If you are out x-mas day when do you let the dc's open presents from FC?

[Marne]

Hi, this is the first year we have not been at home for x-mas lunch. We need to be out of the house by 10.30 am to get to my dads for 11am. The DC's will be up at around 8am, they have a lot to open from FC and friends and my dads GF has spent a fortune on presents to open at their house.

Do i
a) let the dd's open all the presents from FC and friends here before going out, which meens they wont really have time to play with anything.

b) let them open a couple presents and save some for when we get home (planning to be home by 5-6pm) but this will mean they wont get much time to play with them before bed time.

c) let them open half and save the rest for boxing day.

I am kind of worried that dads GF may have got them something the same as FC and dd1 is likely to say 'i already have one of those' instead of just saying 'thank you very much' so i am thinking maybe i should only let them have a couple x-mas morning which will also mean they wont be fed up of opening presents before they get to dads house.

What would you do?

Dh will want them to open all of them x-mas morning so he can get all the paper and packaging out of the way (he likes to be tidy).

5 04 am

Won't they be awake earlier on Christmas Day, giving them chance to open them and play for a while?

We had to travel 300 miles last Christmas Day for lunch, but DS was up at 5.30am so plenty of time for prezzies before we set off!

I'd do c, or maybe take some with me

We're going to my mum's so it will be stockings in the morning at home plus maybe one gift, then we're taking the rest to hers to open after lunch (as is our apparently mean and torturous tradition, but we like it). I know my mum will only have bought a few fairly modest bits.

I make mine stay up late on xmas eve to get a bit of a lie in. Never failed me yet.

maybe i should wake them up earlier, i will be up by 6am as i am so excited.

Maybe i should stop panicking, im so used to being at home all day x-mas day and we just take our time opening things, putting things together and playing with things, this year will be a bit of a rush.

My post is probably going to be met with horror, but I personally would say that presents from a particular person (whoever) can be opened on Christmas Eve as you won't be home most of Christmas Day.

I have a nearly 4 and nearly 2yo. They opened their presents (one each) from my mum yesterday. We will be at my dad's christmas day and they will have stuff from then. Opening one present yesterday was great - that present had all the focus and they each spent most of the day playing with granny's present. Today, I allowed them to open a joint present from 2 of their uncles. Again they have been thrilled and all the focus is on that present.

In our house, FC brings stockings which you get on Christmas morning and the rest of the presents (from us and others) live under the Christmas tree where they can be looked at and shaken etc. So there are still presents under the tree even though granny's and uncle's have been opened.

Last year they didn't wake until 8.30 and then had stockings in their rooms before venturing down stairs.

I will send them to bed early and hope they wake early. Maybe i will let them save some for boxing day, both dd's are very slow at opening and want to play with each thing as they open them, dd1 gets fed up with unwrapping things (she would be happy with one present).

I don't really want to take any with us because i think dads GF has got a lot for them to open (its the first year that she has bought for the dd's and she has no other children in her family, she also has more money than sense), i don't want the dd's to be fed up with opening things before we get to their house as it may come across that they are ungrateful IYKWIM.

That sounds like a good plan...we are going away again for Christams and although we are taking the bulk with us, they will be some left behind for when they get back, which will be the day after Boxing Day.