Page 10 | Kids found hidden Christmas gifts...what would you do ?

eatdrinkandbemerry · 14/12/2023 14:19

If my kids went searching they wouldn't get half that I had purchased i would donate half to a toy bank to teach them a lesson!

steppemum · 14/12/2023 14:36

parents get really obssessed with the surprise of santa and with children not believing.

The is a fundamental misunderstanding of how childrens brains work.

If you come downstairs on Christmas morning and find a tree with its lights on in a dimly lit room and a huge pile of presents that wasn't there before, it is MAGICAL. If you sat the same children down and grilled them, even the most enthusiastic santa believer would know at some level that this was all engineered by parents, but children under about 7 years are able to hold simultaneously the reality and the magic. It is part of growing up that they at around 7 are then able to divide the world into 'real' and 'not real' before that they can hold 2 opposing ideas at the same time, and not care.

This kids who peeked, really, really do not care on Christmas morning that what they saw is wrapped up under the tree. They just delight in the magic of it, in the fun of it, in the familiyness of it.
That is because they are kids, and we should all relax about about exactly which bits and santa and who brought what.

Macaroni46 · 14/12/2023 15:39

steppemum · 14/12/2023 14:36

parents get really obssessed with the surprise of santa and with children not believing.

The is a fundamental misunderstanding of how childrens brains work.

If you come downstairs on Christmas morning and find a tree with its lights on in a dimly lit room and a huge pile of presents that wasn't there before, it is MAGICAL. If you sat the same children down and grilled them, even the most enthusiastic santa believer would know at some level that this was all engineered by parents, but children under about 7 years are able to hold simultaneously the reality and the magic. It is part of growing up that they at around 7 are then able to divide the world into 'real' and 'not real' before that they can hold 2 opposing ideas at the same time, and not care.

This kids who peeked, really, really do not care on Christmas morning that what they saw is wrapped up under the tree. They just delight in the magic of it, in the fun of it, in the familiyness of it.
That is because they are kids, and we should all relax about about exactly which bits and santa and who brought what.

Beautifully explained. I completely agree.

Baba197 · 14/12/2023 15:43

Nope- they still get them! Their fault for looking! As a child I used to unwrap
the presents under tree to see what they were then seal back up, so silly as it spoiled the surprise!

flippertyflipster · 14/12/2023 16:16

I always used to find my presents, and then I’d feign surprise on Christmas Day, it was half the fun. There was just one year where I found a white camera and went on and on about how I wanted a black camera, and by Christmas Day she’d changed it. thought my mum had no idea I always found everything, but looking back I was so obvious! I would have been gutted if I’d ended up with different presents.

PaulaPocket · 14/12/2023 16:21

LastYearsChristmasStamps · 13/12/2023 13:54

So Your friend is buying even more presents so they still get a surprise? Bonkers. It’s like a reward for sneaking about.

I’d just give them the things they found. A good lesson that you spoil your own surprise if you hunt for presents.

Totally this. Little bleeders. I'd have half a mind to give them to the poor children in Africa, as the nuns at school used to say.

Missingpop · 14/12/2023 19:26

She’s away with the elves; Christmas is expensive enough without debuting it all again

OhcantthInkofaname · 14/12/2023 19:43

Greenpolkadot · 13/12/2023 13:50

Talking with some friends yesterday.
One tells us that her kids (3 under 10 ). found all their gifts from where she had hidden them.
She says they must done a proper search as they were hidden in cupboards ' the shed and various other places.
She took the gifts away but then wonders if she should buy a whole new load of stuff as the suprise has gone .
Personally I would keep the discovered stuff and re-present it on Christmas morning...but she thinks I'm being mean and unreasonable.

Tell her to buy new presents would only reward bad behavior. Years ago a friend she made her children wait an extra week to unwrap them.

Jeannie88 · 14/12/2023 19:49

Absolutely not, that's just giving the wrong message. When they're wrapped they won't know what they are yet still be happy to have them surely? A lesson learnt for all, Christmas isn't about just gifts, or shouldn't be.

Sallywag134 · 14/12/2023 19:56

This actually happened to me and my brother when we were kids. My parents were decorating downstairs and we were playing upstairs…or I was and he was snooping in my mums room. I think I was about 12 and him 9. Anyway, he asked me to come and look and there were all our presents. My mum knew we’d found them but just told us off for going into her private cupboard. Christmas Day arrived and the shine was taken off opening what we already knew was there but we’d get to keep the gifts this time. It was an hour later before she let us have gifts that had been too big to hide in the house: a bike for my brother and a stereo system for me. Another amazing Christmas that we almost ruined for ourselves.

MadMadaMim · 14/12/2023 20:14

Mine were always told that the par nta have to buy the 'branded' gifts which Santa collects to wrap and any Santa extra gifts,and if children have seen them r touched them, the magic doesn't want work and he can't collect them.

Worked a treat and also aovws the issue of affordability

Umbrella15 · 14/12/2023 20:26

Omg, this is what kids do, they go looking for their xmas presents. I used to, and I, know my kids do. My friends kids do aswell. Its part the parcel of Christmas. Your friend should use it as a learning curve to find a better hiding place next year. Like a relatives house.

LaDamaDeElche · 14/12/2023 20:38

15PiecesOfFlair · 13/12/2023 13:53

No way would I buy more, wtf?! The kids chose not to have a surprise, so that's what they won't get. They'll still get the toys.

They were saying they wouldn't buy more, hence the lack of a comma.

Teenagehorrorbag · 14/12/2023 20:41

Ridiculous. I've always told mine not to go in the end bedroom as there is Christmas stuff in there. When they believed in FC we always said he brought the stocking and a few bits, and the rest was from us/relatives, so there was no confusion. They never peeked once - I told them if they did they would spoilt their own Christmas and that was up to them.

Even youngish kids can understand that. I would have moved heaven and earth not to accidentally find mine when I was young (and still don't like feeling them to guess....) - but I've heard adults saying 'ha ha yes we always hunted about and found ours....' - seems really sad to me. But each to their own.

But if they choose to ruin the surprise then on their own heads be it. No way would I buy more......

winnieanddaisy · 14/12/2023 21:22

My brother is 16 months older than me . He used to look for our Christmas presents but I wouldn’t because I was a little goodie two shoes . We did, however read our Dandy and Beano albums and the put them back where we found them 😂😂

Elfontheshmelf · 14/12/2023 21:41

Depends on if they believed in santa. I'd maybe get one each from santa if so.

But as they were looking for presents I suppose they already know their parents buy them.

Mumof3confused · 14/12/2023 21:43

Are you worried about spoiling the magic of Father Christmas?

ThistleTits · 14/12/2023 21:47

@FrozenGhost action and consequences, exactly as you said.
I remember doing exactly the same at around 11 years old. Shitiest Christmas ever, flat as a pancake. I didn't bloody search again.
I certainly would not replace the gifts either.

Whatmeagain · 14/12/2023 21:49

My brother and I searched when we were about 6/7 and found our annuals hidden in a wardrobe. Believe me - we were both devastated that we’d found them and never looked again. We didn’t admit to it either but if we had we’d have still got them. But the bottom line was we didn’t really want to find them just thought we should try because it was the thing to do 🤣

Wimin123 · 14/12/2023 21:56

I did this once as a child. It was a good lesson because it spoiled the surprise that year. I never did it again.

KnittingSister · 14/12/2023 22:12

I snooped, found a nice book I was looking forward to...I didn't get it, my sister did. I didn't look again.

MachineBee · 14/12/2023 22:59

I found a pair of jodhpurs in my mum’s wardrobe when I was about 9 and they were the wrong sort. Good quality, but didn’t match the cheaper ones worn by the stable girls where I had riding lessons.

Worst Christmas ever when I had to pretend they were a wonderful surprise. I have never gone looking for presents again. Learned my lesson very well that year.

OliveWah · 14/12/2023 23:47

No chance!

My younger sister went searching for Christmas presents one year, when she was about 6 or 7. She didn't find them, but it wasn't until I'd left home that our DM told me that she had always hidden any presents in an empty suitcase, which was stored on top of the wardrobe in our bedroom - we'd have never dreamed she'd hide them in our own room - genius!

Singleandfab · 15/12/2023 07:17

I think she should let their surprise be spoilt this year so they know the consequence.

I think this is part of being a child! My daughter found her main present when she was about 3 and doesn’t hunt for it anymore! I told her that obviously I totally forgave her but that she had ruined the surprise for herself.

I found this hard as a child myself as my brother would always find all our presents for birthdays and Christmas and tell me what I was getting every year. It was sad as it ruined it for me and I didn’t want to dob him in either as he was my younger brother and there was an expectation that I should always protect him. I had to fake surprise to my parents and this is probably one of the reasons resentment grew sadly and I find him to be really entitled and used to getting his way now! I also spent time faking happiness at times of year when it should have been entirely natural and that’s not great for learning an attitude of gratitude!

I doubt all three had the same level of intention to find the presents and all three have now had their surprise ruined.

pebbles8811 · 15/12/2023 07:37

No I wouldn’t buy new gifts, if we found ours when younger mum used to tell us the boxes were empty and Santa magicked the presents inside on Xmas Eve and we believed that lol it’s also what I say to my own kids if they find any not that mine go snooping as they can’t get in my Xmas cupboard lol