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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

I could cry my kids have found their Christmas presents. What now?

111 replies

barbie007 · 16/12/2012 18:24

I always hide the Christmas presents in our room. We have a loft conversion and we have attic storage behind small doors. My 9 ds was looking for his ds everywhere and 7 year old ds said he'd help to look too. Next thing I know he'd gone up to my room and had opened the door to the storage space. I am gutted. They've both seen the skylanders box, small piano keyboard, play doh set... DH is away and I've just bluffed that they are their cousins presents, that dad has bought for them and will be posting....was that good enough? Will they suss it all out....I really could cry

OP posts:

CajaDeLaMemoria · 16/12/2012 18:46

If they put them on their Christmas lists they were not a huge surprise anyway?

Wrap everything ASAP and try not to be too upset. They will still love them.

ShotgunNotDoingThePans · 16/12/2012 18:46

I'm sure they'll have other presents they haven't seen, won't they? Honestly, don't be upset - it can't be helped, and it won't spoil their Christmas.

Original poster

barbie007 · 16/12/2012 18:47

They definitely weren't hunting for them and they both still believe in Father Christmas. 9 year old ds has been going on and on all afternoon about how he couldn't find his nintendo. I've been getting on with things and next thing I hear 7 year old is helping to look for nintendo and I really don't know what made him go up to my bedroom and look in the attic storage. If they had been looking for presents then I'd be inclined to think well, serves them right but I feel so bad because it's all happened very innocently and now I might have ruined everything that's magical about Christmas. I feel so bad. I should have wrapped them up or hidden them somewhere else. And it's probably the last year my 9 year old will believe in it anyway

OP posts:

BillyBollyBrandy · 16/12/2012 18:48

I found the My Little Pony castle in my Grandma's wardrobe. She told me she was hiding it for her friend and it was a load of old tat. I was about 7 and totally believed her.

Give them those presents last, so they will think they don't have them and then it will be a surprise - after lunch maybe?

Bluestocking · 16/12/2012 18:48

Of course they were looking for their presents, OP! It doesn't matter that they've found them, they are fab presents and will be thrilled to get them. But they do need to learn a lesson about not doing that again.

bluebiscuit · 16/12/2012 18:50

Are you sure your 9yo believes in FC? Even a 7yo with a 9yo sibling I am surprised about (presuming 7yo in year 3).

Just go ahead and give them the presents at Christmas.

Was there really any reason for them to believe that the Nintendo ds was in your attic cupboard . I am wondering if they are taking you for a ride tbh - good excuse to hunt for their presents, probably both of them don't believe in FC.

Stern words to be had - they shouldn't have been hunting in cupboards in your room should they?

mercibucket · 16/12/2012 18:50

For sure they were snooping and I'd bet a 9 year old knows 'the truth' already. I'd give him a hard time - bet he set the younger one up to snoop

I always used to peek at everyone else's presents but not at mine as a way of defusing the tension around the xmas surprises

mercibucket · 16/12/2012 18:50

For sure they were snooping and I'd bet a 9 year old knows 'the truth' already. I'd give him a hard time - bet he set the younger one up to snoop

I always used to peek at everyone else's presents but not at mine as a way of defusing the tension around the xmas surprises

PatTheHammer · 16/12/2012 18:51

I think that maybe on christmas day admit to them that you have been buying their presents for a while and then Santa delivers the presents. There are too many children in the world now for the Elves to make all the toys so he relies on parents to help out or something....?

Some households do use this as a tradition anyway. They are getting towards the upper limits of still believing (in the case of your 9 y.o) so maybe this might be a more feasible scenario for them anyway.

Dunno, just a suggestion that doesn't involve you spending anymore, exchanging presents or making up more lies when they realise their cousins didn't get skylanders etc?

My two are still a bit young to search for presents but I do feel a bit more comfortable when they are all wrapped. So I do the wrapping fairly early on just in case they should come across them whilst playing hide and seek or something.

TheHoneyDragonsDrunkInTheIvy · 16/12/2012 18:52

I found my presents when I was 15. We had a cupboard that locked in a poncy corner display unit. Top cupboard glass bottom wood.

It was also the cupboard Mum and Dad had for the insurance man along with the payment.

They were out he called. Thought it odd that the cupboard was locked and the key in the top cupboard. Opened it and there were all mine and dbro s presents

Presented cash and book to insurance man.

Mum came home and I seethed

"I paid the insurance man"

Mum went

"Lovely, thanks love ...... / "

I went "Yes I saw my presents too, you bloody wazzock". (My dm regularly reminds me of this statement)

I'm over it now though I am so not

HECTheHallsWithRowsAndFolly · 16/12/2012 18:54

yeah, I was hunting for my gifts for about 3 years before I stopped believing in santa.

They went hunting in the attic storage for their nintendo?

Come on.

9 isn't stupid. I can quite see them being really vocal about looking for a toy in order to have a reason to hunt

Gooshka · 16/12/2012 18:54

If they still believe in Santa then you can make anything up and they'll accept it. You could say that sometimes Santa's helpers drops samples of gifts in for parents to check they're the ones their children asked for (and then sends the elves to pick them up ready for wrapping a few days before) or some other bullshit along these lines. At this age, they believe more or less anything! I remember when my eldest son was little he asked me why children in poor countries didn't get presents from Santa (he thought Santa was mean!) I said that mummies and daddies pay "Santa tax" to help pay for the toys he makes and that some parents pay more Santa tax than others (hence also explaining why some of his friends get iPads while he gets a lot less!) Not an ideal response as I felt it spoiled the magic somewhat but it got me out of a pickle and he seemed to accept it.

PatTheHammer · 16/12/2012 18:55

I do still think your 9 y.o believes by the way, my sister told my 9 year old nephew 'the truth' this year and he thought she was having him on. In his mind F.C was totally credible. He had obviously filtered out anything he might have overheard from his peers about him not existing.

notapizzaeater · 16/12/2012 18:57

My ds knows mummy and daddy buy and wrap the pressies - Santa comes and "collects" them at some point before Christmas and if he's a good boy Santa brings them back .... Could try this one ?

PatTheHammer · 16/12/2012 18:57

I love the 'santa tax' .....that is just the sort of bullshit that my Dad would have come out with!

quoteunquote · 16/12/2012 18:59

I really don't know what made him go up to my bedroom and look in the attic storage

I think if you re read this a few times you will have your answer .

a few clues,

now why would the nintendo found it way into the attic storage all by itself?

who uses the nintendo?

when was it last seen?

and have they been into the attic space before or since the nintendo disappeared?

when was the last time they went into the attic space before this nintendo disappeared?

And it's probably the last year my 9 year old will believe in it anyway

oh I think he was clued up, sorry, you have been had.

4/10 for creative back story, they didn't think it all through though.

or they would be able to tell you why they thought the nintendo might be in there, unless they have a special edition that walks around by itself.

AlexReidsLonelyThisChristmas · 16/12/2012 19:13

Are you sure he's not seen presents in the cupboard space before, last year perhaps, and this year was getting his brother in on the act?

Going on loudly all afternoon about looking for his DS sounds like he's protesting too much to me.

lovelyladuree · 16/12/2012 19:16

Maybe next year you will wrap them before Christmas Eve? Just a thought.....

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 16/12/2012 19:18

My mum always just put them in a cupboard after that - unwrapped - and nobody ever went near it again. There's nothing like stuffing up your own Christmas surprise to make sure you don't repeat the transgression.

Lexiesinclair · 16/12/2012 19:21

After they've opened their presents, could you maybe tell them you have a confession to make, and that FC's elves had to hide them in your attic for a while as there was no room at the North Pole? Or something like that? The younger DS might fall for it.

PeppermintonCandyCane · 16/12/2012 19:21

About 3 years ago my DC found all their stocking gifts laid out on my bed for wrapping (can't remember why I had not put them away).

Anyway I bluffed it and said that Santa was far too busy to wrap everything so he dropped the gifts off for the parents to wrap, and would be popping back to collect them before delivering them on Xmas Eve...and by the way Santa won't visit if you don't believe in him.

Have not had a peep since...although I notice they have left a coathanger hanging from the handle of the high cupboards in my bedroom which they've obviously used to hoik the door open

The presents are hidden elsewhere - sorry MiniMintons

TessGoesDirectToBethlehem · 16/12/2012 19:26

A colleague was told by her (now grown up) DC that they had found their presents every year since they were quite young - but never let on to their parents.

They didn't want to spoil the whole surprise thing for their parents

simonthedog · 16/12/2012 19:34

sorry you're upset about it, but I always used to hunt for my presents when my parents were out. I've always hated surprises, I still do. I feel much easier when I know what's what. It never spoilt Christmas for me.

I wouldn't change the presents, I'm sure they'll be delighted. They sound like great presents. Try and relax and enjoy your Christmas.

AllYoursJingleBellbooshka · 16/12/2012 19:39

Awww, regardless of whether he was snooping or not that's crap OP. Nothing is ruined but I would be upset too.

I never found my presents but I did find the Argos receipt for them (it was sitting on the bloody tv unit, doh DMum and DDad).

Christmas will still be amazing with those lovely presents!

woodmouse2 · 16/12/2012 19:40

When I was little I walked in on my mum making a fairy costume and she said it was for the girl next door - I never questioned that and don't remember feeling anything but pleasure when it was given to me on Christmas Day. She was less pleased to find it outside in the mud a few days later!! Ah transient joys!! It was a long time ago..... my own daughter caught me putting finishing touches to an Emu at 3 o'clock one Christmas morning and I gave her the same story, but she loved it just the same.

I'd just play it cool and carry on as if they hadn't found anything

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