What to do about Christmas morning with older DC?

[OvertiredandConfused]

So, my DC are now 11 and 13. I'm trying to decide what to do about the whole pile of presents thing. Up to now, putting them out while they're in bed has been fine. All presents are always downstairs - never in their rooms.

This year, they want to come to midnight mass with us - which is great. However, this does make logistics harder. Not sure I can keep presents out of sight and then make magical piles after we get back. Up to now, I've hidden pressies at my folks house, five minutes away, then fetched them during the evening on Christmas Eve.

Obviously, I know they don't believe the whole Santa thing anymore, but not sure I'm up for the whole communal present laying out yet either, not least because it would spoil the surprise element to individual gifts as they'd guess what they'd got. And we all love coming down to a pile of pressies on Christmas morning.

Any suggestions?

I just slip presents out our room at 1am. Not so bad since they no longer want to be up at 6am.

Is midnight mass actually at midnight? A lot of churches hold 'midnight' mass earlier in the evening (9/10pm), so you might find you'd be back earlier than you think.

Failing that, could you put the presents out before you go?

We move out wrapped presents downstairs and hide In the garage the night before Xmas eve in named cardboard boxes then whip them out when the kids are in bed shock doesn't take long at all.

^which

We get home from midnight mass about 12.30am - later if it's my turn to count the collection!

Might try and load everything into the car boot and just bring it in when we're back. No garage. Grumpy DH dislikes doing anything after we're home which is probably the root of the problem so I'll tell him to go to bed! No chance of hiding anything in our bedroom as it's more like Piccadilly Circus as DD uses make-up, mirrors, etc, etc.

Before church, send children and DH out somewhere - eg posting last minute local Christmas cards - whilst you arrange presents. Then ban everyone from lounge, go to church?

I put their gifts into giant gift bags in the spare room and then just bring them down after they go to sleep. No church for us. I generally make them a snowball to drink while we watch a movie as it knocks them off to sleep earlier, otherwise I'd be up til all hours.

The growing pile of presents under the tree used to be part of the excitement for us - lots of conversations about what could be in what shaped box (led to buying big boxes to pack small pressies in!), picking presents up and shaking them etc etc.

Tell them after midnight mass it's straight to bed & keep lounge door closed
If they don't agree to the deal they don't get to go

I just wait until they go to sleep or set alarm to do in middle of night.

My DC are 7 and 9. DS still believes in Father Christmas but we have always done stocking of small gifts then other presents from us (and others). We have always enjoyed the ritual of getting the presents out together and bringing them downstairs, laying them out in piles for each person. So I would say get them involved next morning (but maybe put one present out each under tree after church as they are getting into bed to tie it back to your family tradition?)