Anyone else not put christmas presents in seperate piles for xmas morning?

[Seasonschaaaange]

We put all presents under the tree all mixed up, including adult presents. Our kids then look at the labels and pass the presents out. I grew up with my mum doing the same and always thought it was the normal way of doing things till I became an adult with facebook. Now I see it is far more common for presents to be put in seperate piles and placed on the sofa etc. I love the way we do it and can't imagine changing it. Just wondering if there is anyone else who does the same?

[alletik]

We do mixed presents under the tree.

Santa gifts are on their beds for when they wake. They open a small stocking (of things to keep them going when they wake at stupid o’clock until it’s a decent time to get up).

Santa’s sacks are opened in our room on our bed. Children are now teens and tween, but they still like to squeeze in and open their presents.

The big presents (only 4 each) are all under the tree. They are handed out after breakfast and we take turns opening them. The DC will often play, explore their present whilst waiting for their next present.... and I like to see that they’ve liked what we’ve bought them.

But, yes we do it as my parents did it. DHs parents did it a different way, but thankfully DH doesn’t like the way his parents did it - says it doesn’t have the magic of Christmas like my family, but I think Christmas is much bigger in my family than his (they do more for birthdays than we do).

[craftsy]

I just have DS so there is no mixed pile or separate pile as it's just all his. And nothing is wrapped. Santa sets everything up in dioramas as if mid-play. For example, last year DS wanted a Star Wars Echo Base set but Santa brought it and numerous other figures and vehicles and set them up on a snow blanket like a miniature Battle of Hoth. It's so much fun to set them up like that as DS focusses on one or two items (usually the complete surprises) and literally can't take in what's in front of him. Then 10 minutes later he does a double take when he sees what's been in front of him all along. It gives such and interesting and honest insight into his thought processes. I love it.

It also means that we have 20 minutes or so of really intense excitement and absolute wonder. An hour or more of unwrapping presents one after another sounds really, really boring to me. It would be fun at first but how could it not get really tedious after the first few? Our way also means DS has plenty of time to play with his new toys before we go out later in the morning. We have a busy day seeing lots of relatives and playing family games which means DS gets at least 8 more gifts throughout the day . So 20 minutes seems like just the right amount of time for the 'getting' part of Christmas morning with much more focus on family fun.

[PickleFish]

Mixed pile under the tree when I was growing up. One person reads the labels and hands them out, and then they're mostly opened one at a time, but sometimes you get two or three going, if someone is a bit slower or if there are young chidlren who are a bit more impatient.

order is all a bit random, as some people get more gifts than others, depending on how things are wrapped etc.

Doesn't take that long to write out - each person gets one from parents, one from santa, one from each sibling, and possibly a couple of extras from things like 'the elves' or whatever.

I think it focuses the children on the 'giving' aspect more, as you are looking forward to watching someone open something that you've specially chosen for them. It doesn't have to be a big dramatic all-eyes-on-them thing, as you can mix it up with eating/drinking bits for breakfast, looking at your own presents, opening a couple of things at once etc, if someone is really bothered by the attention aspect of it, and you can go fairly speedily through them if you want, but it can help children know that the 'giving' aspect of giving someone else pleasure is just as much fun as the 'getting' aspect of their own presents.

And it stretches the time out, makes it less of a frenzy that just bags of presents to open all at once, which I think is quite nice.

[tiddledpink]

My parents used to do piles and it always used to cause upset when we were much you get if someone had a bigger pile etc.



I have always done mixed up under the tree and stocking on bed.
We make mixed up under the tree more exciting as we add in a few of DS's cousins presents and pretend Santa got mixed up as they are close neighbours. It also keeps the excitement alive when they come around in the afternoon and they bring a few of DS's presents and keep up the pretence.

[PickleFish]

plus there were always random ones from friends and relatives and so on, as well as family, so there'd always be slightly different numbers anyway, and we would just get used to that - good lesson to learn! It was always fair underneath, even if superficially different numbers.

[sweetsomethings]

Piles here too always has been always will be . It's so magical this way. Maybe it's. Reginald thing I don't know anyone who has everything under the tree.

[sweetsomethings]

That was supposed to say regional thanks autocorrect

[alletik]

“but it can help children know that the 'giving' aspect of giving someone else pleasure is just as much fun as the 'getting' aspect of their own presents.”

Absolutely agree, Picklefish. DHs family do the piles and to me, it just seems grabby. When the ILs come over for Xmas, we hand out presents and my FIL will open all his presents without any attention to anyone else, whilst my children sit and wait for him to do it. Then they take turns in opening theirs (although I’ve never asked them to do this). They’ve even commented on how much he misses out, because all he’s interested in is what he’s got. And yes, I’m afraid it does seem grabby, as all he’s interested in is his own presents.

Whereas, we have just a few under the tree, and the DC buy presents as well as receive them. Since they were little, we have taken them out on a big shopping day where they saw FC, bought a Christmas decoration for the tree and bought their presents to give to others. So, from the beginning giving has been as much a part of it as receiving. And when the DC choose their own presents, they too like to see that the person likes their gift too.

[GreenTulips]

DHs family do the piles and to me, it just seems grabby.

My kids Sorry them into piles and we then take turns opening one at a time - it can be both

[alletik]

True, Greentulips. I don’t think it had to be that way, it just seems it the way my ils do it - one big frenzy and no-one knows —or cares— what anyone else has been given.

[sweetsomethings]

Totally agree greentulips we do piles and also take turns to open them .

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Each child has a pillowcase (since they grew out of stockings), and that goes under the tree. Having it in something disguises nicely that some may have more than others, and prevents the small things being kicked under the sofa/picked up by the dog, hidden by other things.

[ilovepixie]

All mixed under the tree and the kids take turns each year in handing them out. Separate piles and even worse separate plies of unwrapped presents is just wrong!

[inappropriateraspberry]

Stocking from Santa on the bed, then all family and friends gifts under the tree. Always the youngest‘ snob to hand them out, and everyone waits for each person to unwrap, before the next gift is handed out. Makes it last a bit longer, and everyone appreciates looking at what others have got, rather than just tearing into their own gifts in one go. I love watching people’s reactions as they unwrap, and it’s an important lesson in giving and receiving gifts.

[WhoKn0wsWhereTheSlimeGoes]

We do piles because our living room is tiny and the tree is on a small table in a tight corner so very limited space under it. We put piles along the hearth instead. We tried a mixed pile but it's easier if they are sorted beforehand so that the person giving out takes one from each pile in turn rather than pulling out three presents for the same person one after the other and having to put them back again. We don't just pile in, even if we wanted to there's only room for one person by the hearth. Nice to know some would call us grabby though .

[NoWordForFluffy]

Nice to know some would call us grabby though

It just seems like another way for people to be judgy, if you ask me.

We have the same issue with the tree and, even if we didn't, the kids have their own sacks which the Santa presents go into, so they'd get separated out.

We might try to put gifts from us / family under the tree this year, but that's only if there's room to do so.

The kids are always grateful for what they get and say thank you to the giver. Separate piles and appreciating the gift / thanking the giver aren't mutually exclusive, whatever some people would like to think.

[dementedma]

I agree,each to their own,but must admit I struggle with those to dont wrap the presents. Surely the excitement and anticipatio is lost if you can see what everything is immediately

[OlennasWimple]

We do mixed presents under the tree too.

And stickers for name labels makes it all soooo much easier than traditional tags on strings!

[Seasonschaaaange]

Enjoying reading how people do it differently and what makes it special to them. The only reason I asked this question is because through facebook and talking to friends I realised I am the only person I know who mixes up the presents. Just wanted to know if there was anyone who did the same and clearly there is!

I also do a stocking upstairs that the kids hang on the door and they get a few gifts to keep them occupied. Some family come over in the morning and like to see the kids faces when they see the tree so we keep them upstairs till they arrive (family will have already come over the night before and added their presents under the tree). For me thats the most annoying bit because when I was a kid I could just run downstairs as soon as everyone was awake.

[goose1964]

Never heard of anyone sorting presents out in advance, half the fun is getting a seam of presents all for the same person

[CA95616]

We stay with my sister over Christmas and do piles. With 6 kids between us it reduces the time spent opening gifts so we can enjoy the best parts of the day...watching films,playing board games etc

[OkPedro]

In our house Santa delivers unwrapped presents on Christmas Day.. our very small family exchange presents later that day or on St Stephens day (Boxing Day) I have a shit family who "forget birthdays" so Santa is extra generous

[HenryBiggleswade]

I remember when I was younger my mum giving us our own piles, one year I asked if she’d put them all under the tree together and she did. T’was great

[wendz86]

We also have them all mixed up . My little girl loves sorting through them . I used to hand them out to everyone and that was my job .

[MuddlingThroughLife]

Stockings in their bedrooms which they bring into our room to open then everything else in piles downstairs.

Our tree is huge. It touches the ceiling and has little room underneath. It's also in a corner. We can just about fit three light up presents around it which don't actually fit under the tree. No way could we fit all the presents under it, especially when they were small and all had huge boxes of toys.