Mil opened presents with toddler while I was at work

Given this update…why on Earth is she giving presents on Christmas Eve? Unless you are a wildly different culture, aren’t presents for Christmas Day? Not a good precedent to set with a young child.
Although no doubt she will have a lot to open tomorrow

Hmm I think you are not being unreasonable....this is her first Christmas isn't it? So wasn't fair for her to steal that 'first' from you.

In the same vein I halted DC's from opening more of their presents at PIL's when MIL had to nip to the kitchen to put something in the oven. She wanted to see the present opening and as it only happens twice a year, once for Christmas and once at birthdays I knew it meant a lot to her. It didn't matter to me if they were presents from other family members, MIL was lovely and so I stopped the gift opening to wait for her.

If your MIL is usually nice then I would let it slide but your Dh shouldn't let you feel bad for feeling what you are feeling. Personally Christmas morning has always been just me, Dh and the children, then we go to PIL's where the children open gifts from that side of the family then we go to my side of the family and the children open gifts there too.

I think you are very generous having guests be there overnight into Christmas morning.

I think it’s good to let kids have presents over a few days rather than having all the excitement at once. Sounds like you have a very loved DD & everyone once a piece of it which is lovely.

YANBU! She should’ve waited.

I wouldn't like it. I don't see why she needed to open the presents today when she is there tomorrow. Did she need her presents to be first? To be fair when they are little they get bored after a while of opening presents and the excitement fades a bit. So I would have wanted to see her first presents being unwrapped regardless of who they were wrong. Would I make a fuss no, but I would still be upset and a bit miffed.

Either she thought it was helpful to spread out the presents so tomorrow isn't overwhelming, or she did it deliberately because she doesn't care about your feelings. It depends completely on your relationship.

It's nicer to assume she thought it was helpful, so your DD can focus on opening presents with mummy tomorrow.

Good grief how nasty, there really is no need for that reply.

Wow who hurt you today? There are better ways to make your point, you don't have to be so nasty.

I think your overreacting, I thought you were going to say she opened gifts you bought for your DD in your absence but since it's the gifts she brought, yeah it wouldn't have been nice for her to wait but it's not the end of the world.

The OP is being unreasonable but fuck me you're a delight aren't you.

Father Christmas doesn't bring ALL the presents, only some of them.

I'm think if DMILis there tomorrow then I think it was a bit off but you could tell your DH in private that you'd prefer all of the presents on Christmas Day in future.

Well if you are telling your dd to believe in Father Christmas and that he brings the presents I’d have been cross

I think the LO in question is one so would he very, very advanced if they ciukd insert and the concept of Father Christmas?

Most families seem to do a few presents from Santa and then the rest from daily and friends which would get around this problem anyway.

I’ve no idea what the OP tells her dd but some people say all presents are from father Xmas.

Not me, because I wanted dd to say thank you to the right people and not have unrealistic expectations but i definitely over the years have seen threads on here where this doesn’t happen.

I thought you were going to say MIL had opened all toddlers presents with them while you were at work. But your husband is right you are really, really overreacting.

I'm with you OP.

Why could she do it AFTER Christmas?

Clearly it being Christmas day didn't matter at all so it was just to rush in first while you weren't even their, honestly that kind of passive aggressive shit bugs me and of course you DH doesn't care because its not him being pushed out.

Why would Santa be bringing the presents from MIL?

YABU. Your MIL has her own relationship with your child. Let them enjoy it without interfering .

Totally fine for toddler to open presents from mil.

There's going to be a whole lots more tomorrow

It is possible to believe in father Christmas but also to know that family also bring presents. That's what I did with my children and it's what I did as a child. That way children can acknowledge and thank people who have given them presents. Father Christmas brings the stocking.

@LeChatNoirv I would be getting her told!!!! she should not have done that!

I don't think it is an issue though I get why it has caught you by surprise.

You will see your DD opening plenty of presents starting at cock's fart tomorrow morning. That will be a lot more magical, and exhausting too.

Pick your battles. Is Christmas Eve more important to your MIL than Christmas Day? I know a few cultures where Christmas Eve is the main event.