Birthday Parties
iwantnoworld
member
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s/o Opening Gifts
iwantnoworld
member
I'm gonna bounce this idea off you guys.
I was thinking to try and save time and hold attention that maybe my SO and I could set up an "assembly line" type deal. We would have a bunch of batteries, some scissors, and anything else we might need ready to go. I sit with my son and "help" him open presents. Basically, I'll be unwrapping with him in my lap (or sitting beside him) so he can grab at the paper and help pull as well so it doesn't seem like I'm just completely bypassing him unwrapping, I'm just expediting the process. Then the toy gets immediately handed off to my SO, who opens it, gets it ready, throws batteries in it, and then gives it back to DS to play with. Rinse, wash, repeat.
I feel like DS would stay entertained with the toys being put around him, but he also loves the sound of paper crinkling, so I think he'll still "help" me unwrap the presents. But this way, instead of it just being a show of watching him play with wrapping paper and most likely be completely uninterested in the toy/box, DS can get right to playing with his presents and give people the "reactions" they're looking for.
So what do you think? Tacky? Am I not thinking of something that makes this unrealistic? Have you done something similar? Throw it at me. I just thought of this like ten minutes ago, so it's not like I'm invested in it if it's a bad idea.
I was thinking to try and save time and hold attention that maybe my SO and I could set up an "assembly line" type deal. We would have a bunch of batteries, some scissors, and anything else we might need ready to go. I sit with my son and "help" him open presents. Basically, I'll be unwrapping with him in my lap (or sitting beside him) so he can grab at the paper and help pull as well so it doesn't seem like I'm just completely bypassing him unwrapping, I'm just expediting the process. Then the toy gets immediately handed off to my SO, who opens it, gets it ready, throws batteries in it, and then gives it back to DS to play with. Rinse, wash, repeat.
I feel like DS would stay entertained with the toys being put around him, but he also loves the sound of paper crinkling, so I think he'll still "help" me unwrap the presents. But this way, instead of it just being a show of watching him play with wrapping paper and most likely be completely uninterested in the toy/box, DS can get right to playing with his presents and give people the "reactions" they're looking for.
So what do you think? Tacky? Am I not thinking of something that makes this unrealistic? Have you done something similar? Throw it at me. I just thought of this like ten minutes ago, so it's not like I'm invested in it if it's a bad idea.
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Re: s/o Opening Gifts
At this age, it's your son's distractability. As he gets older, its still that, but then also other kids wanting to open/ play w/ the toys, etc.
And really, if people come to a kids b-day party looking for ANY specific reaction, they are going to leave disappointed no matter what.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
Lol very true. He scowls at pretty much everything that's unfamiliar to him, so there's that. I just don't want gift opening to take up half the party, but I know it'll be expected to be done. Oh well, we'll probably just wing it when the time comes, as per usual.
He'll get to an age where he'll have the maturity to handle it. But until then - I'm not going to force it.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
Gah. I'm a people pleaser, I want everyone to be happy, including the kid. I guess we'll just follow his lead and see what happens. Thanks for the advice, ladies!
People need to be realistic when attending a childs party.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
1) Toys are packaged ridiculously and it takes forever just to untie or cut all the pieces securing one toy in the package, let alone UNSCREWING all the battery boxes to insert batteries.
2) After you have gone through all this work, the various pieces of the toy (blocks, doll clothes, etc.) are now free to get lost in the wrapping paper and packaging to be thrown away in clean up and never to be seen again.
3) Super hard to remember who gave what to write thank you cards (I usually try to keep the card with each gift to help remember).
4) Extra work cleaning up all the toy pieces and packaging on top of wrapping paper, food, decorations, etc. and
5) At their first birthday party, kids are so worn out and overstimulated already from all the people, decorations, smearing cake and getting cake cleaned off, they are cranky and worn out by the time it comes to gift opening. My little guy started bawling by about the second present and my mom took him and rocked him and he fell asleep.
By all means, do sit and "help" him unwrap (you will probably be doing most of the work).