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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Christmas ruined - what do I do?

390 replies

Mummytotwonow · 21/12/2023 21:58

My 8yr old has hunted and found all the Christmas presents wrapped up for her and her brother. I have spent bloody weeks getting the presents, organising fun things to do, school admin, whilst juggling FT work and all the other mental load women have to do. This has just fking topped it off. What’s the bloody point. Do I just tell her there’s no father Xmas and ruin Xmas for her and her brother or do I re-wrap everything? I feel like fking walking away. I’ve had enough :(

OP posts:
Shouldershoulder · 21/12/2023 21:59

Did she unwrap them ?

Eveeeeeee · 21/12/2023 22:00

Sorry op that sounds exhausting and frustrating. But it’s not her fault, she’s just an excited child.

Do you tell her all the presents are from Santa?

I would rewrap in different paper.

RitaFromThePitCanteen · 21/12/2023 22:00

Don't re-wrap. Don't create any extra work for yourself at all. Give them the presents as-is, in their current wrapping paper. Either she'll realise or she won't. Age 8 is about the age a lot of children start questioning the existence of Father Christmas, anyway.

RunningAndSinging · 21/12/2023 22:01

Tell her the presents are from you and put some small ones in her stocking from Santa.

WandaWonder · 21/12/2023 22:02

Annoying I get but ruined?, and what is the constant women martyr thing?

EdgarsTale · 21/12/2023 22:02

I can’t believe she unwrapped them? No don’t wrap them again. She needs to understand there are consequences for that behaviour. You decide what the consequences are.

Charlingspont · 21/12/2023 22:02

Don't ruin it for her. She's 8 - she didn't know she was going to find Santa's presents - she probably just thought she might find yours.

Take a deep breath, and wrap again. When she's older, she'll figure it out and will love you for it. But if you ruin it for her out of anger, she won't forget.

Original poster
Mummytotwonow · 21/12/2023 22:02

No, but one pile was all red colour for her and the other white all for my son. I’m so cross with her. I don’t ask for much. I know she’s a child but I like all other mothers give everything you have and this feel so bloody hurtful :(

OP posts:
tiggergoesbounce · 21/12/2023 22:03

What is the current belief around Santa?

Does he bring them all, i have heard all manner of set up on here so their may be a way to recover it.

And yes, they are just excited children bless them.

Fairydustandsparklylights · 21/12/2023 22:03

Where did you leave them that she found them? Did she unwrap them? I would re wrap, return a few and replace with different ones so they still have Santa presents.

Dacadactyl · 21/12/2023 22:03

I'd make her wrap the presents for her brother by herself.

And I wouldn't rewrap hers.

Cornishclio · 21/12/2023 22:04

If she is searching for presents she probably already has an inkling about Father Christmas anyway. Did she unwrap them? I would just give them to her as they are.

BrimfulOfMash · 21/12/2023 22:04

So she didn’t unwrap them?

PuddingWitch · 21/12/2023 22:04

RunningAndSinging · 21/12/2023 22:01

Tell her the presents are from you and put some small ones in her stocking from Santa.

I think this is a good idea. Christmas is still on!

AnActualPlane · 21/12/2023 22:04

Are you saying all the presents were due to come from Santa? What is your set up?

Cosifantutrifrutti · 21/12/2023 22:05

I don’t think rewrapping them would solve anything - she would realise the red and white ones had gone and put two and two together. Just leave them wrapped as they are. If you like you could wrap stocking presents in different paper and tell her that the stockings are from Santa and the rest from you.

Dacadactyl · 21/12/2023 22:05

BrimfulOfMash · 21/12/2023 22:04

So she didn’t unwrap them?

Surely she unwrapped them too? Otherwise in what world AT ALL is Christmas ruined?

CryHavoc · 21/12/2023 22:05

If she was hunting for presents she probably didn't fully believe anyway. I think you need to have a chat about how naughty it is to look for presents, caution her about not spoiling things for her brother, and definitely don't re-wrap anything

Charlingspont · 21/12/2023 22:05

Dacadactyl · 21/12/2023 22:03

I'd make her wrap the presents for her brother by herself.

And I wouldn't rewrap hers.

Ah yes, how to ruin Christmas for everyone but the brother. Perfect.

Singleandproud · 21/12/2023 22:06

Just tell her those ones are from you, wrap a couple of other bits in a different wrapping paper from Santa, and if you are feeling mean a lump of coal (where you'd get it from I don't know) with a note saying she shouldn't invade people's privacy - don't really do that but it'd be tempting.

beanontoast · 21/12/2023 22:06

Tell her those are the presents from you, and now she won’t get any extra presents from Santa because she’s done a bad deed

Cosifantutrifrutti · 21/12/2023 22:06

Fairydustandsparklylights · 21/12/2023 22:03

Where did you leave them that she found them? Did she unwrap them? I would re wrap, return a few and replace with different ones so they still have Santa presents.

This is a huge amount of work, given how much OP has on her plate and it being the 20th December.

BrimfulOfMash · 21/12/2023 22:06

If she was searching she knows there is no Santa

But we still acted as if Santa was coming years after Dc worked it out (aged about 4).

Just put them in the Santa sack as usual.

And calm down and stop taking it personally. It will all be OK.

IndecentFeminist · 21/12/2023 22:06

This isn’t about you. She’s just an excited child, she’s not trying to spite you or be ungrateful.

FC only brings small, stocking presents here and the rest are from us. So I would pull out any little/cheap presents and re wrap, put into stocking. Leave the rest as from you.

But honestly, this isn’t a massive deal. You will set the tone for how this goes with how you react. So take a breath, get a grip and crack on. You’ll be more cross with yourself if you ruin Christmas by overreacting.

PostmansKnock · 21/12/2023 22:06

She didn't unwrap them so your issue is the fact she has taken some of the magic out of Christmas?

Is so and your son is younger I think I'd be straight with her. Tell her the truth and that she now has to keep that magic going for her brother.

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