Is this Christmas normal?

StefiMarie

My in-laws always unpackage every gift my son and daughter get as soon as my kids unwrap them.  Then they give me the booklets and throw out all the packaging. (In my family, we were allowed to pick one thing to open and then my parents unpackaged the rest at home.)

I would rather they not.  Not only because most things have a million parts (one gift yesterday was a pack of 40 toy cars!), but It makes things non-returnable when I know it is NOT something my kids will ever play with (I REALLY can't find a tactful way to say that out loud in front of a group of people!), and I have to announce to all if they have the same toy at home already.  But I was wondering if other families do this?

AimeeL85

I guess I can understand their excitement to see the kids play with the things, but that would annoy me, too. It's really not practical, I would hate having to bring everything home like that.  I would definitely tell them, or just tell the kids where your ILs can hear, that you're going to pick 1 or 2 toys to play with there and then open the rest at home later so that pieces don't get lost.

NewFamily09

I bet your in laws are throwing the packaging just to make sure you won't return it.  Or, I bet that's at least a small part of their motive.  It's kind of silly to me, and very inconvenient for you.  We always save the packaging until we're sure we won't need it.  We've gotten gifts before that were broken and we HAD to return them. 

SallyAnneS

i would just say you want to keep the packages incase you need to use it for the warranty.  We just got a tiy train yesterday that was working fine but after about 30 minutes the sound effects broke.  Sure glad we have the package!

mama&baby

AimeeL85:

I guess I can understand their excitement to see the kids play with the things, but that would annoy me, too. It's really not practical, I would hate having to bring everything home like that.  I would definitely tell them, or just tell the kids where your ILs can hear, that you're going to pick 1 or 2 toys to play with there and then open the rest at home later so that pieces don't get lost.

This exactly

Netty_3

Both of our parents leave it up to our discression... so I would personally open one if any there...he may just be interested in paper and boxes.

StefiMarie

They open the gifts from everyone, not just the ones that they gave to our kids, and yes, they have been known to be a bit on the controlling and manipulative side...  Just didn't want to get DH to start to raise a stink about it if most families did it and I was the weird thinker...

SoxFan777

I agree that's strange... maybe cite your peditrician saying that holiday time can be overwhelming for little ones and it's vital that they only have one toy out at a time to develop attention spans... SOOOO the rest have to be opened at home...

Sounds good right? 

Adam&Eve2

Usually DD wants the box more than the toy. But can't you nicely put your foot down and explain why you only want one opened at a time? Or maybe you can just grab a sack and start putting the unwrapped toys into it before they can start taking them out of the package? GL OP!

StefiMarie

Adam&Eve2:

Usually DD wants the box more than the toy. But can't you nicely put your foot down and explain why you only want one opened at a time? Or maybe you can just grab a sack and start putting the unwrapped toys into it before they can start taking them out of the package? GL OP!

THANK YOU!  This I can try!  I did say something and got shut down.  Wish I was a bit less non-confrontational, but my MIL is crazy and I think it would just end in a big fight.  But I can TOTALLY do this!  Thank you so much!