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Christmas

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Original poster

Do you take your DCs presents out of the packaging before you wrap them?

31 replies

BumptiousandBustly · 19/12/2011 20:06

DH and I can't agree - I say lets take them out of all the packaging before we wrap them, so that as soon as the DC open them they can start playing with the toys.

DH thinks that its easier to wrap when its in the cardboard and shows that its a new toy.

MN Jury - please decide - we will abide by your decision.

OP posts:
Mutt · 19/12/2011 20:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheTinselsTheWrongColour · 19/12/2011 20:08

leave in the boxes as

  1. easier to wrap
  2. dc would be slightly miffed if the boxes were missing
nancy75 · 19/12/2011 20:08

I have done both, it's easier to wrap boxed stuff, but christams morning is much more fun if the toys are unwrapped (especially if they need putting together) as they can play with then right away, without waiting for you to untwiddle all the bits of wire on the packet

celebmum · 19/12/2011 20:08

Leave in box! Then some presents can be opened all through the Xmas holidays and not all on one day IYSWIM! Grin

Oakmaiden · 19/12/2011 20:09

Depends on the gift. If it is going to need lots of putting together it is worth doing that in advance, but otherwise I would leave it in the box.

Original poster
BumptiousandBustly · 19/12/2011 20:10

OK, DH is winning so far (and letting me know it!) Anyone else?

OP posts:
OddBaubles · 19/12/2011 20:10

I prefer them in packaging but have been known to loosen some twiddlers and have wire cutters to hand.

Mutt · 19/12/2011 20:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hiccymapops · 19/12/2011 20:14

We too leave them in the box and have wire cutters out in the morning. I think there would be too much chaos here otherwise, with toys and paper all over. I think bits would get misplaced immediately.

MudAndGlitter · 19/12/2011 20:14

I'm wrapping everything boxed except DDs garage and DS's tower of doom

befuzzled · 19/12/2011 20:16

hmmm i wrestle with this question every year. Usually end up with s mish mash of both. Onr half of mr thinks packaged stuff looks more "gimme, gimme" an dless likely to have been made by Santa's elves in the N Pole. Other half thinks in packaging looks better and is more likely to appeal to them as will look brand shiny new like what they have seen in the shops.

I think I have more or less settled on leaving in packaging anything going under the tree and taking out if going in stockings.

Original poster
BumptiousandBustly · 19/12/2011 20:20

OK, DH 1 - bumptious 0! Grin

OP posts:
mollythetortoise · 19/12/2011 21:10

out of the box in our house, infact I've already done it- soooo frustrating trying to open boxes on Christmas morning, the little wires, the boxes that are impossible to open without an extremely sharp knife, the wrappings/boxes/general debris that gets everywhere. It just puts me in a really bad mood!

what about a compromise, undo all the little wires etc for ease of extraction but but put item back inside the box before wrapping

BlatherskitesInFairyLights · 19/12/2011 21:33

I remove as much of the tape and ties as possible and put in the batteries and then repackage the toy in the box to make wrapping easier.

DD is getting a leapfrog Tag Junior this year and I've taken it out of the box, put the batteries in and uploaded the extra books before putting it back in the box to wrap so she can get going with minimum fuss on Christmas morning.

One year DS got the Happyland Starter kit and I went through the box and removed all of the ties and bags before we wrapped it to save hassle and mess on Christmas morning too.

countlessbabychams · 19/12/2011 21:40

Anything My Little Pony-ish with all the accessories will take until the New Year to remove from the packaging.Just so you know.Xmas Wink

Had I known I would have unpackaged beforehand and saved spending hours battling with yet another invisible wire all of Christmas day.(and delaying unpackaging some simply because I could not face it).

But generally I wrap in the boxes.

fairimum · 19/12/2011 23:44

somethings totally out of the box - all others int he box but opened (set up if needed, batteries in etc), all wires/ties etc cut - then back int he box to be wrapped :)

3duracellbunnies · 20/12/2011 07:00

Depends whether they have come straight from the shop of if they have detoured via someone else's house for a few years!

stuffthenonsense · 20/12/2011 07:17

I wrap them ready to play for the very small children, to a toddler a box is just a box and it takes a while before they realise it contains a bike/pram/trampoline/doll etc....once they understand the concept of packaging they are opened, batteries in, reboxed minus all the excess packaging and wrapped...ime stuff is more likely to get lost in all the cardboard/plastic rubbish on christmas day, AND if you have disposed of as much of this as possible in the weeks before christmas then your bins will cope better with all the bank holidays.

andaPontyinaPearTreeeeee · 20/12/2011 07:26

I think it depends on the toy and the age of the child, but we've taken some out of the packaging.

Happyland is really over packaged; I got DS (2) a few of the space themed things so I took them all out and wrapped them together. DD is getting a little wooden doll house, which came flat packed, so I built it before wrapping it. Wouldn't want to be doing all that on Xmas day :)

starfishmummy · 20/12/2011 07:31

We take the packaging off the thing that go in ds's stocking so that he can open and play when he wakes up -last year it was 3am!

leftmymistletoeatthedoor · 20/12/2011 07:37

When ds was 2/3 I took them out the packaging but I don't now he's older - I will take his dsi out and charge it etc but then put it back in the box. Dd's stuff I all in boxes but she's only 15m and they're not things which have much twiddly wires or need putting together. Oh actually she's getting a kitchen - that will be put together when I can be arsed possibly after xmas

sunnyday123 · 20/12/2011 08:28

i open, add batteries, remove all those annoying tags and then re-box - that seems a fair compromise!

mumto2andnomore · 20/12/2011 09:06

When DS was about 2 we bought him a train set, once he opened it he wouldnt open anything else till it was set up which took ages ! Really wished we'd done it the night before so he could play with it straight away.

Theonewiththehair · 20/12/2011 09:18

It depends on the toy. Dd's b'day recently and got her the usual pink and plastic. It took 2.5hrs to put together and stick on the 100+ stickers and it was supposed to be quick! Fortunately it was a school day but would have been awful if she was here.

Look to see how ready they are and then decide. Awful to be doing that christmas morning. :)

andaPontyinaPearTreeeeee · 20/12/2011 12:45

D'oh, DSCs brought their pressies over for us and one is a wooden garage thing... flat packed! Opening them tomorrow (DSCs are not with us on 25th) so I am glad we have screwdrivers etc ready :o

We have also bought lots of batteries. I forgot to put them in before wrapping the happyland. D'oh again.

From my parents they are getting an easel and lots of accessories all chosen, bought and paid for by me because they can't be arsed but that's beside the point - will be building it in the next couple of days, but instead of wrapping it we are waiting until boxing day (that's when my parents are here) so they can take DCs out for a walk, and we will bring it all down and set it up so it's totally ready even with splash mat on the floor etc. It is going to be awesome :o