To be so extremely proud of my toddler today

[LaylaLoo22]

My dd is 2 and 5 months. My DB has 2 boys, one almost 4 and 2.6. They were taken over by the whole xmas thing. My SIL (we are close and these are her words) was shocked and quite upset at her boys today. From the second they got their stockings to the moment they went to bed it was demanding presents, and tantrums when they weren't given more. No interest what so ever in the contents just instantly wanting the next one. then once they were opened the general wanting what the other has.

My dd had a HUGE stack of gifts. I was amazed at how much she got. It took her almost half the day to open them. She was in no rush. She opened them quite carefully. Tidied up the paper afterwards, examined her gift, wanted to play with it (sometimes she moved on quite quickly of course) but there was no demanding, no tantruming, no screaming crying, she said thank you to the giver each time and then wanted to play with the new toy with them! She helped to give out gifts, helped tidy up paper afterwards and helped open her 14 wk old brothers gifts too. She was just a sheer delight!

I feel so proud of her today. I had expected and was completely dreading the meltdowns and world war three behaviour of her cousins but none at all!!
Super chuffed mummy tonight.

[Nabootique]

Ah, that's lovely. Mine has been good with her stocking (rest of presents tomorrow as she had Christmas with other family today). Relief after reading about some poor mums on here with really rather ungrateful kids!

[icedgem30]

I feel the same. Dd Is also 2 years 5 months and she was an angel!

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

How lovely. I've just said how proud i am of my 2.9 yo. Hes played nicely with his presents, had plenty of chocolate without getting silly, eaten all of his dinner and been generally lovely. No whining, no tantrums :-) Gone to sleep smiling at his usual bedtime.

[Ruperta]

Not really sure of the purpose of your post. Kids are kids, yours behaved well today. Great.

[ReindeerDontFly]

My 3yo has been a dream. Loved all the presents, had perfect manners and even perfected 'wow!' reaction while unwrapping. Few minor tantrums when overwhelmed, but on the whole I'm hugely proud.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

The op was just saying she was proud, why is that a problem? Can you only post on MN if you want to complain? If she's anything like me she was expecting a stressful day and is just releived it turned out well.

[usefully]

Aww me too, plus we had a flight thrown into the mix and DS was angelic.

Love them

[Salmotrutta]

The thing is, toddlers don't really "get" christmas.

Teenagers and pre-teens do. As do the 8-10 year olds. They totally get street cred. Christmas nowadays is about getting the "must have" thing.

Hang on to your hollyhocks when your child hits the "Tweens".

I speak as a Mum and Gran.

Fortunately my kids didnt ask for humongous pressies. Good job because they would had been severely disappointed.

[austenozzy]

Bah humbug, ruperta. Lovely story op, my three year old had her moments today but has been lovely on the whole. See you in ten years when they're stroppy teenagers! :-)

[usefully]

Right so we cant be happy about having cute adorable toddlers because they will morph into unpleasant and ungrateful tweens?

How sad.

I'd rather live in the moment

[startwig1982]

My lovely 3.5 year old ds did really well too. Was very restrained and polite. He has a lot of presents left over to open tomorrow!

[WannaBe]

There always has to be one who sucks the joy out of a thread. (Hmm)

Glad the day went well :-)

[PurplePidjingThroughTheSnow]

nope you're not alone, I'm immensely proud of how my 2yo has handled the disruption. he's had a lovely time with his equally well behaved cousins so i guess I'm quadruply proud!

yeah I'll probably get it in the neck when he's older. nobody said parenting was easy!

[MrsTawdry]

My DC ripped into the lot within half an hour. Doesn't mean they didn't enjoy them after that. Opening them quickly isn't an indication of rudeness or being ungrateful.

[spinduchess]

Really Roberta? The post is obviously a post of parental relief! Tantrums are bad enough on any day, let alone with an audience.

Hope you're having a lovely evening Layla!

[Salmotrutta]

OK. My Grandkids were absolutely marvellous today.

Not one whinge.

Not one whimper.

They did jump about a bit.

They are a toddler and an infant-school child.

They are also adorable.

[usefully]

Actually we had one tantrum at airport security.

I'm trying to wrangle bags, pushchair and toddler. Security guy gives DS a massive chocolate Santa.... Yeah thanks, that's lovely but he wants the chocolate NOW and I've got like half a million things to carry plus get us both through security, shoes off etc etc. I shoved chocolate Santa into the hand luggage, ds lost his shit for a few minutes.

Thanks Mister

[FATEdestiny]

Well, my DD10, DS9, DS5 and DD0 were up at 6.30. Frenzied unwrapping finished within an hour with a mahoosive pile of disgarded wrapping paper in the middle of the room.

All encouraged by me and DH. If you can't get mega excited in the present opening at Christmas, when can you?

None of this one present at a time, doing it slowly and calmly for us. Oh no - dull and boring. Our parents spoilt the fun made us do that when we were children. Yawn!

We want to see the presents! The best ones, the cool ones, the roll-your-eyes ones. Roar presents!

Then when the wrapping and ribbon settles - we sit in the middle of our piles of unwrapped gifts and start comparing and discussing, and getting more and more excited about what each of us have.

No tantrums, no melt-downs. Just mega fantastic morning then great fun rest of the day on bike rides (3 new bikes this year) and lego building with uncle and winning both Nana's at dominos and jigsaw doing and hair curling and nail painting with Mummy and new clothes fashion shows and baths with new smellies... and all the rest of the excited, chaotic but absolutely wonderful trappings of a busy family Christmas.



"It took her almost half the day to open them" Pah! Each to their own. I'd be horrified if my child did that.

[AngieBolen]

That's lovely OP


My DC have also been lovely today.

I was a little worried they wouldn't be thrilled with their gifts, but at bedtime 11yo DS declared "We've all done very well today. Everyone got something they wanted" He then asked how he could give the clothes he'd been given by an elderly relative to someone who didn't have very much because he thinks they're hideous

[GingerSkin]

I was just saying dd 3.4 has been great today. A little overwhelmed this morning but has been complimented by several family members for her manners. She's cleared away the paper and eaten her dinner lovely at the table, and generally been good (albeit tired tonight). She's gone to bed no problem too. Very proud of her.

A lovely thread OP, you should be proud.

[evertonmint]

Last year with a 5yo and a 3yo, I was your SIL. This year, with a 6yo, 4yo and 6mo, I was you. I don't think I did anything particularly different. So I'm relieved and proud tonight, but taking care not to be too self-congratulatory as it could all go pear-shaped at any point

[stopgap]

How lovely for all of you (I mean it).

We've had tantrums, meltdowns, stranger anxiety and bashing into people and things from DS1, 3.4. We do our very best, reprimand and reward where necessary, and start the day off with a long, relaxing walk.

And yet, Christmas has proven far too stimulating for our SPD child.

[Mammanat222]

We've had a mainly lovely DS today (2 and a few months). Present wise he was fine. We were all up, bathed and had sat down for breakfast before we opened a single gift. Pressies had been under tree for a week anyway.

Had one tantrum at my folks as I had to wake him because he'd had a very late
nap. He was an angel when we went to PIL on the way home as well.

All in all he was a very good boy

[jackfrosticle]

I think you could have made your point without criticising your nephews.

Lovely to be proud of your DD though, happy christmas :)