How do you present the presents?

[Stabbitha]

We have all the kids this year! My kids and DPs will all be here on Christmas morning.

We can't decide how to do the gifts. When I was little me and my brother came downstairs to two separate piles of gifts on opposite sofas, with one type of wrapping paper for me and one for him.

I've always done it as one type of wrapping paper for each child but all the presents jumbled together under the tree.

DP wants all the presents wrapped in mixed wrap all jumbled under the tree and the chaos of having to read all the labels.

How do you do it?

DD has hers wrapped in two papers. One from us, the others are Father Christmas ones. DH and I have more boring adult papers.

All is piled underneath the tree and we take turn opening it.

@Smallnmighty It's very common here in Finland, the man we're hiring is charging 50 euros which I think is reasonable (previous years we do Santa at FIL's and his neighbour would dress up and do it so I don't know what the actual going rate is). Comes in and asks if there are any good children in the house, has a chat with them and hands out the presents, possibly stays for a drink (but he's got another booking an hour after us so no drink I think!), usually the children are supposed to sing for their presents but DD is refusing to sing and DS is too little and will probably just be very very wary of the weird bearded man.

OMG. Hiring your own Santa for Christmas Day! I can’t believe I have missed the boat on doing this ! Eldest Dc would have loved this when he was little.

@Natsku - thank you, that sounds lovely! Merry Christmas

Separate piles here

We only open presents from us/santa in the morning.

They are in separate piles on the sofa/armchairs with the stockings on top of the appropriate pile. Each child has their own distinct wrapping paper. The piles will include their stocking and then bits and pieces - books, small toys, treats, selection boxes etc. Their main presents from us are separate and we give them to them personally once the piles are done.

The rest of the presents which are from wider family are under the tree in whatever paper the giver wrapped them in, and are opened in the afternoon after dinner and after the Queen has spoken.

Stocking presents have a different paper for each child. Under the tree is a mix but with different colour labels - unnamed for the children and colours only revealed with first present, so there’s no shaking and guessing in advance. Presents go under the tree as they’re wrapped in the few days before Christmas, piles for families we will see at different times over Christmas.

An organised muddle.
Presents from each person in the same wrapping and grouped close to each other, that way the DD's can open from Uncle Fred at the same time.

Everything in the middle of the carpet in a pile! I only have one DC but if I had two or more it would all be in the centre, same wrapping paper (loads of different ones) and then written on with labels! (Although I have seen colour coded labels before now)

Half the fun is finding your presents from the pile!

We have separate papers here, then all jumbled under the tree - I can't be bothered to write out lots of labels and I love seeing all the pressies under the tree

The same paper, but I use last years cards as gift tags. One year DS had all snowmen and DD had all reindeer. Although I think that is purely for my benefit as nobody else noticed!

Mixed paper, under the tree, handed out by the kids, same as others, sounds boring but is more leisurely and relaxing and we can see what everyone gets.

Sack presents are from Santa and they are opened in the morning by the kids so they have some little things to play with, until we are ready to do tree gifts.

Labels are important in our house, we like to write (simple) hints or clues to think about before opening (not on everything just the main family gifts).

I have three children very close in age and the same gender. It's caused issues in the past when one gets something that the others want. I often have to buy similar or the same items and then of course there is no surprise once one of the similar gifts are opened. Also when I was a child it was a chaotic gift opening mess that lasted 5 mins and I hated it. I really like seeing others open their presents!

So I wrap presents in what I call present rounds. Means I can check that everyone has a similar gift that's opened at the same time and it's all even. So child 1 and child 2 don't open a major present and child 3 opens a pack of socks and thinks that they have missed out. I number each round and then get the kids to pick a number so the order is random.

All presents are wrapped in the same paper that I've picked to go with my tree decorations!

And I make it last all day!

I know this level of control and organisation is going to met with horror by some on here!

All different kinds of wrapping paper for all three kids and anyone else. I do try and keep the same for each kid purely for ease but rarely manage it!

Christmas is the perfect time for organised chaos IMO

Mixed paper, jumbled, gift tags

Santa gifts are not wrapped and they are literally stocking fillers. If I’m spending the money he doesn’t get the kudos for it!

@itstrue I honestly can’t imagine doing it your way! proper madness!

Same wrapping paper for everyone (unless I’ve run out and had to get different) and labels. All jumbled up under the tree. We take it in turns to divvy out. All unwrap at the same time.

itstrue I think like that when I do stockings. I only have 2 kids, different sexes, but I think of presents as being equivalent to each other. One gets uno, one gets top trumps, easy. A book each would like, clearly equivalent. Rapunzel hair detangler equals, ummm, a hot wheels car? A train equals a yo yo? DH thinks I'm a bit odd. Your system is pure genius.

Exactly like @muddledmidget

Mixed paper and the children read labels and hand out one at a time.

Mixed paper all jumbled under the tree.
We do our presents to and from each other first thing in the morning, and any presents from people we won’t see on Christmas Day (excluding presents from dps side as we spend Boxing Day with them all and do presents them too) also go under there. Half the fun is finding them and giving them out. Dc do that.
We don’t do one person opening at a time, they all open at the same time but dp and I watch and tend to open ours last.
I have people watching me open presents, I find it embarrassing so have never them having to do it! Totally see why some prefer it, less chaotic etc.

Different paper, either side of the fireplace. We're away to a cottage this year so god knows how we'll do it.

Under the tree with different colour string or ribbon tying them

Santa pops a stocking on everyone's bed.
Pressies all mixed under the tree.
Breakfast first(allows the cook time to start )them the youngest hands out presents with a pause as they open theirs.

All jumbled together under the tree. One person hands the gifts out.

Stockings on beds from Father Christmas, then breakfast, then onto tree presents with a glass of fizz which are all mixed up but labelled (fancy labels if you are my Mother, I scrawl on the paper with a sharpie). Small children dish out presents and everyone opens one at a time before moving onto the next round. Works for us!