Present opening, how long is too long to wait?

[andpeggy29]

So first Christmas ever away from home, and staying with my husbands parents, who i get on with really well.

My family tradition as I expect most people's is wake up, open presents, eat special breakfast, get showered dressed etc.

Here it seems everyone sleeps in quite late (10pm) then gets up showered and dressed, don't really do breakfast as they are prepping dinner (which isn't until 7pm) and they wait til all dinner guests come over before any presents can be opened (5pm)

I understand everyone has their own traditions and I completely respect this but OMG I've been awake since 7am!

Does anyone else wait all day?

[guest2013]

I've got three kids and none of them have opened a single present and won't until after lunch about 4. They don't mind, it's not all about presents, for us it's being all together as a family.

[HolidaySpiritsReinbeerAndWhine]

Umm, where are you that time goes in reverse? (Guesses Australia).

[Supermagicsmile]

My DC have opened their presents but the adults will all wait till after dinner. (Probably around 5ish) and will save some for tomorrow.
We are helping the DC put things together/play with their toys. :)

[WeedlesHatOfDisappointment]

Different families, different traditions. In laws open in the morning, my family open in the afternoon after lunch.

[GlitterGlue]

God no, presents first thing. Otherwise what do they children have to occupy them whilst you're trying to cook?

[witsender]

Stockings first thing, presents at lunch time with booze and canapés. Turkey mid avo.

Growing up was the same, but we would sometimes do church and presents would be after.

Never heard of tree/family presents first thing.

[thecolonelbumminganugget]

Yeah, that's rubbish, eating newly opened Christmas chocolates in your pyjamas is an essential part of Christmas day.

I had Christmas with a friend and her family a few years ago and there were about 10 of us, they all had about 30 presents each and did the whole thing sitting in a circle with each person opening one at a time. They started about 8am and we're still going at gone 10pm with breaks for meals. Totally bonkers!

[andpeggy29]

I totally get spending time with family is more important than gifts, but we aren't really spending time together either. My Bil and his gf are just in their room watching a film. My fil is watching Star Wars, my dh is reading a book. I'm helping the mil with dinner prep. So it's not like we're all doing somthing together better or worthwhile.

[ZombieJenna]

My family do presents after breakfast. DH's family do presents after dinner. I've been awake since 8am staring at a pile of presents that won't get touched for hours yet. I'm getting twitchy...

Disclaimer: I'm not fussed about gifts for me but I bought DH something that I really hope he likes and all this waiting is doing my head in! Reaches for the

[dementedpixie]

What's the point of a big build up the night before if you then wait all day to open anything? We do stocking, presents, breakfast and then get washed and dressed

[dementedma]

Stockings on waking. Presents after church/breakfast etc with glass of champagne. Probably mid morning. We do them one at a time so it spreads it out and we can enjoy what everyone got.

[andpeggy29]

Zombie I totally feel your pain!

[Foldedtshirt]

We've moved things around today from the normal stockings, church presents very late lunch to accommodate a beloved elderly relative. Good job he's so beloved as the the teenagers are about to explode. We've done stockings church, lunch, Queen's Speech and are now sitting around watching Lion King 😂

[cheminotte]

Growing up we did one present for kids before lunch (but after breakfast) then the rest after a late lunch. DP's family do piles for each person straight after breakfast, which I find weird as you only get the receiving, not the giving iyswim.
Christmas in our own this year we did stockings, breakfast, get dressed, some presents, play with / assemble / cook, lunch, more presents after lunch. Kids definitely get overwhelmed if they open everything at once.

[corythatwas]

I'm Scandinavian so different traditions: we do our presents on Christmas Eve but only after dark, and waiting is very much built into the celebrations and seen as a positive thing that heightens enjoyment.

[Mumzypopz]

OMG....Our presents were open by 7.15am!!!! Son woke us up at 6.15, saying Father Christmas had been and we all ran downstairs to investigate.....Couldn't wait till lunch....Isn't that child cruelty?!

[dementedma]

But isn't it all over really early then mumsy?
All the excitement over by 8 am?
We weren't even awake by then!

[BikeRunSki]

All presents opened by 8am here, which isn't bad considering DD (5) hit up at 4am.

[dementedpixie]

Opening them early means things can get set up and played. Dd is drawing on her graphics tablet and ds is playing a ps4 game

[limitedperiodonly]

I'm very good at deferred gratification but I don't understand why you would make people wait to open their presents after daylight on Christmas Day.

[Sittingunderafrostysky]

Luckily DH and I had similar family traditions. Stockings first thing, to theoretically give the grownups a lie in. Then breakfast, showers and dressed, put the turkey in, then presents.

The only difference we had was that DH's family open them one at a time, which I prefer. My family dive in and open them all at once.

[fourpawswhite]

Another one herefarm so kids get Santa presents in morning then we have lunch then we do more jobs and now I want to open presents!!!! Probably be about 7pm. Quick people, I'm twitching!!

[Mumzypopz]

Dementedma...No because by 9.30 we were at Grandma's getting more, and more again by 11.30 at in laws.....Home just in time to put roasters on.....And kids can then play with toys.....

[Cosmicglitterpug]

Growing up we opened presents first thing and I didn't like it, made the rest of the day seem a bit flat. With my children it's stockings, breakfast, dress and a walk. Open one or two, lunch then the rest about 3/4. Works well for us and makes the seem like it's about more than just presents.

[DailyFail1]

Our traditions are like your in laws. Lie in. Have a quick on the go brekkie while prepping lunch, lunch at 6-7. Then gifts after dessert. Kids are expected to wait but it's ok as that's what they're used to.