To think no one does this - Christmas toys related

[EvilsElsasPetSnowman]

So MIL once did a judgy shock-face at me when, after asking if I take all the toys out the boxes and test them before Christmas Day, before wrapping them, i said “No of course not!”. She said “Oh I did with all of my kids’ toys! I made sure they had batteries in and that they worked because there’s nothing sadder than if a child can’t enjoy their present on Christmas Day”.

I pointed out that as a SAHM she probably had more time to do stuff like that than I do, and that if a toy doesn’t work I’ll replace it at the earliest opportunity, and the kids will have to live with the disappointment and that it won’t kill them, that’s life.

Anyway she went on to say that not only did she un box and then re box the toys, she would also read Lego instructions so she knew how to build the sets, and get this - if they were getting a computer game she’d set up their consoles and play the game so that if they needed help on a level she’d know what to do to help

She just kept (rather smugly) saying “I always made sure I was prepared when it came to Christmas and that my kids knew I was always there for them if they needed my help with something”. I REALLY felt like saying “Funny how you weren’t there for them when you left their dad and moved in with your new fella and his kids for a year, completely ignoring their existence and not even turning up to parents evening or their sports matches, emotionally scarring all 4 of them, but the real failure as a mother is me as I don’t play Animal Crossing before my son gets to”. But I didn’t.

I think this is totally bonkers? Does anyone actually do this?

Also how in the actual fuck would you ever get toys back in the box?! I asked this and she says “it’s easy they just go in the same as they came out”. She clearly hasn’t met vacuumed toy packaging of the 2020’s some of which needs a hacksaw to even open

YABU = Yep I do this you slovenly woman
YANBU = that’s bat shit crazy and no one does it.

When I was about 9 (early 1980s) my parents got my older brother and I a 2nd hand Atari console for Christmas, it came with PacMan and Space Invaders.
My mum was shit hot at Space Invaders - unknown to us at the time they'd bought it in September and got it out after we went to bed and played it for 3 months!

Not so she could help us though, she was unbeatable!

Hmm.. What era would this be? My generation was the mega drive/snes consoles. Unless you had a special type of game cartridge or able to note down a series of long letters and numbers, there was no save point. Meaning to get past a hard level you would have to start over and over. And it can take hours/days perfecting if you have the time.

Saying that...my son's games I buy second hand, so I do test them to be safe.

We got stuff secondhand for Christmas, memorably a load of Lego in carrier bags. That's why getting something brand new, where you got to open the box for the first time, put the stickers on etc. was extra special.

Are you planning on continuing to be a SAHM once your youngest gets their free nursery hours though? It’s literally dreamy. I work part time but on my 2 days off a week it’s so easy. I do a bit of housework in the morning the sit in front of the telly for a few hours in the afternoon. Dinner is on the table pretty much for the children and I can actually play with and spend time with them.

all my Christmas shopping will be done on my days off this year. No more sneaking onto Amazon prime at work when no one is looking.

I think though that 20/30 years ago things were more likely to have faults and shops had much more limited return times, so it made sense to do that more ten than now.

I can remember getting something for Christmas that never worked and the shop refusing to return it because it had been bought in November so was over the return date.
Now most shops do extended return for Christmas presents, but not back then.

I did used to put things together but abandoned that after being up most of Christmas eve putting together a wooden castle, a weekend farmyard and a wooden dolls house. I was asleep for about an hour before they all woke up.

I always say “we don’t worry too much about presents, for us Christmas is all about quality family time and good food” which is true. There are always arseholes who make snide remarks about Xmas present effort as if it’s a direct measure of how good a parent you are. Utter rubbish.

Hell no don’t do that. Not everything has to be immediate. A little practice of patience and the joy of anticipation is a great thing.

My dad did this with a ZX Spectrum for Christmas in the early 80s. When the rest of us were out of the house over the weekend he'd get it out of the hiding place and have a go on it. After that Christmas Day though he had to take his turn with me and my brother, tough to take after being able to hog it for a few weeks. 😂

Love all the SAHM taking offence to the idea that they have more time to do stuff at home than others.

We don't buy much new (therefore avoiding the boxing/reboxing) issue but my DD is getting a yoto this year and I was going to make sure it was fully charged and set up on the WiFi etc before she opens it.

Also one year DS asked for a scaletrix, which we set up under the tree ready so he could just run in and crack on. The FC gifts here are rarely wrapped or boxed, they're set up ready to play. We're not at gaming level yet, but I think that would depend on how games arrive these days. I remember the satisfaction of opening the plastic on the box (is that cancelled now?!), so if that's still a thing the box would be untouched. If they're all digital downloads or something then yeah I'd probably make sure it was loaded up ready. Not gonna be playing a game to know how to help though, surely that's how they learn?? Reminds me of a thread recently about parents being unwilling to let their kids win at mario kart 😂 I suffered to get these skills, you must earn your wins!

Won't be reading Lego instructions either (see thoughts on pre playing games) but surely if someone wants to that's fine, and if they don't then also fine. You do you really 🤷 doesn't make anyone a better/worse parent.

I was just thinking this - unless OP has a nanny/housekeeper/cleaner, she and her partner have to do all the things another couple with one SAHP does in the average week, except they've got fewer hours to do it in. It's not a dig, just a fact.

My own daughter is too young for us to have had to assemble her Christmas presents beforehand, but we never had stuff ready before the day as kids (except bikes probably). I do remember not having batteries for toys on Christmas Day but, for me, part of the fun of Christmas is unboxing everything myself and figuring out how they work. The anticipation makes it better, and I actually think that’s probably more important for kids now as they can access everything a lot easier/quicker than we could, so it will be easier for them to take more for granted.

Even when kids are younger you have more time as a sahm. I work 3 days, Mon and Fri I'm at home with my pre school aged child. I have a lot more time than someone who works 5 days a week. I can cook, clean, shop, do laundry and spend time with my child during those 2 days, I can attend appointments, go to the post office, do a bit of online shopping. That leaves evenings and weekends free . Mums who work ft have to cram all that stuff into the weekend and evening. If you have a baby under 6 months fair enough you have no time. Otherwise you have time.

Not to be pedantic, but Mario was a Nintendo game, not
sega ….

I think doing all the fiddly and building bits is enjoyable for kids, unless they were toddlers or couldn’t read instructions I just left the Playmobil stuff to them to build.

There's absolutely no way i believe she played the video games and went through each level incase her children needed help. How old is your MIL? My experience of video games at xmas was in the 90's and you didn't finish a video game in an hour for example. It took days of playing it for hours and hours until you 'clocked it'. I just find this bit hard to believe.
the batteries and the unboxing i can believe

When my dds were kids I would always make sure I had plenty of batteries as no-one thought to check. We have 4 ddgks & before I wrap their presents I always check if/what batteries are needed & sellotape them to the boxes.

You should charge it up, get it connected to the WiFi, set up the parent account etc so it's ready to play.

What on earth? Surely the building, putting together, setting up, configuring, figuring out how it works is half the fun! It's also how they learn, which is another layer of enjoyment and satisfaction on top.

I honestly despair of 'parents' who think kids should have every appetite fed on demand, every whim indulged, be spoon-fed entertainment every second of the day.

I think I was probably an odd child as I enjoyed the boxes the toys came in, reading about all the features, excitement of taking the toy out, I even kept the boxes for some reason

Thats bonkers, half of the fun of Christmas is parent child time helping them build their toys, and watching them learn to do it themselves when they are old enough. I remember a lovely Christmas when DS1 was about 3 bent right over with bum in the air to look at his hot wheels garage trying to work out where the ramp slotted in. “I fink it goes derrr Mama” with a look of concentration on his face.

I felt very organized when I remembered to put together the building box of supplies on Christmas Eve, so it was ready on the day. Batteries, wire clippers, scissors, screwdrivers of various sorts and bin bags.

It's not a dig though is it?!
Sahms have more time by design

No offence but if you had to go to work as well you'd realise how much time you really have in the day. Running round after kids all day is a choice - they're perfectly able to play at home for short periods while you do other things. Most of us are home with kids at least a couple of days a week so know exactly what it's like - it doesn't get suddenly harder on a weekday! Assuming you have 2 and the youngest is at least 6 months and you don't have 2 sets of twins under 4 that can't attend nursery, or some other unusual situation.

It wasn’t a dig. As I’ve said she had all her kids in school by the time DH was playing with consoles

And sorry but SAHMs DO have more time for domestic stuff. It’s fine, it’s not a bad thing but I don’t see the point in pretending otherwise. Because parents who work deal with the above too.