If Santa Clause exists, why don't the poor children get any presents?
Here is what I told my children regarding a similar topic. It had to do with not getting a go cart track in the back yard and a new car for all of the grown ups in the family. Mom and dad get a bill for all of the presents Santa brings. Santa is not a free service. You place your order. You can ask for anything you want but, if mom and dad can't pay for it, of they just don't want you to have it (regarding a request for a M16A1), or you haven't been good Santa doesn't bring it. Santa and mom/dad work very closely. I have had to call Santa several times during the year either to report unsatisfactory behavior or to praise something extraordinary that my child/children did. Santa and mom/dad discuss what presents are okay and if the child has been good. If a kid is really good they could ask for something crazy like an ocean liner or a tank or an airplane and Santa could provide it, but only if mom and dad say that it is okay and they can/are willing to pay for it. This explanation seemed to work okay for us.
How do I explain to my son why Santa didn't bring him the only gift he asked for?
Please don't do what others are suggestions about telling him Santa isn't real. (roll of eyes) Kids learn disappointment as a part of growing up and sometimes we don't get what we ask Santa for. We all have gone through that. I remember one year I wanted a robot to clean my room. That is all I really asked for. We had a big box under the tree that sounded like metal when shaken. My parents kept telling me Santa couldn't bring a robot in his sleigh but I was sure my parents bought me one. We were allowed to open one gift on Christmas eve. My parents kept telling me it wasn't a robot but with all my heart I KNEW it was. It wasn't. It was a reading lamp to hang over my bed. I still remember the disappointment I was about 8 I think but I got over it. I like the idea someone said to tell him Santa ran out. So maybe each time your son mentions it you can say "Well, honey you know Santa visits a lot of kids. A lot of little boys want Iron Man too so Santa could run out of them." but also say "Santa knows what you like so even if he can't bring your Iron Man I am sure he will bring you other toys you will love." If you can maybe let him peek online or in a catalog at a toy you did get him. Show it to him and try to get him excited about that toy instead. Tease him and say "Maybe Santa will get it for you." This way you move his focus to the new toy. I've done that with our kids when they want something we just can't afford or that I'm sure they will be bored with it. You know a cool toy not worth the money. It does work at least for my kids. Plus maybe you can get him the Iron Man for his birthday when the price is lower.
How many gifts will Santa bring your child this year?
I have one child, and she just turned 2 last month, and so EXCITED about Santa. She is getting one big gift from Santa, and 10-13 smaller gifts from Santa, and stocking stuffers... Did I mention how excited she is... She Every night, she tells me what a good little girl she has been (which is completely true, but we are working on it! ) She is only getting 5 or 7 from me. But I set a limit, and no more than $250.00 total for everything. Yes she is spoiled, and I want my daughter to have everything that I didn't have. But I bought more this year than ever, as It will just me my daughter, grandpa, and me for Christmas (plus our 2 dogs) but I didn't want the tree to look bare on Christmas morning. (I even bought myself a girf from my daughter, and wrapped it) lol... silly I know. But I don't want her to think that mommy wasn't good too! :-) Merry Christmas everybody!!!
What does Santa bring for your kids?
Santa fills the stockings(well, stocking, unless you count mine and my spouses) here. This year she'll(she is my daughter Ellis, age seven) be getting a new 18 inch doll outfit, the new Mini Pop Kidz CD(*groans*), a DVD of some cartoon she wanted, a charm for her charm bracelet, and some candy in her stocking. As for gifts- Santa is bringing her something she really, really wanted- this wooden fairy treehouse thing with furniture that looks like it was made of leaves and mushrooms, as well as wooden fairy people. It's been on her wish list for about four months. He'll also be bringing her a baby doll that wets itself(why do kids like those so much?), probably a couple of Barbie dolls, some 18 inch doll stuff, and maybe a couple of DVDs. My spouse and I are getting her some slightly less abominable CDs, a lot of other doll stuff(maybe a plastic dollhouse), a couple new dresses, this girly wooden castle and the wooden people and furniture to go with it. I know itsounds like we spoil her to death, which we do kind of do... but she's had a pretty rough year so far. She's really sick, and we aren't certain how many more Christmases we'll have with her. When she was five I bought her a bike. She never once rode it. And it was not a cheap bike! She loved girly things(no duh).
Parents, do you threaten your children with no Christmas/presents if their misbehaving?
Well, I can't say my daughter gets spoiled at Christmas anyways. A few presents and then she plays with her cousins the rest of the day and we have family day. We actually have to TELL the kids to come open their gifts. But my daughter runs to the Christmas tree to see the gifts, and gets excited. At school, she gets excited, BUT she says to her friends that "Santa can't bring a lot of presents because there are a lot of kids on Earth!" "Santa" brings my daughter 2 gifts. And then daddy and I get her what she NEEDS. Basically, 2 really exciting gifts from Santa and new clothes, shoes, hats, school supplies from mom and dad. But to answer your question, NO my daughter has not missed Christmas presents because of behavior. This past year for her birthday, she had VERY bad behavior with sassing off, smart mouthing teachers, being rude/ disrespectful and she lost her birthday party at Bananas (the fun park). Not only that, she had to call her friends and say that the party was cancelled. We went out to dinner to celebrate instead. It was rather disappointing. I told her that if she did not turn it around, no birthday party. The next day, she yelled in the teacher's face, got a note sent home, I called Bananas and cancelled the party. Yes, there were lots of tears and wails, but I'm sorry- birthday parties at Bananas are for well behaved children. That's the extent I've gone. Harsh- maybe. But her behavior QUICKLY turned around. As far as hte parents telling the children "Santa isn't coming" that's just ludicrous. How about telling the children that if they don't shape up, they're getting a timeout or a toy taken away. You know that none of these children are going without presents, so why bring it up? If I'm going to say that, I follow through. I know I would not deprive my daughter of a Christmas, so I don't even bother saying it in the first place.