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Christmas

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Original poster

When do you let the dc's open presents? all at once or spread them out during the day?

31 replies

Marne · 12/12/2011 10:57

We are going to my dads house christmas day but will be spending a few hours at home in the morning (going to my dads around 11am), usually i would let the dd's open their presents after breakfast or before, they get quite a lot to open (mainly small things/tat but quite a lot of it), its going to be a bit of a rush as they will need to open presents and get ready to go to grandads so wont have a huge amount of time to play with their new toys, then we will be going over to my dads where dads partner has apparently gone OTT with presents so they will be opening another load before lunch. I'm thinking it will be a bit too much and they wont apreciate what they have got. Should we keep some back for the evening or even boxing day?

How do you do things? Open them all in the morning or spread them out over the day or 2 days?

OP posts:

WowOoo · 12/12/2011 11:05

We always keep some back. We have a random tradition of opening some in the evening.
We are also keeping some gifts we've had from abroad for Boxing day. More excitement that way...

ujjayi · 12/12/2011 11:31

I think it's quite nice to keep some back. DCs have their stockings which they open whilst sitting on our bed, then breakfast and then a few presents from the under the tree before getting dressed etc. Once dressed they play with those things they have opened and then we have a few more either before or after lunch, depending on what time we eat. I think we may do as WowOoo does this year and save gifts from overseas until Boxing Day.

shinybaubles · 12/12/2011 11:38

We also spread out the gifts because the 24th is ds2 birthday, so it seems like an awful lot, they have stockings and after breakfast they can have one or two it's spread out all day and sometimes boxing day, otherwise they get overwhelmed but they are 5 and will be 2 on 24th. Maybe it's different with older kids.

munstersmum · 12/12/2011 11:41

We open presents in the morning and then a second lot when people come to us for lunch / we go there. None carried over to Boxing Day but that is my mum's birthday. When DS was younger if say two lots of Lego were received one lot might disappear in the course of the day to reappear one miserable Sunday in January.

I think the fact you have previously let them open presents and their age will influence whether it's a good plan.

WTFlike · 12/12/2011 11:46

A mad happy scrum after crashing down the stairs. Wrapping paper everywhere, bleary eyed me tripping over things with a scissors/screwdriver/batteries. Love it!

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 12/12/2011 11:58

We spread them out over at least one day, if not several.

Stockings can be opened willy-nilly before breakfast. We don't even bother with breakfast for the dc on Xmas day - we just make sure that there's enough reasonable stuff in their stockings!

Then we take turns opening a present in several sessions throughout the day. If we don't get through everything, then it waits until the Boxing Day, or even later.

One year we just let the dc free-for-all with the tree presents. It was horrible. They ended up sitting glumly in a pile of wrapping paper and gifts, so overwhelmed that they were quite unable to appreciate and enjoy what they had. So not only did we revert to one-at-a-time opening, but we now ensure that they explore and play with each gift before opening the next.

jelliebelly · 12/12/2011 12:03

Open in mad rush until dcs start to get overwhelmed by it all then save what's left for later in the day. Mine get up early though so no worry that there isn't enough time!

knittedbreast · 12/12/2011 12:44

have always et them open gifts all at once. This year itl be spread over the day. my parents are coming over after dinner so will bring their girfts then.

I dont like what we have been doing.

pigsinmud · 12/12/2011 12:46

Stockings as soon as they wake up. Then family presents after lunch.

thereistheball · 12/12/2011 12:52

Stockings when we wake up. Tree presents get opened at 11, with a glass of champagne, once we've all had breakfast and a shower.

OrmIrian · 12/12/2011 12:53

Stockings first thing.

Family presents after lunch.

andaPontyinaPearTreeeeee · 12/12/2011 13:03

Our DCs will be getting their stocking and one main gift - these are from FC - first thing, upstairs in our room. We also get some gifts from FC (stuff we both wanted rather than surprises IYSWIM) so we all have something to open.

The plan is that we then go downstairs for breakfast and only open other stuff after.

We do have a rule though that only one present is being opened at any time, and we take it in turns - I really can't stand the whole "everyone ripping into everything at once" thing.

I'm not sure about saving some for later in the day. I think we could, I admit I went overboard this year , but I'm not sure if keeping presents under the tree, with all the extra anticipation that creates, actually just makes the day more about the presents than it needs to be?

AmberLeaf · 12/12/2011 13:06

Stockings usually at around 5:30am 6:30am.

Tree presents after ive had coffee, generally in a surge of christmas excitement, I did it that way as a child too, my DCs are always grateful and we have a lovely day.

We never visit anyone on christmas day though, always spend it at home so dont have to worry about fitting it all in.

GooseyLoosey · 12/12/2011 13:08

We start on Christmas Eve. My father is Danish and their tradition is to give gifts then. The last window on the advent calendar takes the kids on a treasure hunt around the house, leading eventually to a new pair of pyjamas or a dressing gown or something similar.

Then on Christmas day, it's stockings first in bed. No one goes downstairs until after about 7.30 so the stuff in the stockings gets enjoyed.

There will be a few unwrapped pressies from Santa for the kids which are enjoyed and played with and then we have a big family breakfast.

After breakfast (which is about 10.00am) the rest of the presents under the tree get opened.

We usually have extra people for Christmas dinner who turn up about 1.00pm with more pressies and that's it.

bananamam · 12/12/2011 13:10

Stockings first.....then to the living room to open the bulk. However my kids are only 2 and 4 and last year DS took most of the day to open his. Now at four he is pretty much the same. He will open one at a time, build it, play with it, then open another....may take him more than a day. Dd however, loves tearing so will open all hers rather quickly. We have breakfast at my mums, where we all exchange gifts there. Then home for pjs and nothing!! Tis going to be a good day. Our rule is they decide how fast or slow to open their presents. They are theirs after all!

WowOoo · 12/12/2011 16:17

If I were you Marne, I'd only let them see a few pressies before 11 or else you'll never get them out of the house.

vixsatis · 12/12/2011 16:20

Stocking presents in the morning plus one big one

Everything else after lunch

EatMeDates · 12/12/2011 17:07

Stockings first thing, then a few tree presents (big ones), but keep some for just before dinner and some for just after. Keeps the excitement going longer.

I always keep a tiny present back for NY's Eve, too. Dont know why, but always have done.

inchoccyheaven · 12/12/2011 17:48

We open stockings on our bed ( all of us get one) which have 5 presents each in ( just little things), then we go downstairs and let the kids get on with it. Sometimes they will open everything first and other times if something takes their fancy straight away they will play with that for a while before opening more.

When I was a child we had to wait until after the queen's speech to open family presents and then we took it in turns to open a present which meant it took ages. I obviously went against this when we had our boys but my sister still carrries on the tradition with her girls.

We get together with DH family on boxing day so we have exchange presents with them then.

RomanChristingle · 12/12/2011 21:19

We open everything before breakfast and as a child I'm pretty sure I would have actually burst if I had had to wait! It was bad enough if mum or dad went to the toilet before they came downstairs. Why not let them open them all and take a couple of the more portable ones with them to play with and concentrate on the others when they get back?

RomanChristingle · 12/12/2011 21:22

I must admit I've just had a at the poor child upthread sat glumly amongst TOO MANY presents!

scotagm · 12/12/2011 22:02

Father Christmas leaves presents and stockings for Ds1 and Ds2 - opened first thing in the morning.

All other presents opened after Christmas Dinner -so all presents for adults and all children's presents that come from relatives.

Last year there were so many presents (Both morning and afternoon for Ds1, Ds2 and niece) that we decided to leave some for Boxing Day - brilliant idea, otherwise many presents wouldn't have been given a second glance.

Original poster

Marne · 13/12/2011 09:59

Roman- i'm sure thats what we will do, dh likes to get everything un-wrapped and all packaging put in the bin ASAP. On boxing day we have the step children over so there will be more present opening, plus my parents will be coming over, christmas seems to be spread over 2 days anyway.

OP posts:

nikon1968 · 13/12/2011 18:32

My son wakes up drags his sack in to our bed........................opens about 30 presents in 10 mins then into the lounge to open all the rest in about 20 mins.

Then brekfast take the dog out and then reflect on what he got and who gave him what.

phew its great.

Sleepyspaniel · 13/12/2011 22:21

I'm sure it's probably more refined...dignified... elegant... to open presents after the Queen's Speech, or Christmas Day evening after a light supper, or one by one sat round in a room full of 12 people...

but as a child myself (who was not bestowed with that many nice things at any other time of the year) it was probably THE most exciting thing in the world to open them all at once.

A bit like Charlie Bucket ripping into his chocolate bar in one go Just for the hell of it.

I do think that it would have been good to have a few (just a few) held back as a surprise late in the day when things were going a bit flat, however.

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