NSR opening presents at a 1st bday

MagickalNarwhal · January 2013

I have heard you all talk about it being kind of rude not to open presents at a shower. Is this also true at a 1yr bday party? We are having it at a community playspace. He'll be one, and obvs doesn't get opening gifts. We are limited for time and I'm worried about managing the opening of gifts and also managing the rest of the party. Is this rude? Googlefu is failing me with conflicting answers.

Obviously we would send thank you cards promptly either way.

ChristyML · January 2013

I think you should open them. I mean, what else is going to be going on at the party? I think it's just polite to open them. Plus, how many presents is he going to get?

EastCoastBride · January 2013

I feel gift opening at a kids party often ends up being a cluster. The kid doesn't really care/ pay attention. And often doesn't get past the first couple before being distracted. And if other kids are there and like the gift, it becomes a "I want to play w that" problem. I could care less about seeing our gift opened at a kids party.

1026pumpkin · January 2013

I wouldn'tespecially if you're short on time. The only bdays where I've seen presents opened at the party is for older children. None of the 1st or 2nd bday parties I have been to have opened presents.

EastCoastBride · January 2013

To add a shower is about gifts. That's the point of a shower. A bday party its not specifically about gifts.

morethancottoncandy · January 2013

EastCoastBride:
I feel gift opening at a kids party often ends up being a cluster. The kid doesn't really care/ pay attention. And often doesn't get past the first couple before being distracted. And if other kids are there and like the gift, it becomes a "I want to play w that" problem. I could care less about seeing our gift opened at a kids party.

I agree with this. Honestly, I think it's a bad idea to open gifts at a party. Most of the parties we have been to for that age group have been at KidVille or Gymboree anyway and they usually don't allow time for that.

Liz4444 · January 2013

I've never seen gifts opened at a kids birthday party. I wouldn't, especially in a playspace type of environment.

mhickey426 · January 2013

I think it depends on how many gifts he is going to have to open. If it is a handful from friends then why not. My niece turned 1 in Sept and it was cute to watch her open the gifts. Her big sister helped but there were some gifts that she really liked. She had the cloths on her head, she was hugging a shirt, she was kissing the dolls, it was cute.

I don't think you have to open grandparents gifts or aunts and uncles gifts. That is something that can wait until you are home or the day of his actual birthday if it is different then his party.

PunkyBooster · January 2013

No. We ask for donations to the animal shelter instead, but people usually bring a gift in addition. I've never been to a child's bday party where they open gifts. I can imagine it being quite disastrous, honestly. Kids wanting to play with the new stuff, mom having to shuffle clean up, the child, keeping the list for thank yous going, etc.

DS is a very slow gift opener. He spent 3 hours xmas morning opening around 5 gifts! LOL

BeckyTheEngineer · January 2013

My daughter turns 1 this week, and we probably won't open presents. All of our guests are families with children under 5, and it would be tough to stop everyone from playing to watch my daughter attempt to open presents.

megaroo64 · January 2013

I don't know the etiquette, but recently I was at a first birthday party where there were a lot of gifts, and it was a MESS watching that poor mom open all those gifts. I almost wanted to yell over to her "Hey, that one is a truck so you can skip it." I think people will understand and you can skip in a time crunch.

rhubarb123 · January 2013

I am very surprised by the comments I am seeing on here. Quite frankly, I have never been to a baby or kid's birthday party where they did NOT open the gifts. My kids have been having parties now for 6 years and they have always opened their gifts. By the time my kids were 2 they knew exactly what it was all about and they tore right into them. I always asked a friend to write in the card what the gift was so I could send out thank you's. BTW...we've had parties at bowling alleys, inside jungle gyms, school pools, restaurants, etc. There was always enough time. Course we've never had a party with over 15 gifts that I can recall and my kids don't dawdle opening gifts.

I would ask that my gift was opened before we left.

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