Sprung!!

Since you have to stick with what you already told them, and since "Santa sees all"......if they realize things on Christmas morning you tell them "Santa saw how much you liked the books I bought for those little boys, he brought you the same ones!"

Because my kids have free roam of my entire house, I keep everything at my mom's house. She brings it over late Christmas Eve. Otherwise there would be no way I could get away with hiding stuff!

when christmas day comes tell them the TRUTH, that the gifts are from mom and dad. no need to lie or try to cover up anything like that. just say they were from you and they just needed to wait. depending on how old they are they may forget that they already saw those specific items.

I would just give them gifts as gifts from you. I'd choose a couple that perhaps they hadn't notices so much and say they're from Santa if you want the Santa thing going. Or perhaps you have another gift or two that you can switch to being from Santa. Or you could say that Santa realized you like these books and so he brought some more.

But I wouldn't upset the budget to buy more gifts. It's too bad they found them but I wouldn't be too concerned about it. My brothers and I found gifts ahead of time and we were still excited to open them. I don't remember if Santa was involved or not.

I suggest that your children are young enough that they'll buy it.

You need to swap out the gifts for something else.
Because, it is from "Santa."
Or get new gifts.

Didn't your Husband, KNOW where the Santa gifts were???
Why did he let them in the closet???
I'd be so irked!
So I'd tell my HUSBAND... to rectify the problem and HE gets, to go and get replacement Santa gifts for the kids.

Your kids already saw the gifts.
They will recognize it, and think Mommy got these, not Santa.

How old are your kids?
Kids, remember and they will remember that these gifts they got from the closet... were from YOU. NOT Santa.

No, my kids do not know where their stash is.

If that were my husband, I'd be giving him a spanking!! BAD BOY!!!

Depending on how old they are - they may or may not remember.

Do you have other stuff that was from "you" that they didn't see? If so then maybe I'd swap the two lots of stuff. If not, then yes, I agree to try and return them and buy new stuff or donate them. I'd be super pissed. You actually seem to be fairly calm from reading your post, so good for you! ;) Ugh. This sucks.

Yes, they will twig. So if you don't want to blow Santa, you'll have to get new gifts from Santa.

I found out when my kids were older that my oldest son knew where I kept the presents and took his younger siblings into my closet to check them out, for three years in a row. When I was about 8, my mother caught me showing my brother his gift, which was a little record player. I thought he'd forget in time for Christmas. She was mad.

It's pretty funny in hindsight.

I don't know how old your kids are... but give those books to a toys for tots drop off and go get your children some new stuff. If $$ is an issue the dollar store has some cute stuff.

Not yet......
Can you return the stuff & swap it out for other stuff.
I would almost agree to make DH do it but can you be sure he wouldn't mess it up?
Men! Gotta love 'em....can't shoot 'em!

i personally would donate them to a local charity or toys for tots and buy new stuff. If hubby gets upset - then he should've been paying better attention!!

If your kids are old enough to climb and to get 'em down and color - yeah - they will remember.

My brother in law spent 2 hours putting together a "Heros House" (don't know what that is) in his garage....only for his grandson to open the garage from the laundry room and see it. My sister was P-offed....BIL ran out there real quick while grandson was in the house crying.."I wanna go in the garage", put a bunch of big boxed all around it and a bunch of junk. Sister said...go ahead and go in the garage then....he just stood there in amazement..looking all around...then just went on back inside...he is 3 1/2yo. Wow...my BIL saved his own butt....cause sister had been fuming!!! HAHA Sometimes things just happen.

I did that to my birthday presents one year. It really spoiled the surprise for me and made me very sad in the end. Shame on your husband. The best thing to do is make him go Christmas shopping with you at the Mall and find new Christmas presents. I am serious. Santa needs to bring new gifts. If not the kids will know who Santa is. Make him go to the Mall and find out how much work you have to go through to find the great presents you have to go through.

Ok, I'm not bashing Dad. Maybe at your house you are the one who handles all the Santa stuff and he didn't know where you kept it hidden. That's pretty much how it has always worked at our house. Not that Dad isn't involved, he is. But not in the minutiae.
Generally speaking, starting around mid-November, NOBODY goes into any place that isn't "public" space. I don't even go in my 10 yr old's closet, b/c my husband will sometimes have the kids hide gifts for me and they put them in their closets. Or he'll say, "don't look under the guest bed" or something, lol. My husband, generally, doesn't allow the kids to have free rein in our bedroom or closet anyway... so what happened to you wouldn't have happened at my house. If they are usually allowed wherever they want to go in your home, then you can't really fault Dad for letting normal life happen, right?
Unless you told up point blank: Don't let the kids in our closet, that's where the gifts are hidden. Or something like that.
I would give them the gifts from YOU on Christmas. Obviously they will be a HUGE hit!! :))
Just pick up a few items extra (or use something else that you already bought but they didn't discover) for the "Santa" items.
Live and learn... lol

Are you kidding me?

Your husband needs to clean up his own mess and then you need to teach your ENTIRE family boundaries. Your kids should not be in your closet, let alone picking around on the shelves. ESPECIALLY at Christmas time.

Tell your husband he's santa this year since he didn't watch HIS kids. If he screws it up, he screws it up. When the kids whine and cry - tell them to go tell it to daddy.

Definitely a do over, unless you want them to be done believing in Santa you'll have to pick out different stocking stuffers. Kids are smart.

How old are your kids? they will probably notice ... I would send hubby to the Dollar Store and Toy Store with a list and send him when the stores are sure to be packed. His goof up, he needs to fix it.

i agree ou should J. fess up and says theyre gifts from you, unless they were cheap or you can exchange them, or have the money where you can afford to donate them

Where was your husband's mind. Is he a passive aggressive person? Does he work against you in other areas as well?