To think no one does this - Christmas toys related

some of that is a bit batshit. things i used to do.

1. unbox/test toys and make sure they had batteries in, and get rid of all the horrible plastic tags tying the toy to the box, then rebox/wrap them so the kids could use them and i wasn't being harassed on christmas day for batteries or dealing with upset kids because something doesn't work. this is just plain common sense and i think you're a bit silly for not doing it personally.

2. pre-set up/install games on xmas eve so they weren't waiting for HOURS for a game to install, and so i could, again, check if it was faulty.

Nope!

About the most we do is buy the right batteries! Didn't know the thing about consoles either but also not buying one of those for as long as I can possibly get away with it!

Haha, I would've burst out laughing at her sitting there playing super mario brothers on Xmas eve at 5am for 'research purposes'. She obviously thinks she's so prim and proper but she's just a middle aged woman playing on a kids computer game in the middle of the night!

I'd be asking your DH if she did in fact help them with any video games, because I can smell the bullshit from here.
Late 90s/early 00s there weren't levels as such. Ya dead, ya dead.
Toy assembly possible. As a toddler DS refused to unwrap gifts he'd just roll them around when wrapped 😂 so I'd open and assemble everything, stick the batteries in, ready for the day.
The last two years I've thankfully wrapped, unless it's a hot wheels track or bike, something like that, I'll assemble ready for the day.
Also not a SAHM - I just accepted the late nights.

We put together things like bikes or the Barbie dream house, as they were far more exciting when set up ready.

No way would I unpack everything- partly as I don’t have time and partly because I’d hate all my presents to have been opened already!

I guess it depends if you've been the distraught child who opened a present to find you didn't have batteries or the item didn't work.

I was about 8 when I received an item that didn't work but in those days shops were closed a lot between Christmas and New year. A bus ride about 5 days after Christmas to get it sorted took the joy out of it.

Don't have kiss but always make sure any gifts have correct batteries and work.

I never understand why people try to delude themselves and everyone around them. You all know that she wasn't a very good mother. None of us are perfect but why can't people say "Yes that was a crap thing to do, it shouldn't have happened and I'm very sorry?". People would be much more likely to forgive them.

Thanks OP. Based on this thread I have failed miserably as a mother 😔

On Christmas day I had a large coffee, a pair of scissors, multiple batteries and a black bin liner. I sat on my fat arse and watched my kids happily snip at the ties, ask for batteries and screw up wrapping paper to throw across the room like a weird form of basketball. They seemed to enjoy building things themselves but were they hiding their disappointment??

Yeah, this. Isn't building a Playmobil set part of the fun?

Omg THIS. In between food demands, naps, potty training, cleaning bits of spat out toast and trying to get them some fresh air I genuinely had WAY more time for myself during my full time job. I could pee in peace for a start 😅

Another one who was with you until the dig at SAHM’s OP. Until you do it you don’t know how time consuming it really is.

Yes always have the Christmas box out.

Scissors, small screw driver, AA and AAA batteries, bin bag ready for the chaos.

She sounds great, I would have LOVED that as a kid. My parents forgot to even put scissors out, so it was a frustrating clamshell mess, and then after that they'd realise they'd forgotten to buy batteries, and the yelling would start. I would have had a very different childhood this way.

I would if you want them to be able to play it on Christmas morning. It can take a while. But don’t do it too early, in case there’s later software releases.

I'm pretty sure when I was a child I enjoyed "unboxing" and setting up new toys and games, putting the stickers on, programming them, etc. It was part of the fun and I wouldn't have wanted it done for me. I also liked presents that had arrived via Royal Mail to still be in the brown paper packaging or whatever. But perhaps I was an odd child...

I’ve already set up the children’s electrical items that will require updates/downloads and connecting to the wifi. All ready to go so I’m not being dragged off between children on Christmas Day because the wifi keeps saying work passwords or should I accept these terms and conditions. This is taken ageessss to down load eugh. Frustratedchildren on Christmas no fun.

Also nothing worse than say opening up your brand new Xbox and it doesn’t work.

Yeah same. I can't imagine wrapping something out of the box all made up. Aside from like people have said bike as it makes sense that it is made. My other half always makes sure he has batteries at the ready and he's a dab hand at assembling so never had any issues Christmas day.

@EvilsElsasPetSnowman Yeah mine is 5 and we do similar - check stuff has batteries and works ok, build Playmobil sets so we don't need to faff on Christmas day when he's wanting to get stuck in and we're hosting relatives etc. I work 3 long days a week, dh works 5 and our son has additional needs, not sure how that measures up in your perception of how much time other family set ups "obviously" have 🤔

I’m a SAHM, I don’t have time to do this.

Batteries is as far as we ever went, and the kids would do a much quicker and more efficient job of setting up their consoles than I ever could, so I left them to it - never seemed to bother them.

Her conduct is definitely not something I'd find admirable or desirable.

It's a very worrying level of helicopter parenting, and sounds like she had some pretty deep seated issues and expectations. Children should be looked after bit also live in the real world.

I also just don't believe her. Even in the 90s I remember getting toys that came in boxes that would just be ruined really, once opened.

Getting stuck in a video game is part of the fun; figuring it out yourself is a great reward and is a very enriching experience.

I guess what I'm saying is, what she is claiming she did is absolutely the polar opposite of what I would do, for so many reasons!

I 100% did this for my Learning Disabled/ASD child. Nothing worse for DC than frustration!

Since did for LD child, did for the others. Fair is fair.

I’m a parent, do what I need to & what I can. Was full time working during some years. So SAH not required to unbox and test. Easy to put most things back in box without all the twist fixings etc.

I used cut all the stupid cable ties off the various barbie crap my DD wanted, same with action man, not sure about now but took ages to get action man out off a box.
I did test games consoles as they got older mainly because l bought them second hand and didn't want disappointment on Xmas day...and l was a working single mum.
I would do it over a few evenings in December.
I was happy when they got older and it was just a stocking and cash for boxing day sales.

Sometime the fun of presents is unboxing it and setting it up, especially for special/big gifts like consoles. I think doing that, and playing the games, might diminish the experience for the recipient

FT working here and when dc were younger everything was wrapped, difficult packaging like cable ties removed, and where practical tested to avoid disappointment on Christmas morning. Don't see how anyone can say "lucky they were wrapped", there are hours every evening when dc are in bed on the run up to Christmas that working or SAHP can use for wrapping!

Things like x-boxes that took hours to setup/update/download games we would do in advance and put back in the box. When they were a bit older, maybe secondary school, they could do their own consoles, iPhones etc,