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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
How does your family open gifts?
So since we were kids, someone would pass out gifts on Christmas morning to whosever name was on the tag. But we wouldn't wait for each other to see what everyone got. It was mad chaos with 4 girls opening all of their gifts at the same time.
Since I have been with my husband (11 years) they have someone also pass gifts out, but you have to open them one at a time. This has instilled a sense of gratitude in all of his nieces/nephews. They open their gift, say thank you to their aunt/uncle and move on to the next person, etc. At first I hated it and thought it was boring, but seeing my nieces and nephews in the last few years open their gifts like mad people and literally look at my mom and say "that's it?" or "where's my next gift?" Its like they open it, toss it aside and open the next one. So I tried getting my side of the family to do what dh's side does. For the last 2 years it was ok, but this year my sister freaked out and emailed me saying I was stupid and I should let her kids open their gifts however they want to. I see her point, but when its her kids that are being ungrateful it makes me mad. My mom spends hundreds of dollars on the kids. She deserves the right to see their excitement and appreciation for their gifts. We have even had to threaten the kids and say we would give all of their toys to a charity if they acted like that again because they were like that for the last 8 years to my mom! I don't know. So this year it looks like my side of the family is going back to the chaos!
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Re: How does your family open gifts?
We always opened them one at a time, taking turns. Usually one person played Santa, and passed out the gifts.
Also, when I was growing up, I always got to open one gift on Christmas Eve. I used to spend the week leading up to Christmas trying to figure out which box I wanted to open. The next morning I got up and opened my stocking, we had breakfast, then did gifts.
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to be over, it's about learning how to dance in the rain." -Unknown
Married 3-1-08 | Nathan 11-24-08 | Kaelyn 11-30-10 | Alicia 8-17-13
Us too! This is a tradition we will be passing on...:)
Up until last year, someone passed out the gifts, and we took turns opening them one at a time. We have a small family, so it was practical for us. Last year was kind of a free for all because my parents just wanted to concentrate on the grandkids. It just seemed so chaotic.
Growing up, we always opened our stockings first. After that, we (I'm the oldest of 5 kids) all just started opening the gifts in our pile.
Since having my daughter and Ben, we let the kids open their stocking and gifts first and everyone watches/takes pictures. Once they're done, everyone else opens their stockings and gifts.
Christmas eve is family gifts and there are so many people it's hard for it not to get chaotic. The kids tear through the gifts and it's fine - they always come around and thank everyone. Poor little things have to sit through an 8 course meal looking at all the gifts for hours before, so it's understandable! I remember being that little kid all to well!
On Christmas morning we always started with one person passing out a gift to everyone so we could all start together and then we generally moved pretty slow, with everyone trying to open gifts at the same time. I'd stop to see what my brother got, he'd stop to see what I got, etc. Much more relaxed than Christmas Eve.
H's family opens all at once but I refuse. Once we had C, I got my way on this one too.
My family starts with the youngest, they open all of their gifts and then move to the next in line. I love it because you get to see what that person received and it's not a mad house.
We always open gifts one at a time, from the youngest to the oldest. After each person opens 1 gift, then we move onto the next person and start over again. It takes a lot of time, but I love it. We get to see what each person got and see their excitement. I can't imagine opening all at one time and being done in a matter of minutes. that takes the fun out of it.
DH's family goes youngest to oldest, one person at a time.
My family goes oldest to youngest, but one gift at a time. So it was like ... dad, mom, me, dad, mom, me, etc.
DH & I do it my family's way.
When we were kids, we did the free-for-all thing.
Now, my mom wants pictures of everybody opening everything, so it's a little more orderly.
DH and I also want to do it this way for us and the kids!
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that's not a fan of the chaotic way of opening. I just hate missing my nieces and nephews reactions to the gifts we give them. We'll see! Hopefully this year isn't too awkward with my sisters blow-up the other day!
This is the exact reasoning I gave my family! It definitely takes the fun out of it. Opening one gift at a time and taking turns just makes it so much better and makes the spirit of the day last longer :-)
one person gives everyone else their gift and then they all open that gift..and so on. we all wait until everyone is done that particular gift.. oooh & ahh at it. and then move on to the next gift. Kinda takes awhile..
Us too! I didn't know anyone else did this. It's the best. Everyone gets their pile of gifts and then we go one at a time.
We usually also had one gift from my mom to open on Xmas Eve -- and it was usually pjs.
DH's family does it a little bit differently. My MIL will give out all of her gifts from her and FIL and then all of us kids will open then one at a time -- SIL first, then DH, then me. And we all watch each other, say thank you, etc.
We opened gifts as kids on xmas eve. With four of us my parents passed them out as we could unwrap them.
To spread the gifts out we will have our children open their gifts from us xmas eve as well and all other family gifts xmas morning when we go over to do breakfast.