Present opening - how do you do it?

[Emmathegreat]

Are you a one at a time family while everyone watches, or do you all open at once?

Do you sort the presents into piles or just dig in?

Presents under tree. No particular order but I try and get the 'best presents' at the back for opening last

We open stockings 1st. That's a free-for-all.
Then after breakfast it's gifts under the tree. 1 person hands them out and we watch the person opening it.

We try to watch the kids opening theirs but in reality everyone just cracks on with their owns.
stockings in the morning. Other presents after lunch.

We do stockings before breakfast, all open at once. Sacks of pressies from us to the kids after breakfast, they all open at once. Later on when the chaos has died down (often after lunch) DH & I open our presents from each other, and we dish out any gifts under the tree from other family/ friends and open those.

no way my kids (several who are neurodiverse and one who is only 3) would have the patience to open one gift at a time, so we’ve always let them do it at their own pace, some are much quicker than others!!

One at a time. ND family here, and I think if it as an opportunity to reinforce lessons on considering others, and on coping with being mildly centre of attention in a safe environment.

Which sounds a bit worthy, now I think about it. But it works for us.

We are a one at a time family, with everyone watching and joining in appreciation for each present.

Presents are always from real people. Stockings are not..

If we're not with my in-laws, presents under the tree are opened all together but with sort of attention paid to what's being opened. DH and I will be sure to pay attention to DC opening their gifts, but it's not like "right now X opens one while everyone watches. Now Y opens one while everyone watches that".
I hate being watched specifically by everyone as my reaction (even if genuine) ends up feeling so manufactured and fake. Especially as I always get a lot of books, which I love, but it means everyone is just watching me read a blurb while I worry about whether my face looks interested enough without looking forced. This is how my in-laws do it and I dread it every time. Plus it's all a bit rigid for my liking.

Everyone at the same time cos the one at a time thing really weirds me out!

I much prefer one at a time. I like to see people open their presents (and make sure that DS says thank you). My in laws are the reverse and I find it so weird. My FIL started opening his presents when several people were out the room which would not be acceptable in my family! But both DH and his family are super weird about gifts in general.

We are unabashed one-at-a-timers!

One at a time usually and take it in turns but as dc have more they sometimes open 2 each turn.

Stockings when the children wake up - increasingly late as they get older. They all open a present in turn.

Other presents later. The children and grandparents hand theirs out interspersed with the ones I've bought for everyone which are numbered..... I hold the decoding sheet!

Stockings in our bed before we get up.
Tree presents we have midday ish, and everyone has one, opens it at the same time, we all show each other, then have another. They are all under the tree all mixed up, and I dish them out (so I can keep some degree of ‘fairness’, and maintain surprises if DC both have the same gift).

Santa in morning.

Everything else later on, for those we see and have dinner with.

Then often tree presents tomorrow.

Four little ones so depends how they are feeling

Well my family we let the kids open theirs first as soon as we are up and then each adult. If family come over again I like to let the kids do theirs and then adults either separately or together.

Last yr when dh family came over it was carnage they all just started tearing into everything. I sat back but then thought aw fuck it may as well open my presents too. I prefer to see the kids reactions. Also the kids forget who's bought them what.

Open stockings straight away in the morning. Then we have breakfast and get a bit freshened up but still in PJS. Spend absolutely ages opening the big presents and we each go around and take it in turns to avoid the chaos. I promise it's not boring and it makes the fun last longer!! The kids are happy to see what their siblings have received too etc.

Everything and everyone at the same time because who needs rules when it's Christmas?! 🎅 One-at-timers suck all the joy out of the Christmas chaos