Children opening Christmas Gifts

[RenoSusan]

Last Christmas the family agreed that opening presents has become chaotic and unrewarding. We told the 3 - 11yrs, 9 and 8 - that we were having a practice and they could open 1 gift if they learned how to do it. First I opened a practice gift (a pair of socks) and read the card first and told everyone who gave it to me. Then I opened the gift and held it up and said it was just what I wanted and the color was perfect. Then I thanked the person who gave it to me. I explained if it was a large gift I would jump up and hug that person. They loved me hugging myself. Then they got a turn. I told them if it was a stove mitt or a motorcycle, they had to follow the script. They took turns opening a gift and performed. All understand this is a show called "opening Christmas gifts" and they are participants. Doesn't matter what the present is, the script is the same. Our Christmas day was much better. I am trying to pass on an idea that might help.

Oh dear OP I can’t tell if you’re on a wind up or whether you genuinely have to micro manage ‘fun’
Can’t you just teach them to say thank you instead of a scripted charade that sounds (imo) pretty transparent

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I went to my husband's family gathering for Christmas his niece was 12 at the time, was taught the same method. All was going great she opened every gift all 20 of us huddled around her watching she smiled was very polite and said thank you to each individual then came her mother's present opened it and threw the roller blades on the floor cried her eyes out because they were the wrong colour.I'm sure that wasn't part of the script now I look back on it

Did you actually have to act out how to say thank you after opening a present?

Have my first

Haha haha love it. I love watching the spontaneous reactions when my kids open the presents. I can just imagine their faces if we had a practice on how they should act .

That sounds terrible. I loved being a kid and rushing down stairs and tearing my presents open. That way sounds awful what happens if they got too excited and opened a few presents without thanking and hugging the people? Would the get a row?

Don't like the scripting, the thank yous would seem forced.

Growing up we always took turns opening our presents, first we read the gift tag where mum had written a clue, then we'd try to guess what it was (and the rest of us would helpfully shout "It's a brussel sprout!") and then open it and everyone sees what it is and move onto the next person. This way was lovely, it was fun with the clues and the guessing, it was relaxed and made us spend a lot of time together as it would take quite a while to get through all the presents when doing it one by one (sometimes we had to take a break for the Queen's Speech) but there was no scripting, no forced thank yous, all genuine.

Jesus Christ, this can't be serious?! 😂😂😂😂

Your kids are going to dine out on this episode of cray cray you displayed for the rest of their lives.

I think you're absolutely right with the taking turns, saying thank you etc - that's just good manners, as well as being lovely and special.

The acting it out is strange though. Although I guess if you're kids have just ripped into their presents in the past it might be challenging to change it.

Are you Monica Geller?

Omg. No words. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

What happens when they open a gift from someone not in the room? Do they have to stop and phone them to say thank you before opening the next gift?

I think that's a lovely way to teach children how to appreciate presents, after all we are not savages.

Were the socks new or a pair you had already?

In my family we have always had a similar official present opening, after lunch. Someone is the runner, (usually one of the children) and hands gifts out one by one and everyone watches that person opening a present and someone else makes a note of who gave it and what it was. The children of the family think this is quite normal and have no problem with it and write thank you notes on boxing day.

I do understand that it all gets a bit chaotic - especially for the person trying to keep some sort of tabs on who gave what for the purposes of thank you letters! - but your approach does sound chillingly over-scripted. To explain to young children that thanks are important, even if they are over-excited, is fine - but there is a balance to be struck.

I love the chaos and genuine excitement.

Are you on glue?!

That is quite possibly the single most joyless, wanky post I have ever read on this site. They should give out awards for this shit.

Teaching your children manners is one thing, but Christmas Day does not require a rehearsal- it is supposed to be chaotic. That’s a thing!

For a pisstake my eldest children decided to teach their youngest brother to hold.hus hands together and thank 'the ones i love and thank you jesus' eith every present he opened. Christmas was tedious that year. They also taught him to sing happy birthday to christ the lord before eating ANY food in december.

I think it sounds a bit too spontaneous and disorganised, OP.

Before present-opening commences in the Fair household, I cover all the furniture in dustsheets. Then we all get our clipboards and pens (washable ink, please!) and open our presents in silence. Present details are noted down and then transferred to a spreadsheet, so that they can be cross-referenced by type, giver, recipient, value, and cubic mass.

Then we watch Strictly.

cubic mass

Can't... breathe...

Mine go in big bags from the pound shop so i have the bag off my parents and then uncles and aunties together then the bags off their DFS family. My stuff goes in a pile in the middle and they just rip it open first then do the bags so they know who everything's off

And I keep a big bag when it's empty to put all the paper in