Saving presents till Boxing Day

[glitterglitters]

I don't think my oh is being totally u but he is in the sense he knows what my family are like.

Dh as a child would always have presents from aunt, uncle and extended family left to open, under the tree till Boxing Day. Justification is that Christmas Day itself is so fleeting and kids get so much that it keeps the magic going a bit longer and they don't get overwhelmed. We have two kids and the eldest is now, of an age, where she gets it enough. I'm totally getting it as a concept but I've got two concerns.

1. explaining to a 2 year old that although they've unwrapped all those presents today you cannot unwrap "these" ones. Bit tortuous if you ask me
   
   
2. explaining to all my relatives (sister, brother etc) on Christmas Day when they FaceTime that I'm not sure what my kids thought of the gifts picked out for them because they haven't opened them yet. My sister in particular will get her nose out of joint over this I think. She and dh clash on occasion. I will have to be the one to explain it
   
   
   He's adamant that this is happening now but am I thinking he's being a bit... optimistic

[AnathemaPulsifer]

Cripes, I thought my parents were being mean enough making us save presents until after lunch! Torturous.

[SantasCandyCane]

I really don’t understand this. The only time we would ever leave presents until after Christmas was if the family were coming over and it was a big one they all wanted to watch us open. Or if we got them after Christmas from family we couldn’t see before. I don’t see the point in it at all, Christmas is specifically one day. If you are gonna leave presents until Boxing Day it just defeats the object

[RandomMess]

We did that with ours and it was never an issue...

[OwlinaTree]

We sometime have presents spread out a bit. So if we are seeing a relative on boxing day we might open those presents then etc.

I would put them away till the day though, I wouldn't have them under the tree.

Can you compromise by opening your extended family's gifts on the day and save his extended family's for boxing day?

[glitterglitters]

All aunts and uncles and extended family are my family. None are his.

I truly get the idea and if we would be seeing the family it wouldn't make any difference. He's already put the presents under the tree. I'm mightily impressed at my 2.5 year old's self restraint.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

He can't be "adamant' because it's a joint decision.

He doesn't get to dictate a stupid rule. It must be agreed upon.

Just say NO. My family want to know he's opened his CHRISTMAS gift on CHRISTMAS day.

[glitterglitters]

@CheapSausagesAndSpam I know what you're saying but I've already vetoed a few things from his traditions over the years so he's quite keen to hold onto this one.

I've told him he has to explain why to my family though, not me.

[alltheworld]

Don’t leave them under the tree. Choose presents from people you won’t see til after Boxing Day. Open some presents on Xmas eve

[TheFishInThePot]

Could you save a couple of the gifts from you until boxing day?
My ds always has a smaller present hidden in the back of the tree to find the day the tree comes down and its always appreciated more in isolation than I think it would be on Christmas day.
I've been thinking of allowing one tree present to be opened Christmas eve this year for the same reason, now I've seem hoe much more exciting it is to receive a gift on its own.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

That's not a tradition. It's a finicky and pointless rule.

[Camomila]

DHs family open all their presents on Boxing Day! PILs came over from the Philippines when they were young and I think something got confused in translation somewhere and they think Boxing Day is the official English unboxing your presents day

[Fragglewump]

Op what other traditions have you had to veto? Does he veto your traditions? It all sounds a bit fraught. My Dh and I try to agree/discuss/compromise rather than veto.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

If you're really keen to please him. I'd remove the presents now. Stick a few of your two year olds current toys under there to distract her from the fact they've gone. Tell your partner that the presents will be produced on BOxing Day.

It's bloody mean.

[Maelstrop]

I don't see the point, at all. Christmas day is over indulgent, I like the whole crazy present opening but saving presents just seems deliberately controlled. It strikes me as weird.

[glitterglitters]

Veto is a strong word but we had such different upbringings that what we did for Christmas is worlds apart. We've tried to blend it as much as possible so nobody is missing out but a few are in direct conflict.

We had turkey, ate in the evening (so Mum didn't have to rush round) big presents scattered under the tree, lots of booze, one person opening at a time, tv never turned on, stockings etc

They had roast chicken at lunchtime, only things they needed, don't drink, all Father Christmas presents in a sack in their bedroom, tv on all day, everybody opening presents at the same time, remainder of presents in the evening etc.

Most of the day I'd my family traditions and a few of our own now but he really wants to keep this one.

I think maybe half the extended family presents on Boxing Day maybe? I may just let the 2 year old go mad 😂😂😂

[CantSleepClownsWillEatMe]

I think that's a bit crap to be honest, it's all a bit "the fun must be controlled" . It's not like he'll only enjoy his gifts on Christmas Day, he'll still have the fun of playing with them anyway on Boxing Day but Christmas Day is the opening gifts day. TheFishInThePots suggestion is good though, that's more a nice little tradition as opposed to DH joy sucking suggestion.

[glitterglitters]

Also thank you for the reassurance that me thinking it's mean/silly is not just in my head

I think he's just jealous I got a Mr Frosty and he got socks when we were kids 👍🏼😂

[sailorcherries]

It's not weird to save presents and extend the excitement.
It's not okay for the OP to veto something because her family might not agree.
The OPs family won't drop dead because a present is left 24 hours.
One person will always get their own way, telling the OP to firmly say no whilst claiming the H cannot dictate is a double standard.

When children are young they eventually reach a point where they are opening gifts for the sake of opening them, why not spread it out? What harm does it reallt do?

I'd be pretty upset if my husband vetoed my family tradition because his brother/sister might not like it.

And fwiw, a tradition doesn't have to be wide spread but can indeed be family based.

[UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter]

We opened presents from relatives on boxing day.
Christmas day was presents from father Christmas and parents. Boxing day was presents from everyone else. I think mainly as we just had so much so better to spread it out.

[sailorcherries]

You seem to get a lot of what you want on Christmas day, I'd give him this.

[glitterglitters]

Ok. I'll insist we move the presents that he's put down there already and bring them out Boxing Day.

I sound mean that I got my way with most things but Christmas always meant a lot more to me than him so it started pre-kids that way and him being like "yeah do it however you want". Now we've got kids he's realising actually it is more important to him than he realised. As long as I get to spend the day with them and I can cook dinner at my own pace with a glass of something in hand I'm happy.

[glitterglitters]

(Plus I'm kind of dying to know what's in the wrapping paper. He could leave presents unwrapped for WEEKS after Christmas and not be curious. The ones under the tree already are KILLING ME)

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Why don't you leave YOUR presents until Boxing Day? Just give him your family's presents.

That would solve the issue, wouldn't it?

[LeaveAllThisToYesterday]

My mum tried this once and we never let her forget it. How many presents does he want to save? I'd have thought saving a couple from you both until Boxing Day, but opening what your extended family send would be a fair compromise.

[StarWarsFanatic]

DH's family used to put them in a sack in their room too instead of under the tree. We've already agreed that isn't happening.

I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping them until Boxing Day but I would say it isn't really fair to have them there to tempt the DCs, and would probably be better off hidden until Boxing Day.