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Original poster

What time do your kids wake up to open presents?

79 replies

Newdad19 · 08/12/2021 00:23

And what age are they?

We have been fortunate with our two boys so far that they have always slept until 8am but have heard of some people up at 4 in the morning.

What time do you expect your DC to awake? Do you make them wait until a certain time or go with it!? 🎅

OP posts:
clartins · 10/12/2021 06:45

Doesn’t matter what time they woke up the gifts aren’t opened until we’re all washed, dressed and we’ve taken the dogs out for their morning walk.

Bellafrenum · 10/12/2021 06:45

Mine are 5 and 3 so so far their understanding has varied a lot year to year. This year is going to be painful I reckon.

MyDcAreMarvel · 10/12/2021 06:48

6.30 as normal but they only open stockings. Santa sack and family gifts are not opened until 12, 3 and the evening. I find it really odd that some children tear open the presents immediately upon waking. What would you do the rest of the day.

MummyInTheNecropolis · 10/12/2021 06:54

My DD is 16 and loves a lie in but has still never made it past 5am on Christmas Day 😲. Last year I think it was around 4am. I used to try to send her back to bed but I’ve long since given up so we just open presents whenever she wakes now and go back to bed after a couple of hours.

WildStallyn · 10/12/2021 06:56

I'm always the first one awake on Chrismtas Day! Usually 6:30 for me and then the DC at around 8:00.

updownroundandround · 10/12/2021 07:06

We used to watch a Xmas movie on christmas eve and let them stay up later than usual.

Then we'd put their Xmas alarm clocks in their rooms, with the alarm set for 730am, with a warning reminder that ''Remember, if Santa knows you're awake, he doesn't leave you presents ! So you have to stay in bed until the alarm rings the 'all clear' !''

(Yes, we deliberately went out and bought cheap red travel alarm clocks when they were small and decorated them with Xmas stickers and glitter. They get stored with the decorations and came out each year)

Worked like a charm. Even if they woke very early, they didn't leave their rooms until the 'coast was clear' Grin

neednotknow · 10/12/2021 07:11

This is the cutest thread Grin

Romemarie · 10/12/2021 07:22

When I was younger I'd be up from 3 or 4 onwards, and that was after me probably being put to bed at around 8pm, and excitedly cat napping on and off.
My DH was the same as well.

But me and my DH have been extremely lucky with our children. At a young age they would be up at around 6 earliest. Now they are older youngest being 10 they have woken up at 8ish but they happily wait for me and DH to wake up and have coffee.
They sit in there rooms and wait to here us getting up.

Its actually nice because Dh will get up make coffee for us then we sit in bed and normally exchange a gift each just us two.
Last year it was 9:30 by time everyone was up.

actiongirl1978 · 10/12/2021 07:24

5am was our hard line. Stockings are hung on the fireplace and are opened at the same time as main presents. No one can go downstairs unless all 4 of us are ready.

Most years everything is opened by 6.30am and I like that as it leaves time to crack on with all the jobs.

gogohm · 10/12/2021 07:26

When they were small, around 9 but we go to midnight mass. Now they are adults we do presents after lunch

User3638484293 · 10/12/2021 07:35

About 5.30-6am. I'm happy with that as my usual time to get up. I prefer opening presents in the dark in the morning though. Waking up to daylight on Christmas Day doesn't feel right to me 😅

DappyApple · 10/12/2021 09:08

@MyDcAreMarvel

6.30 as normal but they only open stockings. Santa sack and family gifts are not opened until 12, 3 and the evening. I find it really odd that some children tear open the presents immediately upon waking. What would you do the rest of the day.
Stockings were done in rooms as soon as they woke and presents downstairs as soon as everyone is up and awake, It always has been this way. It’s was and still is a Free for all!

They had more than enough to keep them occupied throughout the day. Also depending on whether we went elsewhere for the day or had visitors at home, there would be family presents exchanged at the time of the visit and time spent with various family members.

This is the way we had Christmas done when we were kids, so carried on doing the same for my own family.

I find it odd, when Christmas present openings are scheduled to a strict timetable and also when each person has to take a turn and the others sit round and watch.

But each to their own eh? 😉

MyComputerGetsSadWithoutMe · 10/12/2021 09:11

Between 3 and 6 somewhere! Depends how much sleep they've had the night before!

CoffeeChocolateWine · 10/12/2021 09:16

Last year, my 12yo was so excited he didn’t fall asleep until 2.30am (which meant we couldn’t go to sleep as needed to sort out stockings etc), and my 8yo was so excited she woke at 5am! That was not fun.

Hoping they’ll be better this year. But basically I’m happy for stockings to be opened when they wake up (within reason…stockings are downstairs not at end of bed) but tree presents we all gather round at about 10.30.

Timetoeat · 10/12/2021 10:59

Last year we didn't wake till 9 and had to wake our 3 year old up. I'm not sure about this year,as he is quite excited about Christmas already as he is that bit older. Think his stocking will be left on the stairs so he can bring that into us without going downstairs.

MyDcAreMarvel · 10/12/2021 11:15

@DappyApple nobody sits round and watches , there is no strict timetable. They just don’t open everything at one in a frenzy. They choose to space them out and always have.

DappyApple · 10/12/2021 11:56

[quote MyDcAreMarvel]@DappyApple nobody sits round and watches , there is no strict timetable. They just don’t open everything at one in a frenzy. They choose to space them out and always have.[/quote]
No I never said you do it one by one but I know other families do. I was just using that as an example.

We choose to open everything in one go You said that you find it odd to do it that way and asked what we do for the rest of the day.

You prefer to space it out through the day, but gave specific times so to me that’s a timetable. I said I find that odd as my dcs would be chomping at the bit to open them also it’s all I’ve ever known, But I’m really not knocking you.

All I’m saying is that everyone chooses to do it their way, neither is wrong. You don’t have to understand how others do their present opening just accept we all have different ways.

Lovemusic33 · 10/12/2021 12:24

Dd2 is 15 and wakes at 4am every day 😭, she has autism and hardly ever sleeps. Christmas day is no different, 4am wake up but I have adapted things over the year so I get to have a bit of a lie in, she has her stocking in her room, everything is wrapped in tissue paper, she’s allowed to open it when she wakes up, it takes her ages to get the paper off everything and I try and make sure there are a few things in there that will keep her amused for a few hours whilst I stay in bed 🤣.

Dd1 and I get up any when between 7-8am, I make breakfast whilst Dd1 opens her stocking, we eat breakfast before touching any tree presents so nothing gets opened until 9ish, we take out time opening gifts.

KevinTheKoala · 10/12/2021 19:11

Im always the first one awake on Christmas day Xmas Grin the children usually wake up at around 7am, they bring their stockings into our room and open them with us, there's some bits in there to keep them entertained for a while so I can get breakfast together and then we go and see what's under the tree. My two are 6 and 2.

Naimee87 · 11/12/2021 08:19

6/6:30... DS is into his stocking and
all the gifts are from family and not Santa which he now knows! But the excitement still gets the better of him and he's 12! I love it though, christmas film on, chocolates for breakfast. Then a nap around 9/9:30... before the family visits begin! Loooong day but very worth it.

tiredanddangerous · 11/12/2021 09:02

Mine aren't allowed to come in to us until 6. There were a few 5am present openings when they were little though (they're 12 and 14 now)

SkiingIsHeaven · 11/12/2021 09:04

My kids would sleep until 3 in the afternoon. It's my DH that wakes at 5.30 am. He just gets too excited.

I need to keep him in bed as long as possible.

Motheroftigers · 11/12/2021 09:07

Well we will be on holiday this year but last year dh woke them up at 5.30am. Then needed to doze on the couch as he was 'tired' whilst I had to crack on with the cooking.

I was raging.

Motheroftigers · 11/12/2021 09:08

@SkiingIsHeaven

My kids would sleep until 3 in the afternoon. It's my DH that wakes at 5.30 am. He just gets too excited.

I need to keep him in bed as long as possible.

Cross post!

What a pair of bell ends!

SkiingIsHeaven · 11/12/2021 09:11

@Motheroftigers agreed