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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

Trusting DD2 not to open presents under the tree?

19 replies

candykane25 · 06/11/2015 14:01

Not her presents from Santa/us. They will be in her stocking in Christmas morning.
DD will be 2.4 at Christmas. I normally put family presents under the tree in December until it's time to give them out.
Last year she didn't understand the presents concept really so didn't try to unwrap anything.
If I leave her in the living room with the tree and present pile, am I a fool?

OP posts:

CottonSock · 06/11/2015 14:03

Yes, that would not work for me. My DD opened my dad's birthday presents last week arrrgghh

gamerchick · 06/11/2015 14:03

Well there's only one way to find out

MajesticSeaFlapFlap · 06/11/2015 14:06

she's 2, she's not supposed to have stellar self control. She will be all over them like a rash

It's unfair to put them out, like your setting her up to fail.

Plus you get the magic wide eyed wonder stare as she walks in on Christmas morning if you stick them under one Christmas eve

Bearbehind · 06/11/2015 14:07

Definitely too tempting!

If you're going to do the whole Santa thing, how would you explain presents under the tree throughout December anyway?

girlywhirly · 06/11/2015 14:26

I think it's best to put the presents out after DD is in bed on Christmas eve.

parrotonmyshoulder · 06/11/2015 14:30

My 3 year old can rarely get to a birthday party without having opened the present several times en route. I always take a roll of tape in the car.

myotherusernameisbetter · 06/11/2015 14:38

I think OP means the presents she has wrapped for other people?

Mine were always fine with it. I'd let her see you wrapping them though so she sees that they are just boring stuff for old people. If you have ones for kids, do those separately and hide them at the back :)

I like to see presents under the tree that rapidly diminish as they are passed on to their owners before Christmas only to be replaced on Christmas by santa :)

Notso · 06/11/2015 14:38

My 4 have never opened any although there has been some squishing and rattling.
That said the presents go under the tree as people bring them but I take them and hide them that night so they aren't there for long. Some bastards stole all the presents from under my Granparents tree several years ago so I don't like to have them on display for long.

girlywhirly · 06/11/2015 16:36

Good point, Notso, I'm sorry that your grandparents were robbed. It is better not to have any presents out, especially if they are visible through a window.

Our presents get trampled by the cat anyway.

TheDrsDocMartens · 06/11/2015 16:45

We have a play pen around the tree. Stops them climbing it too.

Original poster

candykane25 · 06/11/2015 21:15

Yes, it's the presents for/from other people. Not Santa presents.
I love wrapping presents and making them look pretty - such a shame if they are not out!
I have always worried about the burglar thing but hopefully my house is safe enough. Fingers crossed.
I might involve her in wrapping some so she understands it's not for her - good tip!
A child I know was found under the tree age 2 having opened every door of his advent calendar in one go and was covered in chocolate.
So i am forewarned on that one!

OP posts:

Glitteryfrog · 07/11/2015 08:32

If you're going to do the whole Santa thing, how would you explain presents under the tree throughout December anyway?

Santa only brings stockings. Presents under the tree are bought by people.

RoganJosh · 07/11/2015 08:35

Santa doesn't do presents from aunties and uncles, or to adults etc in our house.
We've always been ok with the other presents under the tree.
Also, if some get unwrapped it wouldn't spoil any surprise so it wouldn't be the end of the world to patch a few up.

originalmavis · 07/11/2015 08:39

Where are they? When I was little they were all in on of the front rooms that wasn't used much under the tree so temptation wasn't so much as when the door was closed we didn't really see them. Wed go in to have a look/switch on the tree lights and put on Christmassy music.

BondJayneBond · 07/11/2015 08:43

I'm considering putting our Christmas tree in the playpen this year to try and stop any present tampering.

PrincessHairyMclary · 07/11/2015 08:43

I'm 29 (with no will power) and I'd struggle not to peek at mine if they were under the tree let alone a 2 year old who doesn't know what's hers and what's not!

Maybe you could use decoy presents if you want to have pretty ones under the tree stuff a cereal box with newspaper and wrap it and any other boxes that you have lying about. Your DC could do their own.

florentina1 · 07/11/2015 08:59

There is a certain person in this house who is not allowed to even see a present before Christmas morning because her nosey habits.

She is 68.

janethegirl2 · 07/11/2015 09:02

Both my mum and daughter have no self control if left with presents........and they are both 'adults'.

Original poster

candykane25 · 07/11/2015 13:23

DH just put a bag of wrapped presents on the floor (that i had placed on a high table!) and just caught DD gleefully taking presents out of the bag! She didn't try to open them though.
I explained they are for other people and she accepted that. So, we'll see...

OP posts:

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