DD Found Presents, How to Handel this

[cantwaitvaca09]

Need advise, after I walked into the room from changing my 2yr my 5yrDD says. Mom, I did not go in the cabinet, I was looking at the mickey mouse cooler.

So right there I knew she has just found some gifts I stashed in the laundy room.

How would you handel this, what should I have said to her? I made her tell me what she saw, and made her promis not to tell her little sister, and I said the rule is if you find gifts that mommy and daddy got for you that now you can not have them, she started to cry. So I said I will ask daddy, if you can still get them for Chirstimas beacuse she told me the truth.

Did I do this right????? Am I over thinking it???, She found 2 leap frog text toys,and 2 Wii games and a snowwhite barbie for her sister

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I think that you did fine. That is a stinky situation that we all have either been in or caused. See what your hubby says, and then (i'd) tell the little girl she would just have to wait and see what happens. Encourage her daily to keep her word, even though your little would probably not be fazed one way or another.

 

[santa's surpriz]

This happened to me, DD then 5 just proclaimed, "Santa keeps present in your clsoets?" I went with it! I think I said prancer had a cold and Santa was afraid they would be too heavy so Santa asked the mommies and daddies if they could store the really heavy ones.

 

[sksjasams]

She was very good to tell you the truth. I would say that you and Daddy discussed and it, and it will be ok this year because she told the truth, but she must keep the secret from her sister and promise not to look for gifts anymore. You should find a better hiding spot. I keep everything in the trunk of my car. Be sure to label these gifts from Mommy and Daddy, or another secret will be out...

 

[luvmy3jewels]

My youngest dd managed to spy a couple of my kids' Christmas presents while she was over at my parents' house (we thought they would be safe stored there). I've decided that I will wrap those presents and they will be from mommy and daddy instead of Santa.

 

[princessmom29]

I am unclear as to wether she accidently stumbled on them, or was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be. If it was accidental I would chalk it up to bad luck and find a better hiding place. If she was told not to go there and she did anyway, then I might consider punishing her.

 

[emma'smom]

Yes....discovered gifts become gifts from Mommy and Daddy, not Santa. Then they just found our hiding place (just as could happen for a birthday), not the "big secret of Santa".

We've got our gifts hidden in DH's office with a bunch of boxes shoved in front of it and a rocker. They never go in the office, much less the closet....

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You ALL!!
I just love how everyone on DIS is so nice and helpful.

To asnwer on questions, The gifts were in the bottem cabinet in the laundry room across from the washer and & dryer, by the dog bed, she was not told NOT to go in the cabinet, but she never ever has a reason to be in there. I think she kinda new I put somthing there and just had to peek.

Daddy said, to let it go, but give her the gifts last. And yes now those are from mom and dad and not Santa.

Most of their gifts are here at my work, my co workers call my office Santa's workshop HA HA.

I just have to think back when I was 5, ugg Christmas just to so long to get here. And I am so very happy she told the truth.

Thank you all again, for reassuring me!!!

 

[dfchelbay]

Need advise, after I walked into the room from changing my 2yr my 5yrDD says. Mom, I did not go in the cabinet, I was looking at the mickey mouse cooler.

So right there I knew she has just found some gifts I stashed in the laundy room.

How would you handel this, what should I have said to her? I made her tell me what she saw, and made her promis not to tell her little sister, and I said the rule is if you find gifts that mommy and daddy got for you that now you can not have them, she started to cry. So I said I will ask daddy, if you can still get them for Chirstimas beacuse she told me the truth.

Did I do this right????? Am I over thinking it???, She found 2 leap frog text toys,and 2 Wii games and a snowwhite barbie for her sister

Be sure to remember that these found gifts are now from mommy and daddy, and get something else (unseen) from Santa.

 

[princessmom29]

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You ALL!!
I just love how everyone on DIS is so nice and helpful.

To asnwer on questions, The gifts were in the bottem cabinet in the laundry room across from the washer and & dryer, by the dog bed, she was not told NOT to go in the cabinet, but she never ever has a reason to be in there. I think she kinda new I put somthing there and just had to peek.

Daddy said, to let it go, but give her the gifts last. And yes now those are from mom and dad and not Santa.

Most of their gifts are here at my work, my co workers call my office Santa's workshop HA HA.

I just have to think back when I was 5, ugg Christmas just to so long to get here. And I am so very happy she told the truth.

Thank you all again, for reassuring me!!!

it WILL be ok!! Glad you are feeling better about it. I think dad has the right idea here. Since she wasn't specifically told that it was an off limits area I wouldn't punish her this time. I would personally make the "off limits" rules clearer. That's what I had to do with DD when the same thing happened. My closet it the hiding place and it is off limits to her all the time, not just at christmas. No one goes in Mommy's closet but Mommy. I had never told her not to go in there, and she found perents while looking for a pair of my shoes to play dress up with. Totally a my fault thing.

 

[grumpeeduck]

If your 5 year old FOUND gifts, it was YOUR fault as the PARENT in failing to hide them properly. So, NO you should not punish her. How sad that you said she wouldn't get them and she CRIED! Is that how you want her to remember her 5th Christmas?? And you??

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

If your 5 year old FOUND gifts, it was YOUR fault as the PARENT in failing to hide them properly. So, NO you should not punish her. How sad that you said she wouldn't get them and she CRIED! Is that how you want her to remember her 5th Christmas?? And you??

Wow, thats kind of harsh don't you think. I never yelled at her. She cried because she knew she was wrong, and if you read the post, I told her that I she could still get them for telling the truth.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

If your 5 year old FOUND gifts, it was YOUR fault as the PARENT in failing to hide them properly. So, NO you should not punish her. How sad that you said she wouldn't get them and she CRIED! Is that how you want her to remember her 5th Christmas?? And you??

WOW. If you're a parent, I'm sure you've made absolutely NO mistakes. If you're not a parent, well then..... grrr..... it's Christmas.... I'll stop there. Lighten up.

OP - no, you didn't mar your DD for life. But, maybe now she'll stop snooping. I know someone whose parents returned all of his gifts because they found out he was snooping and had found Santa's stash before Christmas. His parents told him that if he snooped, he'd get nothing..... and they stuck to it! He NEVER snooped again, I'll tell you that! I would not be able to do that to my DS, no matter how mad I got.

 

[disneyfan123]

Dont worry about what grumpeeduck said...they must be a GRUMPeeduck.

I think you did fine. I also have a 5 year old and question on a daily basis if I parent her right....lol. My daughter often admits things to us by telling us she did not do something, so I thought it was hilarious your daughter did the same thing. My favourites so far are"mom I did not hit anyone at school today" and "mom I did not spray anything on my bed". I want my children to know there are consequences for their behaviour, but also know telling the truth is very important. So by not giving them she may question next time if she should tell, so I think it is great to give them from mom and dad at the end, keep her on her toes!

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

WOW. If you're a parent, I'm sure you've made absolutely NO mistakes. If you're not a parent, well then..... grrr..... it's Christmas.... I'll stop there. Lighten up.

OP - no, you didn't mar your DD for life. But, maybe now she'll stop snooping. I know someone whose parents returned all of his gifts because they found out he was snooping and had found Santa's stash before Christmas. His parents told him that if he snooped, he'd get nothing..... and they stuck to it! He NEVER snooped again, I'll tell you that! I would not be able to do that to my DS, no matter how mad I got.

Dont worry about what grumpeeduck said...they must be a GRUMPeeduck.

I think you did fine. I also have a 5 year old and question on a daily basis if I parent her right....lol. My daughter often admits things to us by telling us she did not do something, so I thought it was hilarious your daughter did the same thing. My favourites so far are"mom I did not hit anyone at school today" and "mom I did not spray anything on my bed". I want my children to know there are consequences for their behaviour, but also know telling the truth is very important. So by not giving them she may question next time if she should tell, so I think it is great to give them from mom and dad at the end, keep her on her toes!

It'sWDW4me & disneyfan123 THANK YOU!!!!
As all of us mom's I want to be the best mom, give her love, and also teach her consequents and responsibility. If I did not address it, she sure would of called her sister in there and showed her for sure. Again, thank you both for you KIND!!! posts

 

[JamesMom]

It's time like these (christmas) when I am happy for Amazon!

We have all the kids presents in stacked in the study. They are all still securely sealed in the Amazon boxes they came in

We'll wrap them on Christmas eve. The kids are so used to see Amazon boxes everywhere they don't bother to look. We tell them 'Mommy and Daddy' stuff come in them. So well trained

 

[barnaby1]

I always think we are a bit mean as adults expecting young children not to snoop at Christmas and Birthday time. This is a really exciting time for them and even the best children on the world must feel the temptation (and therefore actually do) snoop.

Ask yourself how many times as adults we snoop or try to find out what our husbands / wives have bought us for birthday / Christmas??

Go easy on the children. I remember snooping and finding my mother's stash as a child for 2 years running (she alwyas used the same place). After the second year I was so dissapointed that I knew what everything was in the presents as they were being opened that I just stopped myself from snooping from then on.

 

[AnnMarie3]

My ds found a gift that I had carelessly left in my trunk. I had forgotten it was there when I asked him to get something else out of the trunk for me. Luckily, he is 13, so he is in on the secret and won't spill the beans to dd 5.

I think I found a great hiding place for the other Christmas gifts. I packed them in our luggage and put them in our storage room.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's time like these (christmas) when I am happy for Amazon!

We have all the kids presents in stacked in the study. They are all still securely sealed in the Amazon boxes they came in

As a former amazon CS rep, I really really really really really REALLY urge you to open those boxes and make sure the right things are in them. Really.

Mistakes happen in shipping. And it's better to be dealt with now, while CS reps can send you a correct/non-broken/whatever item by 2 day shipping, rather than on a day when it is absolutely totally too late.

Open them. Make sure.

After the second year I was so dissapointed that I knew what everything was in the presents as they were being opened that I just stopped myself from snooping from then on.

Good point. Perhaps not one a 5 or 6 year old is going to get to.



OP, now that she knows the rule, she knows the rule. That was the rule in my house growing up. I think I ran into something once by total accident (we had a tiny house and a station wagon...no proper trunk and no hiding spaces in the house!) and it was very disappointing (we liked surprises, even though we didn't do the Santa thing)...I could never imagine what it would be like to purposely look for things, especially given The Rule.

But obviously for this year, she didn't know the rule.


By the way, my husband is horrified at The Rule, and probably wouldn't speak to me for a month if it's ever broken and I follow through with it...I'm hoping it's never broken, too!

 

[brittsmum1998]

If your 5 year old FOUND gifts, it was YOUR fault as the PARENT in failing to hide them properly. So, NO you should not punish her. How sad that you said she wouldn't get them and she CRIED! Is that how you want her to remember her 5th Christmas?? And you??

Why is it that nothing is an "accident" here on the dis? Spit happens, I think the OP handled it really well!

Happy tidings to you Grumpee, and I hope Santa doesn't leave coal in your stocking .