For my 7th birthday my parents got me the Strawberry Shortcake dollhouse and furniture for it. (Best present ever. btw!!!)
I was out in the garage w/ my mom while she was doing laundry one day and stumbled upon the hidden furniture.
My mom said that my best friends mom asked her to hide it from her girls for her.
I bought it hook, line, and sinker and it took me a long time to put two and two together. I kept waiting for my bf to get her doll furniture. Duh! ;)
My own DD (6) is not making any connections that last night mommy had to go to "the store" (by myself-a rarity) and this morning she had a stocking full of goodies.
That old St. Nick...sly fella. Lol!
Just play dumb! ;)
I honestly don't have a single answer for you, but I cracked up reading your whole master of deception explanation because it sounds so much like me. Yes, literally, cracked right up here at my desk & other people looked at me like I was nuts. Anywhoo... the only thing I can say is that a friend of mine & I were talking just the other day about how much we love the fact that we are constantly lying to our kids at this time of year. We make up little lies to change the subject, and sometimes we come up with big huge lies to throw them off the trail. I'm sure with your kids being as little as they are you won't need to come up with some huge whopper of a tale, but you need to come up with SOMEthing quick & then stick with it no matter what.
For example: my son has been asking me for an Xbox 360 for a full year. I have told him for precisely the same amount of time that he absolutely, under no circumstances, can have one because we've already got a Wii & nobody needs 2 gaming systems. For Christmas this year that was seriously the only thing he would ask for. Every time the words came out of his mouth I said, "No. Think of something else because you're not getting one." He has been angry specifically at me because of this & eventually he begrudgingly came up with a few crappy ideas. We bought the stupid Xbox on Black Friday & I'm hiding all of the gifts at a friend of mine's house so the kids can't find them. So several days later I got my daughter on her own (knowing full well that whatever we talked about she would report back to him) & asked her what she thought I should get for him since I really couldn't come up with anything good. She said, "Well, Mama, all he really wants is the Xbox so I guess you should just get him that." I told her that he really truly wasn't getting one & I was concerned that he was going to be disappointed on Christmas morning, but that it's just too expensive & we really don't need 2 gaming systems. She came up with some decent alternatives, but I knew that she could hardly wait to go tell him about what we'd talked about. Mission Accomplished!! Mwahahaha!!!
Create an elaborate email (use the stationary function) and write to the kids: (in a much better way...I have to go to work...sorry!)
Dear child 1 and child 2;
I know when you are sleeping; I know when you're awake. I know that you snuck a peek at the presents I sent. I plan on bringing you more, but didn't have the room on my sleigh. Please be good, for goodness sake, and I'll be back on Christmas night.
Ps. I LOVE cookies and milk!
Santa
They're young....you can get a lot by them now and they'll likely forget by next year. Good luck!!!! (And don't blame yourself !)
Don't worry.
Do as you always do.
They wil be fine.
Merry Christmas.
Oh no! It sounds like you think this was your fault...its not!
See ifSanta can send them a letter saying "I heard you found out about your present. That's okay but if you keep asking about it, I may just hve to take them back and there isn't enough time for my elves and I to make you new toys. So shhhh"...or something like that!
does it have to be for them, can it be for a nephew or niece? toys for tots? can you exchange it?
