Opening presents

[cheekycherryza]

Okay this is going to sound like I am a total cheapskate but things are on a strict budget this year because we are trying to get a deposit together to buy a house next year. Then again, it also sounds like I've bought an awful lot. I got a few joblots so that why it seems there is so much. Spent less than £20 on everything. BElieve me, couldn't have afforded this all new.

So!

DD is 3 and is now very much into the disney princesses.

I managed to get some awesome princess dolls and accessories and a castle second hand.

I then found an ice cream tub of mini princess magiclip dolls and their accessories and princes with clothes and shoes etc at a charity shop. Also in the same tub was loads of barbie doll shoes and accessories. I've packaged these all up in little decorative clear plastic bags and wrapped them so that they'd all probably fit into her stocking.

I went to a car boot sale last weekend and found a carriage and pony with hair that needed sorting which I did. Looks fab. Also got a box of 12 dancing princeses stuff - wardrobe, chaise, dressing table etc. Whole box for £3! I was not going to turn it down. She's going to be one happy little girl. But here's the thing.

How do I give it all to her? I dont' really want to give it to her all at once on Christmas morning and then have nothing for her to open after lunch or when her nan arrives.

I'd like her to be able to open something on Christmas morning before nanny arrives (probably around 11:30 for lunch about 13:00). So how do I work this?

If I let her open the big princess dolls, castle and carriage first then the stocking will seem anticlimatic with the magiclip bits in it.

Do I let her have the princess dolls and their dresses etc until nan arrives and then let her open the castle and rest of bits?

What do you do on Christmas day? Do the kids open the entire lot first or do you space it out during the day?

[curiousgeorgie]

We let the kids (and everyone actually!) just open in a big free for all, which we love!

DH's family do a couple of presents, then breakfast, then a couple more. A few small ones as table presents, and they save the rest for the evening when everything has calmed down and people are watching TV.

I like all at once though ;)

[AbiRoad]

My DC get a (large) stocking from father christmas on their beds (presents wrapped inside stocking). They are allowed to open these presents when they wake up (so long as not too early). Presents from us and others are wrapped under the tree. I let them open a small one mid-morning, and then we open the rest after lunch with family etc there.

When I was young we got stockings and all our presents from parents (unwrapped) first thing and i think it was then a bit anti-climactic. Everything from parents was said to be from father christmas. Presents from others were opened as and when we saw them over the christmas period.

[kiwidreamer]

Kids open their fairly sizeable santa sacks on Christmas morning first thing, size of a pillow case or thereabouts so there is plenty to oooh and ahhhh over and play with in the morning, then we have a big breakfast and my folks arrive around 11am, we do the majority of the gifts between then and lunch at 2pm but do save about 2 or 3 each for the kids to open in the afternoon.

Could you bolster Father Christmas with a book / new things she needs like socks / underwear / hair bands / toothbrush / puzzle etc and save her main present for when her Nan arrives?

[elQuintoConyo]

DH's family take it in turns to open a present and then they all clap.

I'm guessing that wouldn't work with a 3yo

[fuzzpig]

My DCs get stockings (as do we, for that matter :o) straight away, we all bundle onto our bed to open them. Stockings are from Santa.

They go downstairs where the main Santa present will be, all set up (this year, playmobil pyramid) - when they're older or they specifically ask for a particular set, we might just wrap the box and get them to help build it, but currently, it's happier all round if we set it all up so they can dive right in) so they see it as they walk down the stairs.

The plan is to then have a nice breakfast and leave the presents for throughout the day - not sure how well this will work now that DS (just turned 4) has well and truly got the hang of opening gifts... but we will definitely leave the presents from my parents (which will already be here as they hate choosing so basically we order/wrap etc on their behalf) - until my parents arrive midmorning.

[fuzzpig]

oh and with tree presents we are very strict about only one being opened at a time :o

[Flibbertyjibbet]

We do the same as I grew up with. Pressies from Santa that they can open/eat/play with from whenever they get up. Then tree pressies opened one at a time with everyone watching so we can all see who has got what, after Xmas dinner. Which as both me and my mum often don't have the dinner on the table, and I am one of 4 kids .... Pressie opening sometimes is still going on towards evening! I love the way our Xmas is not over and one with by the time lunch is eaten.

Dp really likes doing it too. His family do the big rip open of everything all at the same time in the morning then mil has the lunch on the table at exactly 12 noon. Dp isn't a drinker and hated the way his family then just sat about getting drunk and ending up all arguing and fighting.... No we don't go to theirs for Xmas

[lade]

We do:

Sack from Santa opened first thing in bed. Bulk it out with big / cheap things (like chocolately cereal that they're not normally allowed) and essentials like pants, vests, slippers etc...

Then breakfast.

Then presents under the tree.

Visit parents

Presents from my parents

Lunch

Presents from each other (ie Uncle etc)

Afternoon - play with presents

Tea

Presents from family friends, extended family etc.

Games

Bed

[cheekycherryza]

Thanks everyone, lovely ideas there. I will need to chat to DH and see what he thinks before we make final decision about the day.

[jamtoast12]

We wake up and open the lot! Mine are 6&8 and I can't imagine having the kids wait weeks for Santa to come to then have to wait to open them? Especially knowing their in the next room! We all open everything in our house right away but then they get family presents later when we go grandparents for lunch. That first hour in our house is pure excitement!

[princesscupcakemummyb]

my children are dd aged 4
and dd whos 2 in nov
and will be newborn who is due nov 2nd

dd2 was only a baby on her 1st xmas
anyway we usually just let them open them right away but this year itl be stockings dinner then the big haul pressies :)

[Iamsanta]

We open the stockings upstairs in bed, wash and brush teeth, new Christmas outfit on and then downstairs open Father Christmas presents, presents from myself and DH and then everything from under the tree!!

It's just manic...but I love it!! There are no rules in this house on Christmas Day and wouldn't dream of telling DC to wait till after dinner before opening presents etc.

[SmokedMackerel]

We have stockings first thing before breakfast. My family open presents under the tree after lunch (past couple of years we have been with them for Christmas day). But I just play it by ear with the DC. If they are happily occupied then we don't open any more presents, if it seems like a good time to open another I will bring another out in the morning, or whenever.
I think it's nice to open things one at a time and spread out through the day.