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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Husband opening kids Christmas present early

66 replies

confusedwife84 · 02/10/2017 17:37

We have bought my husbands daughter a new games console for Christmas and he is determined to open it now to play it and “make sure it works” Hmm but really he just wants to play it. I have told him how silly this is and how unfair it is on his daughter to not get the first play on her new toys but he sees nothing wrong with it. AIBU or is it ok for him to do this?

OP posts:
sausagerole · 03/10/2017 07:33

I honestly don't see what the problem is here. Your daughter isn't going to know. Presumably as it's vintage it's second hand? So it's not like it's never been played on or is in perfect packaging. I really don't get what the problem is with having a play on it before your DD gets it.

If the packaging is going to be clearly damaged and it will spoil it for your DD the that's different.

Phosphorus · 03/10/2017 07:38

It's retro, not vintage Sausage .

She'll never know it has been used, the box isn't sealed that way.

She's unlikely to mind anyway.

My child is hoping for one, but they are impossible to get now, so the child's father did well there.

My child's first question on opening a SNES mini would be 'have you tried all the games?' Hmm Grin

user789653241 · 03/10/2017 07:59

It depends. If bought brand new from proper shop, just leave it. If bought second hand from ebay,etc., I would check it out if it's working properly.

ApplesinmyPocket · 03/10/2017 08:27

I'm struggling to see this as a big issue. In the 1990s I bought the original SNES for my daughter, 12. Every time everyone was out of the house I had a session on SuperMario.

It didn't harm the game at all, it's not like taking chocolates out of box and then gifting it half-empty! I don't think of myself as a 'selfish twat' for this Grin and my daughter didn't either. It just wasn't a big deal.

The thing is though, once it is given it must be hers. DH has to step back and ungrudgingly let her be the owner, with first priority on play. I'm wondering if you're thinking he might not be able to resist grabbing the controller to 'show her how' or demand his own session on it when she wants it herself, as if it's shared. That's definitely not on.

I've bought the Mini too for the family this Christmas, but sadly I can't actually be bothered to get it out of the box this time around Sad EVEN though it has Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana, two of my all time favourite games.

KungFuPandaWorksOut16 · 03/10/2017 09:52

I think some of the name calling directed at the husband on here is a bit extreme.
What is it see who can be the most abusive with the name calling?

I've bought my niece a Nintendo U for Christmas, I set it all up made sure it worked and had a few games on it and now it's packed away.
Am I a thief like OPs DH has been called? Or any of the other names.

Katedotness1963 · 03/10/2017 09:56

I think it's a good idea to set it up to download stuff (see how good I am with the lingo) ahead of time. Our son got a game system a couple of years ago and it took almost two days before it was ready to play, not much fun on Christmas Day.

KungFuPandaWorksOut16 · 03/10/2017 10:08

Wii U not Nintendo U Blush

Gemini69 · 03/10/2017 12:28

I believe the entire point is.. it's a Christmas Gift..

play with it from dusk til dawn if you so wish ... but until that Child opens this gift on Christmas Day.. it belongs to nobody but that Child...

I'm stunned at the selfishness to be honest...

pigeondujour sorry I see what you meant now lol Flowers

Justanothernameonthepage · 03/10/2017 12:53

As a kid, I'd have been crushed if someone had played my brand new console before me. I still hold a grudge over my DF letting the neighbor kids open and play with a gift Is not had a chance to try out. (But I had siblings so there was a bit of resentment about being forced to share.). I've grown out of it now - but I'd be tempted to test DH gifts if he did that to our DC. If you know it would take off the shine, then stand your ground. Also you only have a limited return time if you change your mind. If it's just not working, you'd still be able to return it in Jan.

Phosphorus · 03/10/2017 13:02

Honestly, part of the fun of being a grown up at Christmas is playing with stuff beforehand.

All those parents putting together Playmobil, setting up Sylvanians and train tracks and remote control gadgets, just to 'see if they work'. Grin

I know that my parents did it, and I love the fun they had. As I child, I was oblivious. It really, really doesn't matter.

HidingBehindTheWallpaper · 03/10/2017 13:02

Hmmm.
I see the issue but I’m not so upset.
She won’t know, it’s not going to wear it out. It’s not going to look used.

It’s the amount of time in my opinion. If he plays it every night between now and Xmas then it’s not on.
If it’s for one evening then I can’t get worked up.

DoubleDinghyRapids · 03/10/2017 14:01

That doesn's sound like somethin a 10 year old girl would ask for

Why? Plenty of girls enjoy video games. I saw a young girl buying an original SNES about 6 months ago with money she had been saving since she was 9. It was her 11th bday and her Mum was giving her the rest as a gift.

Dd and many of her friends would love this. SNES videos are all over you tube, since dd was about 5 there’s been something gaming related on her xmas list. The gaming community is for girls too.

Joeymaynardslimegreendress · 03/10/2017 14:05

I don’t get the problem as long as he doesn’t break it.

Mind you I dislike man child’s

MissionItsPossible · 03/10/2017 15:13

I actually think his idea is a good one. I was out of the loop on consoles for a long while and the last one I had was a PS2 where you just pop the disc in, no fuss, and you had a game ready to play. It was a huge shock when I bought a next gen and found that opening the box and connecting it up did NOT mean it was ready to play, that game data had to be downloaded that could take hours, constant patches having to be downloaded because games were being released unfinished and just the general faffinness of it all. I took it home in the afternoon and still wasn't ready by the time I went to bed that night. If it had been Christmas as well and I had a been a young kid, I would have been hugely disappointed and cranky I couldn't play on it.

But if it's anything more than setting it up, then no, he is BU.

Original poster
confusedwife84 · 03/10/2017 16:37

Thanks all for replies. He’s really generally not selfish or a twat, he’s a great dad and husband, but this SNES thing has brought out a different side of him! Anyway we talked about it again and I suggested just setting it up and ensuring it worked properly and putting it away again-which we did. I think he still would have gone on and played properly if i wasn’t there, but all sorted now.

OP posts:
Getreadyforit · 03/10/2017 21:35

No issue with checking it. If he's going to get it all out and play it for ages and basically wants the present for himself then that's a hit shit.

I've just read you've sorted it though so it's all good.

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