Do you have an 'order' to present opening?

[LajesticVantrashell]

Not with kids, I understand that's a rabid free for all, but with partners?

DH has 10 gifts this year, ranging from welly socks to new Vans trainers. I like him to open them in a specific order so he gets the less good (read: crappy) ones first and the better (more expensive) ones last.

Am I the only one who does this?!

One at a time, with hints to make sure better presents are opened last.

Wasn't even a free for all when I was a child after I cottoned on that I'd opened my best present first, then massive disappointment with every present opened after that.

My DM did not let that be repeated any other year! Tat first with slow build up to the good stuff.

Not exactly, but I do tend to distribute the kids presents under the tree so that they get some mediocre stuff early on, then bigger presents, then okay stuff to finish.

We open gifts from others first so I can ensure I know who to thank for what.

Presents to each other and DC there’s no order too, not really any that aren’t exciting as we don’t buy clothes or any essentials at Christmas so they are all nice wanted treats.

I usually hide the really special presents around the back of the tree. If they're connected (eg video games for a video console) that's also there I put a little code in the tag. Always open the presents one at a time as we always did when I was a child.

When I was a kid we took it in turns so everyone got to see what everyone had got.Now I've got ds me and dh opens ours from each other on Xmas eve night so Xmas day ds can just get stuck in.

We take it in turns so we can watch each other and it's lovely. It's relaxed and chilled. The kids chat to each other. They aren't grabby. Having manners isn't boring. We're not sat there reading all day long or playing chess. We just like each other's company
What she said

(Stockings are opened in bed though. The boys still come in to our bedroom
with their haul!

Stockings before breakfast, one ‘main’ present before church. We sit round the tree whilst lunch is cooking and open the rest one at a time. Bigger presents do get saved for last.

Anyone else wondering why they’d give presents that wouldn’t be wanted or appreciated? No matter how small? Yes there may be a main present. But I’m pretty sure that even if my child opened that first- they wouldn’t then be “disappointed” by the ones that came next. If you thought they would be surely you’d not gift that.
And many people seem to have far too many rules and regulations for Christmas. The only rule here is no present opening (in fact they cannot enter the lounge) until we are all together. Im 😬 at the person who said their parents never saw them open their presents!!!!

YY Isadora! If I was going to give something that was boring or unexciting then I'd not bother.

I do a bit of an order. Presents are put in the pile, but the cheaper, crapper presents are at the top of the pile so they are generally opened first. I have held back the main present til last on quite a few Christmases. That means the smaller presents get a decent amount of attention before being overwhelmed by the big presents.

@livingthegoodlife

One at a time here so we can all watch.

I remember my first ever Christmas away from home at my boyfriend's family home. It was a free for all with nieces and nephews just opening everything. Even adults diving in. I was so shocked. I just sat there frozen. It was horrible!!

Just to add, im sure it was lovely if that's what you're used to but I wasn't at all. Traumatised!!

Oh god I can sympathise!! We always took it in turns. Stocking for me and my Sis we'd sit on the end of our Mum and Dads and take it in turns to take something out. Then once we got down stairs and had breakfast we'd take it in turns to open our presents. It was nice because then the person opening could then show everyone else what they'd got. Sometimes one of us might have a few more presents than the other ( same value spent on both child) so that person would then maybe open 2 or 3 up at once until it evened out. Then once we'd tidied all the paper away from ours we'd open the presents under the tree. One of us would be delegated to get a present from under the tree and then hand it over to the person who's name was on it then keep going round each family member but again all opened one at a time so everyone else could also see what they'd got. My Mum said apart from seeing mine and my Sisters reactions to what we'd got it was also funny seeing my Dads reaction as well cos more often than not even though they'd gone shopping together he didn't have a clue what she'd bought for us 😂 doing it the way we do it always made it feel like it lasted longer too. Sometimes we'd even leave the tree presents until Boxing Day which spread it out even more. First xmas with my ex husband and in laws I wanted to cry!! I think animals in a zoo would've behaved better. My niece would just sit there ripping off the paper and then tossing the presents to aside to open another one. I remember getting my presents and just sitting there with them unopened on my knee and my mil asked me why I wasn't opening them and didn't I want them. Said yes and I'd open them once everyone else had stopped diving in. The only present I'm glad I did miss one year because I'd gone for a cig was a Baby's first scan frame and photo because I was battling with infertility at the time. This year I was looking forward to starting off some of my own traditions with my new DP for our Baby's first Christmas but incorporating some of my family traditions in as well. Sadly it'll just be a candle lit in memory instead.

We do one each in turns,

@hawaiianhal

We take it in turns so we can watch each other and it's lovely. It's relaxed and chilled. The kids chat to each other. They aren't grabby. Having manners isn't boring. We're not sat there reading all day long or playing chess. We just like each other's company

Oh lord. I find this so stressful though. Particularly when you have young kids, who with the best will in the world can't sit all day being perfectly 'on' socially. I get so stressed about making sure the kids are behaving on their turn, that i barely look at anything I get and look really rude.

There's a middle ground between ripping everything open once without acknowledgmeant and everyone staring at each person while they open their gift.

Typos, sorry!

@Lozz22 I’m sorry for your loss x

@PinkJam thank you

We take it turns until they are all opened.

We all take turns picking a present out from under the tree. Usually people pick one they have bought themselves, but not always.

If there are lots of people, we make sure everyone gets handed a present and then all open them simultaneously, then hand out another load.
Children usually get a few more, so we might do the odd children only round.

But if it is just our family we take it more slowly and all watch each person - there aren't huge numbers of presents under the tree, so this way spins it out a bit.

We don’t do it in any particular order, kids run downstairs and open presents together but they do stop to open or play with things in between gifts rather than just ripping them all open.

I can’t imagine asking my children to wait to open gifts that are there in front of them all day to be honest!