Present opening in your house

[user375242]

How do you do it? Free for all? One by one? I am admittedly a total control freak in our house, and like to maintain some kind of order (in all other aspects of my life I am not an orderly person!) but it is only done in an attempt to maximize excitement. I found out last year that my older sibling does exactly the same with his family, despite us having different upbringings, which I thought was funny.

Everyone opens stockings on our bed, and during this time one of the adults will go downstairs and make tea/coffee to bring up and also turn on the christmas lights. Then we all go to the kitchen, and no-one can peek in the living room yet. We have a long drawn out breakfast of everyone's favourite breakfast foods, Santa pancakes, croissants, eggs Benedict etc along with Christmas music. Then it is on to the tree presents, the kids take it in turns to pick a present and open it or pass it on to who it's for, I deliberately don't use individual wrapping paper per person to add to the mystery.

If we have to visit family then I do speed it up a bit by passing them out myself a bit faster, or if someone wants to stop and play with something they can. I make sure I've put accessories that go with main presents right at the back of the tree so they aren't opened first.

Am I a total kill joy, or do others do this too? How does it work in your house? Separate piles, run down to the tree first thing? Breakfast after presents? I love planning these small things, and hearing how others do it, it gets me so excited.

And it takes us ages to get through all the presents, we usually break for brunch and go back to it. But there's such a build up I would feel weirdly deflated to have everything ripped open within 10 mins!

When the kids were young it was an early dash downstairs, stockings first, then launching into presents.

There are only adults now ( my youngest is 22), so it is a calm civilised affair, which I love.
Time for a shower, coffee, breakfast light some candles, and take our time.
Usually over the course of the day- everyone will open at a slow pace, taking time to explore and appreciate each gift.
My adult christmas is more relaxed, calmer, not hectic at all- I love it.

@MsJuniper i would like to join your family!!! With the siblings and niblings and designated present hander outers and mysterious extra parcel with layers of newspaper and bags. 😍

Stockings are downstairs. We always have family stay over at Christmas in our smallish house so my daughter, my husband and I go downstairs together and she opens her stocking presents and we play with them and play music/have coffee. Then when everyone else is up we do the tree presents and have a big breakfast, then get ready to go to Christmas day at my parents. It’s chaotic but I love it.

This!

I’m from a small family and it was always dive in and there were shouts of thank you’s and little happy conversations about the gift over someone else ripping in to their present. The first year I went to DH’s house we had to open one at a time and he has a massive family (7 of us the first year, we’re up to 12 now!) so it takes forever. It feels painful to have the spotlight on you while you struggle with 8 layers of tape on impenetrable foil paper!

Stockings in bed when they wake up. Then breakfast and church. After church they open their main presents from us. After lunch they open presents from family.

We do all Santa presents first thing including stockings. Then we give the kids something from us (this year it's board games and clothes - Santa brings toys and stockings). I go to church and take anyone with me who wants to come. Then we make dinner and play games or with toys. Family presents come after dinner normally.

We always have Junior Choice on the radio as we open presents as well!

I remember as a kid (80s) my school friend saying that their parents would make them eat breakfast first before going into the presents. It was totally weird to me.

We do something similar to you OP, with breaks for coffee/nice biscuits. Sometimes we'll have some on boxing day to finish opening because whilst we don't have lots of presents, we take our time. Everyone also helps with Christmas dinner under DH's lead, so there's no Mum in the kitchen all day.

I come from a family where stockings are done in bed, then downstairs, have any old breakfast, then everyone sits together and opens presents but it's all at once, it's done by mid morning and then the women get on with Christmas dinner whilst the men talk and the kids play.

I much prefer the way DH and I do it with DC.

I agree with those saying how unpleasant it is to have all eyes on you when you are not used to it. I like our ‘everyone opening together way’ because it naturally happens that people are keeping eyes on others opening their gifts so get to see their reaction without such formality. I also can’t imagine making my children wait - the breakfast would be so unpleasant! But my kids are savages

I would let them dash to the tree not a long drawn out breakfast no.
However the way I draw it out is by holding presents back and opening them during dinner and after etc.

Stockings are kept downstairs by the fireplace in our house so it’s in bed with us for a cuddle anytime after 6am, we try to have a chat and stay in bed as long as possible but we’re usually up by 6.30!

Stockings and Santa presents can be opened now but then we wait for my mum to arrive. She’s usually pretty good and with us by 7/7.30. We light the fire, make coffee and open champagne, then it’s on with the present opening. It’s a bit of a free for all with everyone dishing out presents but we do try to have one person open at a time, just to make it last a bit longer (small family)

Any relatives coming for dinner arrive early afternoon and their presents are opened straight away (usually only 1 or 2 for DC)
The last present of the day is opened at the table, just before we eat. Each person has a table present - it’s only something small like a book, a pen or some socks, but it’s a tradition no one wants dropped.

Wow I had no idea so many people take it in turns to open presents! How civilised! I prefer the carnage.

Stockings in bed (small wrapped gifts, chocolate coins, popping candy), the kids (2 and 4) are free to eat choc if they want to. Then dh goes downstairs to put the kettle on and turn the tree on then sneaks back upstairs with tea.
Check for Santa footprints by the front door and to see if he's eaten his mince pie and Rudolph has eaten his carrot. If so, through to the living room and open presents! Presents are on the sofa in a pile so these are a free for all (different wrapping paper for each person). We all still watch each other open presents but very informally!
Christmas tree presents are from other people so these get opened later in a more civilised way so we know who gave what to say thank you.
The rest of the day is spent eating, drinking, playing with the kids and their new toys / games while eating pastries. Lunch happens about 3pm then we'll watch some Christmas tele for a bit of downtime then more playing!
Presents off grandparents happens at their houses after Christmas.
Wouldn't change a thing!