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AIBU?

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Original poster

Looks shit right?!

159 replies

MaryPoppinsPenguins · 18/12/2016 00:06

We just did the bulk of our wrapping and DH wants to leave the stuff for our girls under the tree...

Our DD's are 3 & 6 and totally believe in Santa. I've kind of perpetuated the myth in our house that Santa brings the stuff on your list so they just ask for one or two things. That's in separate wrapping, hidden in a cupboard. (Hatchimal x 2, Lolly maker and paints!)

This is (pretty much) everything else.

My worry is.... it doesn't look impressive anyway... but it's going to look even less impressive Christmas morning when we just add the four Santa presents to it.

Don't you think we should keep it all locked away until Christmas Eve / morning reveal?

(In our defence we have given the best stuff to my mum! As we're going there for family Christmas morning straight after and they need stuff there! Still not loads though!)

DH thinks I'm being ridiculous and we should leave it there. I'm thinking he can't be fucked to carry it upstairs and doesn't care that it's the first year our three year old has cared about Christmas! Hmm

I'll go with the majority !

OP posts:
Frusso · 18/12/2016 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nicknameofawesome · 18/12/2016 08:59

*Hide it. Hide it all.

Hell hath no fury like a DC being told to leave presents alone.*

Absolutely this. It's far too tempting for them.

ZouBisou · 18/12/2016 09:02

I prefer leaving presents under the tree as soon as they are wrapped, as it is souch easier than finding places to hide them all! Also I do think it makes the tree look nice to have presents under it.

But DP is a staunch believer in presents all magically 'appearing' under the tree at the last minute.

Neither of you is being unreasonable.

2ndSopranos · 18/12/2016 09:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wornoutboots · 18/12/2016 09:03

father christmas doesn't even come to our house, and we STILL don't put presents out until the day they are to be opened (on the solstice. We do the same at summer solstice too). my favourite bit of the day is listening to the increasingly desperate pleas to be allowed downstairs to see the presents then making sure to be in front of them so I can see the look on their faces when they work out which pile is for them.

I hope you put them away

Wolpertinger · 18/12/2016 09:04

Your present pile looks suitably impressive and I'm with your DH. I've always had pile of presents slowly building up under the tree, adding to build up and excitement of Christmas.

For a few years all presents would get a good shake and a lot of 'guess what they are' but only one ever got unwrapped and is so clearly ruined the surprise I never did it again.

Santa presents come in different wrapping paper and arrive on your bed over night except for the year my mum forgot and did the same wrapping paper but luckily I didn't really believe by then

ImYourMama · 18/12/2016 09:04

Put them away!

Beautiful wrapping by the way :)

BalloonSlayer · 18/12/2016 09:08

NickyEds we have that paper it's from Sainsbury's.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 18/12/2016 09:08

:-O I have never heard of not having presents under the tree and hiding them away! My eyes have been well and truly opened. Father Christmas brings stockings, which are by your bed or doorknob, and presents from everyone else are under the tree. I will keep this hiding idea in mind though! Would never have occurred to me.

Frouby · 18/12/2016 09:10

Hide them for the love of God!

Ds is 3. It's DPs birthday today. It was DS birthday last week.

Poor DS was traumatised by someone else having presents. And had to help DP open them. And sobbed for 20 minutes when Dp told him they were his presents not for DS.

I have all the presents on top of wardrobes covered with sheets and beach towels.

Crunchymum · 18/12/2016 09:15

The neighbour left us a gift each so I had 3 measly gifts under the tree.... went for a wee and my 2 year old had them opened and was actually playing with one of the gifts. I was gone for less tham 3 minutes.

Our presents will remain hidden Grin

Liiinoo · 18/12/2016 09:17

It doesn't look impressive

And it doesn't need to look impressive. Who would you want to impress? To a 3 & 6 year old it will look exciting, magical, Christmassy. Even if it was just a couple of things it would be just as thrilling for little ones.

I agree that if the presents are from Santa, hide them away until Christmas morning.

farmerswifey2 · 18/12/2016 09:19

I'm calling fake. You can't have young children and have such a beautiful tree. Where are all the lollipop sticks crafted into god-knows-what and the hideously mis-matching paper decorations? ;)

Seriously though, your children must be pretty angelic to even consider leaving the presents under the tree. Ours would all be opened before I'd made a cuppa.

Original poster
MaryPoppinsPenguins · 18/12/2016 09:21

Thanks :)

I was so tempted to do an amazing shop and buy more but you've all convinced me otherwise!

The paper is just from Sainsbury's Smile

I did take them away and hide them! I'm glad I did... I remember coming downstairs on Christmas morning to a surprise pile of presents and it was amazing Xmas Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
MaryPoppinsPenguins · 18/12/2016 09:21

Amazon shop! Not Amazing Hmm

OP posts:
katonic · 18/12/2016 09:27

We have 'tree presents' which are from named real people, then a stocking from Santa, so the tree presents grow as you see people who drop them off or post them or bring along if they are staying, but on Christmas morning you wake up to a stocking (more realistically some sort of sack) from Santa at the end of your bed, so there is still some magical Christmas element.

Mcchickenbb41 · 18/12/2016 09:30

Everyone has their own traditions. This is what Iv done in my house, I hide every single present. Iv never even let them see presents from family. Then Xmas morning is the big reveal. No way would I leave any under the tree before Xmas day. I have a nearly three year old and she would never stAy away from them. Neither would the 12 year old Xmas Wink lovely tree btw

Mcchickenbb41 · 18/12/2016 09:31

Having said all that I do think presents under the tree looks lovely

Purplebluebird · 18/12/2016 09:37

Personally I would have to hide them from my overly curious 2,5 year old! But I think it looks nice to have them out, just less practical.

thebear1 · 18/12/2016 09:38

There is no way my 3 year old would not open them, but the amount is fine.

ChinchillaFur · 18/12/2016 09:43

Definitely hide.
We have one present given by a relative under the tree and it's killing my 7 year old! A 3 year old would have no chance of resisting!

RedNoseRumble · 18/12/2016 09:44

I have fond memories of coming downstairs on Christmas morning, alongside my older siblings and finding a pile of presents each, set out on different chairs (not enough room under the tree).

I continue this now with ds. The only thing under the tree is a couple of selection box type presents he's been given from various clubs. None of his presents are under the tree. They're currently in various locations in my bedroom.

It's part of the fun seeing a new pile of presents in the morning.

WhooooAmI24601 · 18/12/2016 09:45

We have presents underneath our tree; DCs were given some from Santa when we saw him this week, some from friends they've already seen in the run-up to Christmas, all of them go under the tree.

I loved that when they had supper with Santa he told them "if you leave these presents under the tree still wrapped, when I call on Christmas Eve I'll leave you and extra gift if you can manage to not open them". It's a lovely way to get them not to touch their gifts.

Your tree and gifts look beautiful op. Children don't need piles and piles of stuff to have a wonderful christmas, I hate that thing on social media when parents post pictures on Christmas Eve of the mountains of gifts. It's just the festive version of dick-swinging and entirely unnecessary.

PlayOnWurtz · 18/12/2016 09:45

We've always put presents under the tree and then a token sack of rubbish things from Santa so leave them where they are

ShowMePotatoSalad · 18/12/2016 09:47

It looks great. We always had presents under the tree leading up to Xmas but they were for family and friends and we knew not to touch them. On Xmas morning mum and dad would open the living room door to reveal our presents on the sofas (that FC had brought).

Everyone does things differently and I wouldn't overthink it.

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