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Original poster

To ask if anyone else's parents did this?

360 replies

Storm4star · 04/12/2018 12:10

All the Christmas threads have got me thinking! I grew up in the 70's and obviously parenting was different then so I'm wondering if it's that or if my dad was just mean! (He was mean in general so it wouldn't be surprising!). Basically, he would never let us open our presents on Christmas day until after the Queen's speech (which I believe was on about 3pm). If we asked in the meantime then half an hour would be added on to this time, for every time we asked. I honestly used to dream of being like other families and sit round the tree in our dressing gowns in the morning and opening gifts then. Needless to say with my own children, we've always opened presents first thing! So I'm curious if anyone else was subject to these kinds of rules?

OP posts:
Wheresthebeach · 04/12/2018 13:01

No presents until Dad was up, had eaten a cooked breakfast that included grilled kidney's...he typically didn't get up til 11am.

Not a lot of unrestrained joy in our house growing up.

Myheartbelongsto · 04/12/2018 13:01

As kids we all had to come down together and now I have my own children I have the same rule but they just bomb it downstairs and gifts are opened in minutes!

How mean to make your children wait until after church, speech etc.

CharlesChickens · 04/12/2018 13:02

Oh I forgot, I always get Christmas pyjamas, and they open those on Christmas Eve.
We used to put the tree up in Christmas Eve, but now sometimes do it in the week before, as the dds like having it up, and dd1 has a birthday close to Christmas and likes to decorate the tree on her birthday. Depends on when we’ve picked one up though !

DuploRelatedInjury · 04/12/2018 13:03

We had to get up at a reasonable time (7am onwards), no peeking in the living room until everyone was up, breakfast and cup of tea to be consumed first (later waiting for DM to return from getting my DGPs up and ready), present opening one at a time, taking it in turns. Our cousins would be calling to thank us for presents and we wouldn't even be up. We'd be sat there quivering looking at the presents while DPs finished their breakfast!

DH got his Father Christmas stocking presents in the morning but had to wait til after dinner (getting on for 6-7pm) for the rest.

PeanuttyButter · 04/12/2018 13:06

We could open our stockings before church but not the main things until afterwards which would be about 11am.

Winlinbin · 04/12/2018 13:07

We never watched the speech and had all presents in the morning.

With my own DC we found it was an awful rush getting them up, opening stockings, going to church (something my family didn’t do), having dinner, seeing family etc and so when they were too young to know any different we delayed opening family/tree gifts until Boxing Day. Once they got to school and discovered that most other families opened stockings and tree gifts on the same day they were very upset - for the poor children who only got presents on one day instead of the fun of spreading it over two days.

They are adults now and it can get complicated combining our traditions with those of their new partners but whenever I suggest that
we condense it all into one big present opening on Christmas Day there are howls of protest. In their minds Christmas Day is for a big dinner, family games with their cousins and maybe church (if they aren’t too hungover) and Boxing Day is pyjamas, leftovers and presents.

Thesnobbymiddleclassone · 04/12/2018 13:08

We were always allowed our presents form 7am when we got up. My dad like that they kept us busy and out of his kitchen while he cooked!

I hate that my in laws wait until 4pm. When you've got a group of children there who have been bombarded for weeks with "what do you want for christmas" and "oh I Wonder what santa will bring" it just seems mean to make them sit there and stare at them all day.

I let DD open hers when she gets up and I let her open her gifts from my DH's family when they given them to her before MIL steps in an confiscates them

crrrzy · 04/12/2018 13:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for privacy reasons.

kingscote · 04/12/2018 13:10

Stocking presents the minute we woke up.

Main present under the tree after Church.

VanGoghsDog · 04/12/2018 13:11

My parents are anti-royal so we would never watch the Queen's speech, I didn't even know it existed until I was a teenager.

We were allowed our stockings first thing, then mum had to start the dinner, we had a big cooked breakfast and a walk and no 'main presents' until after that, then another round when whatever rellies were coming arrived (G'parents mostly, but the occasional great aunt).

I don't think it's a big deal though. I think a massive present frenzy first thing is unnecessary. With my niece and nephew we do stockings first thing with champagne, then breakfast, then main gifts.

Knittink · 04/12/2018 13:11

Dressed and breakfasted before presents is the rule in my house. Putting it back by half an hour if you asked was horrible though imo.

suzy2b · 04/12/2018 13:12

When i was young i put a pillow case on the end of my bed when i went to bed opened them when i woke up, my children had very large sacks which I put on the bottom of my bed they opened them as soon as they woke up, my daughter puts presents under tree and they open all when everyone is up

kingscote · 04/12/2018 13:12

How mean to make your children wait until after church,

We didn't think it was mean at all. It added to the excitement and anticipation.

OutPinked · 04/12/2018 13:13

No that seems quite mean spirited tbh but typical of the seventies Grin.

My best friend in primary school used to be forced to get dressed into her Sunday best before opening presents so she looked good on the photos Hmm.

Blinkingblimey · 04/12/2018 13:14

Stockings in the morning, gifts in the afternoon - always. Weirdly my kids have always waited till adults are downstairs to open stockings so it’s not till 9ish...I never had that much patience and am v grateful to them for it because it gives the gps real joy😊

delboysskinandblister · 04/12/2018 13:16

apart from anything i don't think our border collie and cat would have waited for their Christmas stockings from Santa. And once border collie's paper hat was on he wore it all Christmas Grin and fall in love with the sight of the christmas cake up on the dresser

Blinkingblimey · 04/12/2018 13:16

...& before anyone accuses me of being smug, I can guarantee there’ll always be some sort of issue about someone wanting something that someone else has been given🙄

Jappydooda · 04/12/2018 13:17

We were allowed to open our stocking when we woke up, but weren't allowed to open our presents until Mum and Dad were awake. Then we would sit on their bed and open our presents. When we got a bit older - teens - we would open them downstairs.

The stocking and presents were always put on a chair at the end of the bed, right up until we left home.

DoYouLikeBasghetti · 04/12/2018 13:19

One present on Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas morning. Stockings brought in to open on mum and dad's bed, then downstairs for breakfast and presents!

(We didn't have a tv and my family are pretty anti-royal so I don't think I was aware of the queen's speech even existing until about high school age).

ReanimatedSGB · 04/12/2018 13:21

OP, was your dad a bully in general? I think the 'adding half an hour on' thing hints at someone who enjoyed throwing his weight about.

FWIW my brother and I would wake up to a sack of presents which we were allowed to dive into any time after 7am (as I recall) as long as we did so quietly. As we got older it moved to mid-morning opening, then going out for lunch somewhere.

With DS, he's usually had a stocking to open when he wakes, then some gift opening before lunch, and main everyone-opening-gifts after lunch.

Topseyt · 04/12/2018 13:21

My family always had presents for us children first thing. Before even breakfast. Then breakfast, church (I hated that, just wanted to get back) and then back home for presents for the adults, usually around 11am.

Christmas Dinner would be around 1.30. We always had to watch the Queen's Speech at 3. My Dad would never have countenanced otherwise, but I no longer bother with it with my family and haven't for at least 20 years.

For us it is presents first thing. Then breakfast, then get the dogs walked. Then we go out to a restaurant 5 minutes walk up the road for Christmas Dinner at about 1.00pm. Then back to do whatever we want - maybe a board game, reading, or seeing what crap is on TV. Maybe Netflix if there is nothing (which increasingly happens).

EBearhug · 04/12/2018 13:24

Stocking when we woke up, tree presents after lunch, so sometime in the afternoon.

RubixCubix · 04/12/2018 13:24

Growing up we had our stockings (from FC) in the morning, then gifts under the tree (from family) after lunch.

Now we do similar but DC get to open any gifts from ILs in the morning too (they're an all first thing family) as they will ring early to ask if DC like their gifts and won't accept we do things differently.

tiutinkerbell · 04/12/2018 13:26

No presents in our house until after lunch either, that is still the rule even with the littles! Everyone knows the rules so it has never been an issue for anyone. Certaintly never thought of it as mean! I love the build up and the anticipation.

After lunch we all get our comfies on, crack open the sweets, mince pies & champagne and get down to some serious present opening!

Babdoc · 04/12/2018 13:26

Born in the 50’s. Had to open presents alone in the morning. Parents stayed in bed. Father threw my sister’s hand iced Christmas cake in the bin, saying if he wanted a cake he’d have bought one.
Mother always rejected any presents we gave her, and returned them to the shop or left them unused in a cupboard.
There was a palpable sense of relief when the day was over, and they could abandon any thin pretence of being loving or normal parents.