some ?'s about Christmas

jewelsonu

I know it is still months away but seeing as though I have already been looking at Christmas stuff for a month in my store I start thinking early. Are you doing the elf on a shelf?  When do you think a child would understand? I don't think I give Ethan enough credit.  I have seen super cute places to hide the elf on pinterest.

When it comes to Santa gifts do you wrap them? Dh and I disagree on this. I think the big gift should be sitting out unwrapped. For example Ethan is getting the chuck playyard. I want it to be up and running when he walks downstairs. I don't want to have him open each of hte 3 boxes and have us put it together. 

 

ArcticFox

They are really good with this stuff on the preschool board!

I don't do elf on a shelf.. I don't know why, I just don't feel like we need it (or that I need the extra work of keeping up with it).

Big gifts, I never wrap (play kitchen, shopping cart, etc).  I just put  a big bow on it, and then you get that awesome reaction where they come downstairs and see the big gifts!

I wrap Santa gifts all in one wrap, and then ours are in a medley of paper.

Mrs_Hark

ITA with setting up/opening up the big ticket item x-mas eve. esp with the packaging these days! if it isn't too big you could always get one of those big bags (like garbage bags but printed with x-mas colors) and put the toy in that that way it's 'wrapped'. we didn't wrap M's big item last year- the train table- and we had it completely set up

not sure if we'll do elf on the shelf. i have seen the photos on pinterest too and think they are cute, but i don't have an elf! lol

and you are correct, they really do know and understand more than we think they do!

dle927

We won't be wrapping the table and chair set that we got for the kids.  I'll try to find a big bow to stick on it.  Everything else we are wrapping because nothing seems overly complicated to put together (dollhouse, crawl through farm for E, etc.).  For the first time I won't be wrapping stocking stuffers - my mom, I mean Santa, always wrapped ours.  My husband sees no point so I'm deferring to him and not wrapping them. 

wendyj

This is the first year I've attempted the "Santa's watching" bit. I actually had to use it with Ian last night because he was in one of his moods. It was amazing to me how the wheels started turning once I told him that Santa was watching and thinking of scratching him off the list. It might actually help me get through the next few months, hehe.

We typically save a "big" present for his birthday, like the grill set or tricycle we've gotten in previous years. If we had to put it together in front of him, it would take twice as long because he'd be driving us crazy. Plus, the "wow" factor wouldn't be there if all he saw was a box. Christmas presents are smaller and wrapped, and all from Santa. I don't wrap whatever goes in his stocking.

June4bride2be

We have done one large unwrapped gift that is ready to go. We may also unpackage toys and get them ready to play with, then wrap them in gift bags. We do the big gift from us, and the rest from Santa.

I haven't thought about Elf on a Shelf....honestly I don't even know what it is. I have seen it but don't the what he does.

We do small things for his stocking, and don't wrap them.  

BelhurstBride

If the big gift needs to be put together, and then totally not sensible to wrap once together I completely agree with having it set out. I don't see a young child being very patient sitting around waiting for mom and dad to put together a Christmas present. It takes away from their fun! 

Stella's getting a wooden kitchen this year. I absolutely plan on having it set up and sitting out for her.  

jnk062602

 I hear ya about seeing Christmas stuff all day long!

DD likes unwrapping stuff so I would wrap it.  Even if it is too big so it means throwing a blanket over something so she gets to lift it up and see what is there.  I do agree that the stuff should be taken out of the package and put together and ready to play with either way.

I have no idea what the elf thing is.