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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:
clam · 16/12/2012 20:30

I remember discovering the Christmas presents in my mother's wardrobe and having a nose. I was about 7 I reckon. I've never done it since, and I've become a bit obsessive about surprises.
It won't happen again in your house!

Original poster
barbie007 · 16/12/2012 20:34

You lot are great. I feel so much better about it all now, even though I'm still sad.
I know my kids really well, they still believe in FC and they definitely weren't looking for presents. Why did ds 2 go and look in the storage space? TBH that's where we keep the Christmas decorations and we got them out of there last week...I still hadn't been shopping so there were no presents there. Who knows what made him look in there.

Anyway lots of great tips from everyone and lots of stories too thanks :)

They're in bed now and haven't said anything else about this. I've kept it low key and didn't overreact which probably helped. Tomorrow I'll wrap them up and put them somewhere else. My MIL sent some money for me to buy them presents from her...so skylanders and the piano will now come from grandma and I'm hoping they didn't look at much else. The small stuff was in bags and it doesn't look like they've seen that. I'll buy a couple of other bits from the money MIL sent and they will now be from FC. I hope i'll get away with it.

Phoned DH at work and he wa gutted too, giving me all about 'losing their innocence'....he made me feel worse. Anyway, I'm hoping they won't think about it too much. Their cousins live a few hours away and we haven't got any plans to see them over Christmas so they won't be able to ask them about what they got for Christmas. This will probably turn into a funny Christmas story when they've grown up but it really isn't funny now! The effort and money we've put in...bless 'em!

OP posts:
nickelbabylyinginamanger · 16/12/2012 20:34

ah, Alaska that story's made me cry a bit! Grin

nickelbabylyinginamanger · 16/12/2012 20:40

barbie .
don't tell anyone but i still believe in Santa.
i daren't not- it was drilled into me that if you don't believe you don't get presents. I'm not risking it!

TheHoneyDragonsDrunkInTheIvy · 16/12/2012 20:41

Good plan. Grandma had sent direct as missed Santa cut off perhaps?

redlac · 16/12/2012 20:44

When I was wee my wardrobe was set at an angle in the corner of my room so there was a triangle of space behind it and my mum hid my Christmas presents IN MY OWN ROOM! Found them just before Christmas when I threw something over the top of the wardrobe and move it.

When me and my sister were early teens my had got us both bottles of Tresemme 4+4 hair styling stuff and we both found a bottle when we were raking for presents and ydidn't tell each other and started using it- much hilarity on Christmas morning when we both unwrapped half used bottles of the stuff

Procrastinating · 16/12/2012 21:04

Sounds good barbie.
Double win on christmas morning - gratitude towards the generous grandmother and magic from father christmas.

QuacksForDoughnuts · 16/12/2012 21:08

Redlac wonder how long your mum had been doing that before you noticed! When I have to hide things (presents, snack food I don't want eaten that day) from my partner I tend to 'hide' them in plain sight - obscured by a carrier bag or similar, but not hidden away. This has more of a success rate than keeping things at the back of my wardrobe.

appletarts · 16/12/2012 21:29

On christmas day give them crap presents and let them believe that's it for a split second and then produce the real gifts, they'll be excited then! Bit mean though.

JaniceB · 13/12/2013 17:29

Dont let it worry you, they were going to find out eventually, you can still have a fab chrissy

MoominsYonisAreScary · 13/12/2013 17:33

This tread is from last year! Thought id seen it before Grin

TooTabooHasBigShinyBaubles · 13/12/2013 17:39

As this thread is a year old (only realised when I'd read to the end) come back OP and let us know what happened on Xmas day!

nomoreminibreaks · 13/12/2013 17:49

When I went snooping for my presents (I'd been told about Santa but my younger sister hadn't) and my sister found me - and the present she'd written to Santa for - I told her that Santa didn't have time to get round the whole world in one night and so dropped them off in the weeks before so he could get round everyone. Our parents then wrapped them up and out them out on Christmas Eve. This story kept her going for another two or three years if I remember correctly.

notanotherusername1 · 13/12/2013 17:51

I second the 'do and say nothing'

Don't give any excuses if they ask, just change the subject. Talk about something exciting or that you are planning to take their minds off it.

Wrap them and act like nothing has happened on Christmas Day.

KringleCandleLover · 13/12/2013 17:51

My 7 year old dd found her most wanted Monster High dolls, car and accessories in the boot of my car last December.

Was totally my fault, I asked her to help me get the food shopping out with me and forgot they were stored there.

I told her they were presents for her cousin and she got upset saying she wanted them.

2 weeks later, she unwrapped them and never mentioned the car boot situation. I think she was just so pleased to have what she had asked for.

I wouldn't worry. Today will be a distant memory come the big day.

NoComet · 13/12/2013 17:52

I wouldn't change anything, I wasn't brought up to believe in Father Christmas, we had a small bungalow, I could guess where things were hidden.

I wouldn't have contemplated peaking.

notanotherusername1 · 13/12/2013 17:52

But no I have wrote that I like 'nomoreminibreaks'' idea. Confused

Just don't let it upset you.

NoComet · 13/12/2013 17:54

I'm sure my DDs (past Santa age) know too. Looking is just not part of the deal

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 13/12/2013 17:54

ZOMBIE THREAD

Branleuse · 13/12/2013 17:55

just tell them that theyre christmas presents and that they shouldnt have been looking.

Then dont mention it again.

WhereIsMyHat · 13/12/2013 18:01

But your just looking after them for the big FC aren't you because he's got no space in his grotto as he's have some home improvements done.

Branleuse · 13/12/2013 18:10

cant you tell him that father christmas just brings the stocking stuff, like most people do??

Ghostsdonttalk · 13/12/2013 18:26

Zombie thread - but a warning to all!!

Mintyy · 13/12/2013 18:29

Oooh Confused ?

What's happened to the cute little Zombie thread alert?

PipkinsPal · 13/12/2013 18:33

When I was in my early teens I found where my mother had hidden my wrapped presents. I got a pin and scored the sellotape, this method doesn't rip the paper. I then opened the wrapping paper carefully and had a peep. I then placed another bit of sellotape over the original. I knew everything I was having that Christmas and my mother didn't have a clue that I did.