Do you open stockings first thing or wait?

[nappyaddict]

This year DS got up, hot drinks were made, then they sat down and opened all the pillowcase presents.

Then DS played with his presents whilst breakfast was prepared and then eaten.

Then we went to my brother's grave, came home, DS is watching a Christmassy DVD, he will play with a few more toys perhaps opening a couple more whilst dinner is prepared.

I usually take him to the park in the afternoon and this year I think we will go sledging. When we come back we have dinner and then everyone opens the presents together and we play a new game. Then comes the Christmas soups, drinks and nibbles.

Last year everyone got up and picked one present to open and play with, breakfast was prepared and cooked, we went to the church and opened the rest of the pillowcase presents when we got back. Can't decide which I prefer.

When we were young (well, I was young, my sisters are about 10 years older) it was a special treat for us to go to Midnight Mass and then be allowed to open some presents on return home.

Then we could go to bed, knowing there were things waiting for us in the morning and no 'rush' to be down too early.

Have to say am not religious now, but going to Midnight Mass was special, back then, as it was the "true start" to Christmas Day for us.

We do stockings first thing, and tree presents after the Queen's speech. I find it helps to spread things out over the day.

Oh the kids open their stockings and have smarties, roses, chocolate money and lollipops for breakfast, then we go downstairs and open a few presents and have mince pies around 10:30 and open the alcohol for the adults - yay.

Then we open a few more presents and then we chose 3 each to take to the grandparents house for dinner at around 3-4ish.

Wouldn't have it any other way tbh. I get a day of NO food preperation!

Stockings are always opened in the bedrooms first thing in the morning. Tree presents later usually after lunch

We open stockings first thing - although DH insists they bring them in to us which kind of defeats the whole point of the stockings .

Then downstairs and straight into the opening session. I love it, and it's actually much more controlled than when we were kids. < common emoticon >

We do it first thing, I'd have hated having to wait as a child. Plus it gets it all out of the way and gives DC lots to choose from over the whole day.

I also carry on my mums tradition of letting them open a little gift on Christmas Eve plus give them their new Pjs, slippers and housecoat.

I'm with you, allnight. I remember going to my SIL's one year, staying over on Christmas Eve.

This was pre-DCs, and I found it so stressful watching the tiny children reach fever pitch, constantly being told off because they could barely contain their excitement. I really couldn't relax.

I think we had to wait until at least mid morning and I really couldn't see the point - isn't all that preparation for the DCs' benefit?

I felt she was trying to prove to her parents how posh she was.

whatswrong lol yes very much a middle class thing or should I say faux middle class.

Kids all open their stockings at some unearthly hour. Then we get up and prepare breakfast at 8ish.
Then everyone opens a few tree pressies each. The rest of the pressies are opened throughout the day and i keep a couple back for Boxing day as its an anti climax otherwise after the mania of xmas.

DS brings his stocking into our bedroom and opens those presents while we come round have a cuppa. Then downstairs to open all other presents. It takes a while though as we split the presents into piles for different people and then take turns to watch each other open each present.

Presents from my mum usually arrive when she comes later.

Stocking presents before OH goes off to work for a couple of hours so he can see some presents opened. Then they watch a Christmassy DVD and eat breakfast until his return and then open all the rest before going to church mid-morning. We wait until after church usually to open ours.

we open them all first thing ,always have

First thing, definitely

Stockings at horrible-clock then into living room at 7ish for Santa presents. Breakfast,dressed etc then tree presents mid-morning though if we're having the relllies we spread the tree presents through the day.

Definitely first thing, followed by the tree presents.

We open family presents at my mums after lunch, then they have the ex's and in laws presents boxing day and then their seeing my aunts and some friends on 27th, so it is spaced out.

stockings in bedroom at around 5am. then downstairs to more father christmas presents around 7am, presents from family that are under tree we open just before lunch.

5am - no wonder you use that MN nickname, frazzled74 !!

We have always done stocking first thing, then big Santa gift, then all the rest of the presents either after lunch or spcaed through the day.

NEVER AGAIN! This year, we broke with tradition and did stockings and Santa pres as usual, then had breakfast and then after let the DC open all the tree presents ( about 8 each, not really big ones, books, jigsaws etc ), instead of waiting or dripfeeding. No GP presents as MIL/FIL and BIL/GF came round at lunchtime so had theirs after lunch and my parents and sister andf family here tomorrow so they get theirs then. It was wonderful. I got to sit and watch them not exhausted by lunch, or worried about prepping it, no worries about anyone else being around, and no nagging to open presents.

Bliss, bliss, bliss. Its the least stressed Christmas Day I've had since they were born.