Present opening, how long is too long to wait?

[andpeggy29]

So first Christmas ever away from home, and staying with my husbands parents, who i get on with really well.

My family tradition as I expect most people's is wake up, open presents, eat special breakfast, get showered dressed etc.

Here it seems everyone sleeps in quite late (10pm) then gets up showered and dressed, don't really do breakfast as they are prepping dinner (which isn't until 7pm) and they wait til all dinner guests come over before any presents can be opened (5pm)

I understand everyone has their own traditions and I completely respect this but OMG I've been awake since 7am!

Does anyone else wait all day?

Couldn't wait till lunch....Isn't that child cruelty?!

No not really...

I honestly can't imagine anything worse than getting up, milling round, cooking an entire Christmas Dinner, eating it with booze, and then summoning up the energy to do presents with a healthy dollop of humble gratitude.

Surely you are all knackered and slightly pissed by then or you aren't doing it properly.

The deferred gratification is having to wait til 25th December after 3 months of Christmas build up. I agree with PP who said making children wait til after lunch is verging on cruelty.

I don't know anyone IRL who waits to open Christmas presents. I recently did a straw poll on the office (inspired by a thread on here) and nobody did presents any later than breakfast time.

Stockings are opened in bed - we then go downstairs and open tree presents. To those who think the rest of the day is flat - well we build and play with the new games and toys; have our Christmas baths with the new toiletries; wear the new clothes; eat and drink the food gifts; flick through the books and watch the blu-rays.

thecolonel my in laws do this. Was such a shick the firat time it happened. I used to feign illness/drunkeness and go and lie down with a book for an hour or so to break it up. Now i have a toddler it is hell.

We open stocking presents, have a nice cooked breakfast then get dressed and open presents.

No way. Stockings as soon as they get up then downstairs for our presents. If we're staying at home we save family presents for after lunch to spread it out a bit and spend the morning putting together their bits from us. If we're off elsewhere for lunch we open them all :D

3 months of Christmas build up?? Now that's just crazy!

The three months of build up is imposed, guest. I get sick of it - every shop, adverts etc. It starts straight after bonfire night! (I know that's only 2 months, but I think 3 was hyperbole!).
I think anyone who thinks Christmas is 'all over' when they have opened the presents isn't doing Christmas properly.

Stocking first thing with coffee for the grown ups then shower and dress before breakfast. Presents usually start around 10-10.30 once breakfast is cleared away and a fresh cuppa made.

We open first thing, I don't see how opening your gifts in any way stops you being together as a family. 🙄

Kids in my house play games to pass the time - we get them all together at once so they find things to do. Last year they built a fort in the garage and it was a struggle to get them in to open presents!

We do -

Cup of tea / toast
Mass
Brunch
Presents
Dinner
Relaxing

No children in my family

Normally after breakfast, but today was the first time I couldn't have cared less. We did two different dog walks first, there was no rush, it was nice.

Ours have always waited.
Stockings in our bed (still),

Church
Drinks and canapes with friends
One present.
Put meal on
Walk
Late lunch/early supper
Presents. It's been exactly the same since they were babies. For us the presents are a small part of the whole. Christmas is more than the one day so other present exchanging times and special meals/events too.

But isn't it all over really early then mumsy?
All the excitement over by 8 am?
We weren't even awake by then!

A lot of people, maybe even most people, do visiting or have visitors throughout the day. For us it's Santa presents first thing. Then breakfast and DS plays for a couple of hours. Around mid-day my DPs call in, DS shows off his gifts and we do a joint dog walk. After we drop my dogs home we go to DP's where DS gets gifts from them and my brothers. Usually one thing before dinner to keep him occupied and the rest after. At 6ish we go to my grandmother's where she and 3 of my uncles all have gifts for DS. We stay there for a few hours, playing and snacking. After which it's time to go home, DS gets a chance for a short chill out play so he can wind down before bed. No need to drag out any excitement as the day is naturally just full of it.

And there is more visiting and gifts to receive over the coming days from other family members before a final(ish) giftless NYE party with extended family next week. So it's actually days and days of fun.

Sorry but we have a 15 month old. He didn't wake up til half 8 this morning. Then by the time he'd had his bottle it was pushing 9 before we'd even thought of opening anything. Even then he wasn't that interested. We had dinner about 4. Half 7 seems quite late? But sorry to me you seem like a child op

If you don't do presents until after dinner don't the kids open their gifts only to have to wait another day before they can actually use them (or potentially longer if you are visiting family etc on boxing day).

We open in the morning but the kids take breaks to play with the things they have opened

I don't know anyone IRL who waits to open Christmas presents. I recently did a straw poll on the office (inspired by a thread on here) and nobody did presents any later than breakfast time.

Me neither *Yet another mystery of Mumsnet

^ That was to RitchyBestingFace

Our kids had to leave all their gifts here while we went to MIL's house for the day! They got to open stockings and had time to do about 3 each before we had to leave at 10am. Then they waited until after lunch at MIL's to do gifts there. They were out at the park etc though so there was no problem. On the years we are at home, we usually do after breakfast.

I think anyone who thinks Christmas is 'all over' when they have opened the presents isn't doing Christmas properly.

cardibach

As the plates are being cleared my SIL sighs and says sadly: 'All over now.' We have a sweepstake on it, not on the fact that she'll say it, but on the time the lunch will be over so she can. It can be any time between 2.30pm and 3.30pm but it'll still be fucking daylight.

She's a lovely person in all other respects but has a talent for bringing you down.

Here when DC were small it was stocking in bed then usually breakfast and santas presents before getting washed and dressed as he always brought something fun to wear.

It was the time when it was just us and we could have all the fun of santa together.

Then family presents at GP if we were with my family that was usually before lunch if at in laws after.

This year even though DC are 17 & 20 it was just the 4 of us on Christmas morning so all our presents were exchanged before breakfast in our PJs. Then we had big breakfast got showered and dressed and went out to family for dinner, where presents didn't get opened until around 6pm.

Stocking opened on our bed
Beakfast
Showered and dressed
Walk the dog
Make a cuppa
Open tree gifts
Light lunch
Big dinner for family in our house at 7.
Film
Bed.

The kids genuinely aren't mithering to get at the presents tbh. They have stocking gifts, general playing, family around etc.

The three months of build up is imposed, guest.

Yes that's what I mean cardi and guest. The mince pies & gifts in the shops in October, the Christmas ads, decorations, lights, from November then advent, Christmas fairs, grotto, list-writing, parties, etc etc etc

By the time that 3 months is over my kids (and I) are stir crazy. I wouldn't impose any more barriers to present opening!