To want to for goodness sakes kill them !!!!

[OopsDearyMe]

A week ago DD2 and DS along for the ride, found some hidden Christmas presents and opened them. I found them and gave them a rocket, they were banned from all games and TV for a week and I thought that the message had gotten through.
I was pretty stunned tbh, I would never have expected them to be so blatant.
But this morning DS came into my bed complaining that his bed was cioverd in something sticky, when I went to look he was right, it had all this bright neon pink goo all over it, through the duvet cover and the duvet, sheet and mattress. Then I noticed a label, it WS whoopie putty. The very gift DS had under the tree, I then saw a present bow on the floor.
DS admitted straight away that DD2 and he had taken presents from under the tree and opened them, both were DS's as they had just grabbed a random couple.
I'm so upset that they would do this? How do I deal with it? My feeling is to take them all away, but its Christmas ffs.
Aibu to still allow them to have these, or what should I do?

Really need ideas, as I have no partner to bounce this off.

[TheWitTank]

How old are they?
I wouldn't take presents away for good and ruin Christmas, but I would be very cross and there would be a punishment -again no games consoles for a week or not going on a planned outing/trip.

[OopsDearyMe]

DD2 is 8 and DS is 6

[MrsTerryPratchett]

How were they about it? Upset? Fine?

[harderandharder2breathe]

Depending how old they are, presents under the tree is just asking for this, little ones have terrible impulse control!

[hanban89]

What's their ages? I think I would have taken the presents away from under the tree as they are too tempting to little hands. Agree a punishment of no consoles etc now til Xmas. But then enjoy Xmas day with whatever is left to open.

[SmallBee]

I'd be tempted to take away any ones they opened early so that they only get whatever is left on Christmas day, and then IF they are on best behaviour they might be allowed to get the rest back?

[whifflesqueak]

we never put presents out until they're in bed on Christmas Eve. I thought that was standard procedure. little people have terrible impulse control.

[Daisyfrumps]

Remove all presents without a word. Ideally make sure they are unreachable and un-seeable. Tell them they will receive them on Christmas morning but only if they're good.

[ALemonyPea]

Take all their presents from under the tree and hide them.

They're too young to sit there with all that temptation in front of them.

[XiCi]

Under the tree?? Dd would have opened all of them by now. Surely everyone hides presents from their kids until Xmas day when they're that age

[TheWitTank]

Not babies then. I would explain how cross and disappointed I was to them (without shouting) and carry out the no consoles ban. I would remove the unwrapped gifts until Christmas (obviously not the putty as its ruined!) and I would get them to help with cleaning up the mess caused. All presents now away from under the tree and hidden away in a high or inaccessible place.

[Daisyfrumps]

6 & 8 is plenty old enough to control themselves around presents XiCi

[Saukko]

Don't keep presents under the tree. It's like wrapping up a bone for a dog and hoping the dog won't go for it. Bit cruel on the dog, really.

My kids don't see a single wrapped gift until Christmas morning. They can't unwrap anything as it's on top of a wardrobe. No temptation, no way to get into any trouble.

So I guess #1, hide them out of reach, and #2, none under tree.

Seeking out presents is its own punishment. It's weird on Christmas morning when you've seen it all, you feel so guilty and they're unlikely to do it again.

As for the gifts they've already opened, they can just have them but you won't get any more, so their Christmas piles are smaller and their Christmas Day gifts diminished. The ones ruined/broken, like the goo, are in the bin and again, won't be replaced.

The consequences are fairly self-explanatory for the kids on this one - they've opened their gifts, which will impact Christmas Morning, and ruined at least one, which they now no longer have.

[sparklewater]

I'd take away the opened ones and they wouldn't get those back (assuming they are all smallish things like silly putty). They'd get a telling off and would be in the bad books for the rest of the day.

I would then also remove all the others without saying anything about it to them and let them worry about whether or not they will reappear on Christmas morning.

[xStefx]

Oh dear! They are too old to be doing that aren't they. I would donate those specific presents to someone else (maybe a charity) so they learn not to do it again.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Not every child would touch them. DD wouldn't dream of it. She's not a well -behaved child It just wouldn't occur to her.

When you talk to them, do they understand why it's upsetting? Did they apologise?

They would have had to do the laundry and scrub the mattress in this house. Although DD would actually enjoy that. Weirdo.

[OopsDearyMe]

They went under the tree so I supposedly could keep any eye on them after they were hidden in an upstairs cupboard and they found and opened them. These are not main presents as they are not bought yet, these are the smaller pocket money things.

[XiCi]

Really Daisy? There's a reason everyone doesn't leave their kids presents under the tree and this is it. Why tempt them? Especially when you know from the earlier episode they can't control themselves. After that incident I'd have found a better hiding place, not put them in full view

[OopsDearyMe]

I do the same every year, never had this happen before.
DS not as upset as DD2 but the upset doesn't last, it passes and is easily forgotten.
Am I making this a bigger deal than it is?

[Daisyfrumps]

6-8 year old children can usually control themselves around presents under a tree. The ones who can't are being naughty and know they are. OP is blameless and telling her off for leading her DC into temptation is patronising and wrong.

[mygorgeousmilo]

Even reading that I'm feeling all 'mrs hannigan' from Annie!! I'd be furious, 6 and 8 they're taking the mickey!! I feel like maybe 5 and 3 maybe, but they're old enough to have been told and to not touch! I get the temptation though, and remember the feeling as a child, almost overwhelmed by it, but stopping because I knew my mum would probably do something like chuck them all in the bin!

[mygorgeousmilo]

Oh and just to add, my 6yo hasn't touched!

[Daisyfrumps]

Surely everyone hides presents from their kids until Xmas day when they're that age

No. No they don't.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Did they have to clean up the mess?