Originally Posted By wendebird Mele, you sound like my dd6 this year. The thing she wants most is the Barbie Pet Doctor Doll. She's already told me which box she's sure it is in. JazzCat, I'm sure as she gets older it'll become an issue. Then again, who knows. My kids would give their eye teeth right now to open some of these gifts early. The other day, during the reveal, I was so sick. So my girls boxed up their old DL play set & gave it to me. They said it was an early Christmas gift to make me feel better. After I opened it they said "Now that you opened a gift, can we open one?" Ahhh youth.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Different strokes. We normally do it like this - mail gifts and friend's gifts we open when they arrive - so we can thank them, and it doesn't get lost on the day (maybe we spoil our immediate family too much!) Christmas Eve is my Mom's birthday, so we always spend time with my extended family celebrating her birthday in the morning. Then Santa often comes as we have dinner or when we go out to look at Xmas lights. We open our presents (from my family) that evening. Christmas day we open the nuclear family pressies (though I have only done this since getting married - coming from an Italian Family that celebrates Xmas Eve). Boxing Day - we see my In-Laws and open their gifts. A minimum of three days of fun (or more with generous friends and extended family), and the kids don't get overwhelmed, enjoying each gift. Personally I think this everything on Christmas day is silly particularly with young kids - it's overstimulating. But that's me.
Originally Posted By retlawfan Happy Birthday to your mom davewasbaloo! She and I share the same birthday! Merry Christmas to all...
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy We used to do our paternal grandparents' Christmas on Christmas Eve (bet annual dinner EVER), then our family on Christmas mornin' (but one on Christmas Eve), then trek up to Mom's family for the rest o' the day. However, my crafty, persuasive, curiosity-laden older sister decided one year to suggest the "helpful advice" that we do our family's on Christmas Eve night, that way "we don't have to be so cramped with time in the morning and we can just get right up and go on to Grandmommy & Papa Dan's 0 ". The folks bought it though and that's how we do it now, lol. I'm not surprised at all she eventually suggested this---one Christmas mornin' several years earlier she swayed me into openin' all of our presents after we got up on Christmas morn' instead of waitin' fer Mom 'n Dad to get up (well, Dad's a Christmas Scrooge, but still---the principle of the thing); I can still see the disappointedly frustrated shocked look on my mommy's face when she walked in on her 2 kids in a sea of wrappin' paper playin' with toys that she had painstakingly shopped for, tracked down, and wrapped up with love, so eager to see her little girl and boy's eyes go wide with delight as she'd watch us open the presents. So much for that. lol Good thing Tara only tried that one year! (I think she learned her lesson, lol) I don't mind doin' most on Christmas Eve now though because hey, the sooner the better, lol (as long as it's a true "Christmas holiday"), and I still get a few things when we go to Grandmommy & Papa Dan's. It's all good.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy <When we were little, on Christmas Eve afternoon, my mom would let us open one gift. It was the gift from my Aunt Josephine and Uncle Joe. They always gave us some sort of game or craft thing that would keep us busy for several hours until guests arrived.> goodgirl, are you sure it's a "they" and not a "he/she"? With "Aunt Josephine" and "Uncle Joe" I just thought maybe there was a split personality thang goin' on (with separate outfits no less) that you hadn't yet picked up on...
Originally Posted By momof4boys OOh, I'd better not let my boys read this thread. They always beg me to let them open a gift on Christmas Eve and we've never let them. I'm not sure why I've never let them- probably because I never got to! I think it would be different if you had always done that tradition. I'm afraid if I let them open one now they would think all their begging worked and they would start begging to open 2! lol We do have a tradition where Santa's Elves bring them new pajamas on Christmas Eve. They really look forward to getting those. If they got to open another present they would probably not be very excited about jammies! I was really upset because one catalog order that I placed on December 4th did not come ( I guess I have today to hope- but they are saying it got lost). It is 6 gifts- 2 for each of the 3 younger boys. I was afraid they would be upset- they are things I can't run out to the store and buy to replace and they are things they really want. I gave them the option of wrapping up a picture of them or letting them wait and excitedly wait for them to be delivered to find out what they are. The boys are thrilled about it- they are happy that Christmas is going to last a while longer!
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I don't really think you have to worry that opening one on Christmas Eve will lead to begging earlier. It was always understood that it was a privilage reserved for Christmas Eve only. We never ask before that. The picture with a promise of later delivery is probably a good idea. It's like christmas again later.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer Davewasbaloo and Retlawfan - my mom's birthday is Christmas Eve, also!
Originally Posted By JazzCat Oh Wendy, I can *so* see your girls doing that! lol They appear to be little angels, but they know how to work the system!
Originally Posted By nevadarebel As a child, we always opened our gifts on Christmas Eve after going to look at the Christmas Lights. (this was because my dad always had to work on Christmas but was usually off on Christmas Eve). Santa came and filled our stockings and brought a few more gifts. Since I have kids now, they are allowed to open 1 gift on Christmas Eve. We let them pick from any of the gifts. We do not open any gifts that come in the mail except the ones that are food of course. We open gifts with my parents (who usually stay the night with us) and then in the afternoon, my in laws come over and we have a 2nd round. The kids love it because they get 2 Christmas's....
Originally Posted By adizneeguy I have always done the "one gift on Christmas Eve" thing, too. I had two friends when I was little who were close in age to me and we shared nearly everything. We would run back and forth daily during Christmas Break from school to play and hang out. Their family had an interesting routine on Christmas morning, they would open one gift each hour, and make the day last a long time. I see their logic somewhat now that I have kids of my own. It gives the kids time to actually play with each toy, and made the celebration and anticipation last. Kinda cool idea. My kids would think I found a new way to torture them if I tried it this late in the game though.
Originally Posted By trailsend I've always celebrated "1" and only 1 on Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas morning. That long awaited package becomes so fun to open.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 Let's see, I agree that your SIL is odd about this. Maybe she'll change as her child gets older. Too funny that you'll wait to mail them next year When our kids were little, every year we had to go to an adult cocktail party given by a client. The clients wife always sent home wrapped gifts for the kids, I'm talking stuff they would ask Santa for, $50 and up. Anyway, we always let the kids open those the morning after the party, kind of made up for them being left with a sitter They didn't know this person so there was no emotional attachment, a thank you card was sent from each AFTER Christmas. I actually did this the first time so the gift didn't compete Christmas morning with what was under the tree Christmas Eve with my side of the family and gifts opened. Christmas morning at home with ALL our gifts and Christmas afternoon with DH's family and more gifts. Sometimes if the kids were on overload I'd take a game, craft or a small gift (from us) and we'd save them for New Years Eve. They always enjoyed that gift much more than if it was in the pile of presents.
