Who was right here?

[Rofhdj]

I went to a child’s party today. The birthday boy turned five. One guest was his seven year old cousin.

Birthday boy was given a gift from another guest and opened it. Ten minutes or so later his cousin began opening it and said he wanted to play with it. The birthday boy objected and the cousin was told not to play with it until bb had opened it and played with it, and was told to give it to bb.

Which is unreasonable?

YABU - birthday boy should get to play with it first and it was right to stop the cousin
YANBU - the cousin was doing no harm and bb wasn’t playing with it

“I felt a bit sorry for the kid. He was just looking at and playing with the toy. I couldn’t see the harm. But clearly I’m wrong.”

Its obviously nice to share toys and play together but a new toy which the BB hasn’t played with should be left alone until BB opens it

When my son was little and had a birthday party, my BIL and SIL unboxed a whole stack of his gifts and gave them to the cousins (not their kids, the other BIL's kids) to play with. No idea why. Heaps of bits and pieces went missing together with instructions. We were never able to assemble those toys properly. So annoying and very rude, they were my child's toys and he should have been able to unbox them and play with them first.

I hadn’t said that yet when I wrote the post you’re quoting.

I know you hadn’t said it but you obviously thought it because you then went on to write it

Okay? I’m not sure of your point.

99% YABU on 183 votes here OP. Opening someone else's gift is unacceptable to me. It's nice to share but sharing doesn't start until the toys are opened/sweets are started or whatever.

I think you have too much time on your hands to be worrying about this. But I think of course a kids bday presents should be left the hell alone.

It’s a huge issue. I’ve thought of nothing else since. I think that’s normal.

The presents were purchased for the BB, I'd have been pretty annoyed had I of bought a present for a DC whos birthday it was only for another DC to remove it from it's packaging and start to play with it first.

The BB's cousin isn't always going to be 7 years old and needs to learn that they can't always have things their own way, the GP's were correct, IMO.

Not sure I get the order. The birthday boy opened it, then the cousin opened it (wasn't it already open?) and should have waited for the birthday boy (hadn't he?)?

Sorry, my fault. Birthday boy opened it ie. unwrapped the wrapping paper. Cousin then tried to open it as in taking it out of the box,

Specifically at 7, he’s old old enough to know better.

Why is it a huge issue? It's neither huge or an issue, and you've thought of nothing else?

Is this a bot post or have I missed something?

I think it’s pretty clear OP that cousin was in the wrong and good on the grandparents for telling him not to play with it. A brand new boxed gift should clearly be played with by the BB first and cousin should not have felt entitled to open it.

Yep!

Other child was behaving like a little shit. Parent should have stopped them.

My boy received a quite expensive toy truck for his birthday from his Nan. He had wanted it for ages and was looking forward to playing with it
Party guest took the box upstairs, played roughly with it and snapped off the doors and a couple of other bits.These couldn't be mended.
Son was bitterly disappointed at his ruined toy and never played with it. Nan was furious because she had wasted her money.
So yes Cousin should not be touching other people's gifts.

I'm not sure it's a big deal - unless I've missed something here? Hope you forget about it tomorrow 🙏

I'm a bit shocked that anyone would think that it's ok for any child to use or play with a present that had just been given to another child. I think it was a bit foolish of the parents to let the birthday boy open his presents at the party. When my daughter was young we always put the presents in a big bag and then she opened them when we got home.

I agree.

Yes, you are clearly wrong. Brand- new pressie, 5-y-o is right not to want someone else getting to it first. Cousin sounds like a spoiled brat, but at least the grandparents are on the ball

Cousin needed to learn that this is Not On.
Edited to add: I' m begining to suspect you are the pushy cousin's mum

You’ve missed something.

There was only one present.

It’s not even your child! You need to get a life!

That’s very much what they say about him and he left the party being dragged out after going into a huff about something else and trying to lock himself in a bedroom.