To think you don’t give gifts in cardboard boxes?

[Grumplington]

Especially if they are wrapped up inside?

DN is 8 today. She lives abroad. I ordered a gift from Amazon and paid extra for the gift bag. DSis has sent a pic of DN opening her gift- straight out of the box it was delivered in.

At Christmas I send a box of nicely wrapped gifts in a cardboard box. DSis puts the cardboard box (bashed up from a long journey) under the tree.

AIBU or is this really odd? Part of gift giving and receiving is nicely wrapped presents. Opening up a cardboard box doesn’t have the same appeal.

If I received a gift in a cardboard box, I would think the gift giver couldn’t be bothered to wrap it nicely for me. Wrapping gift shows care and attention.

Some people just aren't that interested in wrapping paper, it absolutely doesn't mean they don't care about their loved ones.

Learn to enjoy the differences between people! Life's too short to care about this sort of thing.

It's not how I'd do it, either (if I knew there was a pretty wrapped gift inside the box), but opening a cardboard box can be just as fun as a gift-wrapped one, and kids don't tend to care as much about the precise nature of wrappings as some adults do. In my family, though, we always wrap things nicely. Gift bags take minimal effort and can be reused many times, so it doesn't have to be wasteful or take a huge effort.

Choosing a nice gift and buying it with their (presumably) hard earned money shows care and attention.

While I generally agree with you, the issue is that when you're ordering a parcel to be delivered abroad, the gift wrapping doesn't show any more or less care and attention than the purchase of the gift - they're both things you bought. And sometimes the gift wrapping option won't be available - and the recipient won't know until the parcel is opened whether it's wrapped, or whether you've outsourced that care and attention to them.

As it happens I always take the gift wrapping option where it exists but I don't find it odd when my brother gives my nephews the Amazon box - it basically becomes an extra layer of anticipation.

I wouldn't open a box addressed to my kids? It's their mail, I leave them to open it.

If the gifts inside are wrapped, it's great.

If the gifts inside are not wrapped, do you expect ME to wrap them for the kids? I don't think so 😂

Love and consideration really isn't about gift-wrapping.

what are you on about?

What's not caring or generous? Do you expect parents to wrap other people's presents? I am not sure I understand.

Exactly! Parcels that come addressed to my children are left for my children to open. If I was to open it and it wasn’t wrapped, there’s no way I’d be wrapping it. So it’s best left in the box. It wouldn’t occur to me to open their gift TBH.

How would they know it's gift wrapped inside. ? Na keep it on the box

Exactly this!

I remember not caring about the wrapping as a child and I don't care about it now, but yeah, the general look of the wrapped gift vs. the gift in just a box is better.

It's a reuseable gift bag so less waste.

The vision of a family opening a lot of Amazon boxes sounds pretty sad to me but each to their own.

That said I wouldn't get het up about DN opening the gift from a box. I would wonder why her mum took the gift out of the gift bag and rewrapped it into the box though. It seems odd.

Because you'd open the outer packaging carefully and have a look first? If it isn't gift wrapped inside then tape it up again. It's not hard.

Another one here with a 9yo DS who gets incredibly excited when a box comes addressed to him and he can open it! There’s something extra special about it to him.

When I send gift-wrapped presents I always say, "You can open the cardboard box at any time because it's gift-wrapped inside."
Then they know. Occasionally, when sending a present to a child, I've asked a parent as a favour, "I couldn't get it gift-wrapped but I've sent some paper and a tag. Would you mind?" They usually answer with "No worries, I can just add it to the wrapping I'm doing." I think that's considerate. I wouldn't assume they'd open the box and wrap it for me with giftwrap they have.

Wouldn’t bother me.

As little wrapping as possible for me.
Cuts down needless waste.

I’d never really considered this particular aspect but this is so true! Kids bloody love a parcel to open, to them it’s just another layer of fun. Stop whinging op, you’re looking for an issue here!

I don't open other people's post.

If someone asks me to wrap something they send, of course I do it, but without instructions, it's not my mail to open.

For me it's different when it's a) a child and b) it's coming direct from Amazon or another online shop. I'd want to make sure even for an adult in my house if I ordered it that the product was in good order. I've been ordering for Amazon for many years without many issues at all, but once a big box of paper towels was sent instead of the item I'd ordered. It could be anything in there and it's a good idea to check.

No, it’s addressed to whoever and I just hand it over!

You want a ridiculous amount on Amazon gift wrap, that’s up to you, but it’s pointless, as this situation shows.