Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Think the kids have found the presents

27 replies

meringue33 · 22/12/2023 21:55

They haven’t covered their tracks very well, but they are denying that they have anything they’d like to talk about.

What now? Just carry on and pretend nothing has happened?

Fortunately they were the presents from us. The presents from Santa are in different wrapping paper and hidden better. (May have to move them though to somewhere completely foolproof in case the kids do more snooping over the weekend).

Kids are 8 and 10.

OP posts:
ChocolateCinderToffee · 22/12/2023 21:58

It's half the fun, sussing out the presents. Just keep calm and carry on!

thistimelastweek · 22/12/2023 22:07

You have now entered 'who's kidding who' territory.

These children are fully clued in but don't want to spoil it for you.

Whatever you do, don't blink first.

Original poster
meringue33 · 22/12/2023 22:07

Thanks! Slightly at my wits end! Want to keep the Christmas magic going.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Christmas
Original poster
meringue33 · 22/12/2023 22:09

Was feeling smug that everything was wrapped, now this feels like another thing to worry about! Will have to watch them like a hawk over the weekend or somehow get everything in the loft!!

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 22/12/2023 22:10

I'm pretty sure if they are 8 and 10 they don't "believe" any more-they are just playing a long because they love the magic too. Just carry on as if nothing has happened.

Chewbecca · 22/12/2023 22:15

Did you not when you were little? I did! It was an exciting part of the build up!

DrCoconut · 22/12/2023 22:23

Just put the presents under the tree?

Original poster
meringue33 · 22/12/2023 22:33

if we put the gifts under the tree, it won’t be such a special feeling on Christmas morning though.

I’m so naive, I don’t remember hunting for gifts at all when I was a kid and believed in Santa until I went to high school!

OP posts:
Singleandproud · 22/12/2023 22:39

Do they know you know? I'd wrap a piece of coal (or a box of art charcoal each) with a note saying they shouldn't be snooping and invading people's privacy

cardibach · 22/12/2023 22:43

Chewbecca · 22/12/2023 22:15

Did you not when you were little? I did! It was an exciting part of the build up!

Edited

Absolutely not! I never wanted to know what I’d got before hand! I actively avoided places presents might be…

Beansandcheesearegood · 22/12/2023 22:53

I think my 2 same age as op just saw 2 wrapped pressies from santa .... I'm going to just carry on regardless!!

We are staying at family and had to bring it all with us and hide it here so they weren't snooping it was in a bag.... nothing I can do at this point apart from unwrap all and rewrap with different paper.... dont think I have to time or energy!!

WYorkshireRose · 22/12/2023 22:55

Singleandproud · 22/12/2023 22:39

Do they know you know? I'd wrap a piece of coal (or a box of art charcoal each) with a note saying they shouldn't be snooping and invading people's privacy

Edited

You sound like a barrel of laughs Confused

Singleandproud · 22/12/2023 22:58

@WYorkshireRose the children know or are close to it, OP sounds like they are a good natured family. Most parents tell children good = presents, misbehaviour =coal, a piece of art charcoal isn't going to ruin their Christmas if done in a light-hearted way. If anything they'll remember it fondly as they get older "Do you remember the year when...."

sleepysummers · 22/12/2023 22:59

Ahhh I remember myself and my brother hunting for the Christmas presents. Even when they were wrapped we'd try to prise the tape open to have a sneak. Part of it and growing up, I think?!

Just move on and maybe next year find a better hiding spot 😂

Gymmum82 · 22/12/2023 23:03

Our gifts are all wrapped and under the tree right now. It doesn’t spoil the magic. Santa brings the stocking which are hidden. All the other presents get wrapped and stuck under there for weeks. Don’t worry about it

DappledThings · 22/12/2023 23:31

Gymmum82 · 22/12/2023 23:03

Our gifts are all wrapped and under the tree right now. It doesn’t spoil the magic. Santa brings the stocking which are hidden. All the other presents get wrapped and stuck under there for weeks. Don’t worry about it

Same here. I don't get what the big deal is. They found wrapped presents. So they haven't actually spoilt any surprise.

Mindovermatter247 · 22/12/2023 23:38

Presents from us go straight under the tree, presents from Santa are hidden in my sisters room in the roof where they don’t go. DS doesn’t believe but is playing along for his sisters sake, he would never bother trying to look. Dd is super nosy but never left alone to be able to hunt for them 😂

Bouncyball23 · 23/12/2023 00:26

Every year from about age 9 me and my sister would pull my parents wardrobe out and behind that was a build in cupboard where our presents were hid we would always see what we was getting and even to this day I don't think my parents were aware off this. Christmas day was still a magical fantastic day and we still got excited about opening our presents.

idontlikealdi · 23/12/2023 00:32

Just carry on as normal, they've busted it irs on them

SkankingWombat · 23/12/2023 00:45

So it's all wrapped? That won't have spoiled anything. FWIW I add the presents under the tree as and when I wrap them. No magic spoilt, just DCs poking amongst them each morning to see which have their names on. They like trying to guess what they might be (today's guesses were 100% confident and 100% wrong 😂). My DCs are 7 & 9.

Even if found unwrapped, it is a lesson learnt for DCs - any magic lost is of their own doing.

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 23/12/2023 00:50

My DD aged 3 came into the room today carrying a big box helped by her 1yr old brother. Said 'mummy, look what we found'. She'd found her present from my mum (it's what she wants most for Christmas).

I told her that was her Christmas present and she shouldn't have been snooping in my bedroom as now she'll have no surprises for Christmas given this isn't the first gift she's rooted out.
Her reply was 'well you should have hidden it better then' 😕😮

I guess she was right, but I had no answer for that. I also ought to start wrapping presents before Christmas Eve 😄

lurchermummy · 23/12/2023 07:22

I always went present hunting - never spoiled the fun! I agree they probably also know that Santa is you but they don't want you to know they know- and you have to pretend that you don't know they know that you know!

Scarletttulips · 23/12/2023 07:26

but they are denying that they have anything they’d like to talk about.

Why not be a bit more direct!!

We put gifts under the tree - always have done it adds to the magic. They know they have presents.

Cyclistmumgrandma · 23/12/2023 07:45

Presents left under the tree are a magnet for burglars. Presents wrapped but still out of sight here. They go under the tree on Christmas morning. Just as magical...

Original poster
meringue33 · 23/12/2023 10:39

Lots of replies to reassure and make me smile - thank you!

we normally have more gifts under the tree by now but like a pp I worry about burglars and we recently got a Eufy vacuum cleaner which I don’t want bashing up the gifts!

OP posts: