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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think you shouldn't put presents under the tree before Christmas eve...

58 replies

tyler80 · 23/12/2010 08:42

...if you have small children who will open them when your back is turned.

A colleague is moaning that her son (3) has now opened 5 presents, why not move them out of reach? It's not rocket science!

OP posts:

SilveryMoon · 23/12/2010 09:18

That's ok then I read that and part of me thought "is she joking" and another part of me was thinkg "f%*@ing hell"

MumBarTheDoorSantaUsesChimneys · 23/12/2010 09:33

Santa brings the stocking here, and one present that DS has asked for in his xmas list.

The other presents don't go under the tree until he's asleep xmas eve, thats just the way it was done when I was a child and I've carried it on. I'm sure my mum used the Santa is a poatal service one. .

TBH I think a 3 year old should know not to touch but if they keep doing it your right simply move them.

Its like th chocs for xmas, If I can't resist eating them they get moved higher up - simply to make it harder I still eat them.

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 23/12/2010 09:35

We have a couple of presents under the tree, the ones the dd's 'helped' wrap for in laws and ones they have recieved from a couple of other people (given direct before christmas).

Although they have asked a couple of times to open theirs, they know that they are for christmas day. (They are 5 3 and 1)

usernamechanged345 · 23/12/2010 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jumpyjan · 23/12/2010 09:46

We put all the family/friends presents under the tree. The children have been surprisingly good about it - when the postman comes we unwrap the box and DD - nearly 4 and DS - 18 months put them under the tree which they love doing.

Father Christmas just brings the stocking presents.

I love having the pressies under the tree - its exciting.

funtimefairyintinselledwincies · 23/12/2010 09:53

We put all presents under the tree as they're wrapped, except for those yet to be delivered by F.C. obviously and any 'big' presents (usually from MIL). Dcs are 4 and 1 and have been brilliant and it's never seemed like a 'torture'.

Ds1 sometimes has a look, does a funny little excited dance and wanders off grinning. Never had an opened present but if your young dcs struggle with the temptation then it makes sense to leave it until Christmas Eve and wait until they're a bit older.

Morloth · 23/12/2010 09:55

Of course it is torture, sweet sweet torture. DS2 crawled to the tree yesterday, reached out his hand towards it, turned to me grinning and shoke his head. Such a cheeky baby.

i just say No, and keep removing him, same as for DS1 when he was little.

BaroqinAroundTheChristmasTree · 23/12/2010 09:58

agree - I have one presents under my tree - tucked round near the back. DS3 (3) put it there as he asked what it was (was the one my Vicar gave me) I explained to him that it was "mummy's present" and he decided to put it under the tree - and hasn't touched it since (just as well - I know it's a HUGE tin of chocolates )

However, the rest of the presents are all hidden upstairs hidden away - wouldn't be so cruel as to leave lots of presents there tempting fate

FindingAManger · 23/12/2010 09:58

I don't know how putting presents under the tree works with Santa? What does he bring then?

funtimefairyintinselledwincies · 23/12/2010 09:59

Ds2 (1) does that with the washing machine Morloth . That's all he wants for Christmas, to be allowed unfettered access to all the buttons and dials in the house!

funtimefairyintinselledwincies · 23/12/2010 10:00

F.C. bring stockings and a couple of presents Finding, so they just appear on Christmas Eve.

bamboobutton · 23/12/2010 10:10

yanbu about removing them if the kids keep opening them.

we have all our presents under the tree.

ds, 2.10yo, had an excited poke and prod when they first went under but has ignored them since then.

agree that poking and rattling presents builds the excitement. i can still remember the gut busting excitement from when i was small

santa only brings stockings in this house too.

Morloth · 23/12/2010 10:14

funtime DS2 also enjoys the washing machine. He can't quite reach the buttons yet but will happily plop in front of it and watch it go round and round and round and round.

funtimefairyintinselledwincies · 23/12/2010 10:18

Morloth - I'm not sure what the appeal is, ds1 used to sit in the washing basket and watch it too. Ds2 was leaning against it and giggling as it span the other day, strange child .

MumInBeds · 23/12/2010 10:22

I wish we could put the pressies under the tree but the only room for our tree is by the patio doors and the local police have (for good reason) advised people not to put pressies on display in windows.

MsChristmas · 23/12/2010 10:25

We had all the presents from my family under our tree at home, now we are at fil's all the rpesents from us as well as my family are under there bar the bike/scooter (yes, I got carried away, so sue me)
DD's are 3.2 and 4.10 and have poked, been told not to, and then left it.

JuicyLips · 23/12/2010 11:37

agree with funtimefairyintinselledwincies Father Christmas brings the stockings, but no extra presents, just the stocking stuff. That way he gets the presents from us from us as well, otherwise I'd have to buy an extra present from us which doesn't seem logical. (dont want him to think mummy and daddy haven't got him anything either.)

mumeeee · 23/12/2010 11:44

We never put presents under the tree before Christmas eve. Mainly because they are nhot even wraped before then!

Mowiol · 23/12/2010 11:50

I'm a poker and prodder - never mind small children doing it!

SuePurblybiltbyElves · 23/12/2010 12:01

We call it Darth Vadering - feeling your presents . Our gifts to others are under the tree until they come and open them! And gifts for DD from Aunts/Uncles etc are there too. She's never tried to open one, we wait until Christmas afternoon.

Mowiol · 23/12/2010 12:05

Darth Vadering - lol!!

mitochondria · 23/12/2010 12:09

When mine were smaller I put the Christmas tree in the playpen.

Children outside.

Worked a treat - they could see it but couldn't get to it.

We have presents under the tree, but they're 5 and 4 now and old enough not to open them.

Santa just brings stockings in our house.

mrsoliverramsay · 23/12/2010 12:16

When I was young my parents put my presents from other people under the tree. I used to unwrap them and very, very carefully wrap them back up. She never knew. I had to act all surprised when I got then though.

tjacksonpfc · 23/12/2010 12:24

We got the presants down last night to sort out and wrap last few bits.

We have left them in fron of the tree in bags ready to sneek into car tonight as we are going to my dm for xmas.

When the dcs got up this morning they are 5 and 6 and saw them i told them they were presants for other children that santa left here for us to wrap and he will collect them tonight ready for delivery.

Ds asked where there presants were and i said with another family beeing wrapped up. They are happy with this.

What also helps is that dp is a postie so any presants he gets from customers he brings home for dcs to unwrap which they do mind you i dont think they are to happy with the booze we get lol.

emmie31 · 23/12/2010 12:34

Our presents are under the tree and the kids havent touched them at all or even pestered for them, they know the rules, my DH on the other hand isn't as well behaved

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