How do you open Xmas presents?

[zulaya]

I dread going to the in-laws for Xmas. They have to be so ritualistic in present opening. They separate out the gifts by person and then only one person at a time can open their gifts. Thankfully, my kids just open theirs at the same time. It seems to take the joy out of Xmas for me.

At our house, and when I was growing up, it was a present opening free-for-all. Wrapping paper everywhere...everyone going "Wow", "Cool" , etc. and then asking everyone else, "What did you get?" and "Look what I got!"

The way I did it when I was growing up (and how we do it with our immediate family now) just seems so special, really making memories, seeing the outright joy on people's faces when they rip something open.

At the in-laws, it seems like you are so on the spot, like you have to make sure your reaction is what they want to see. It seems so medicinal, almost like a company meeting, everyone taking turns. It don't know how DH stood it as a child. He claims that it's so everyone sees what everyone gets. Doesn't everyone talk about it and show off stuff anyway after everything is opened up?

 

[Dixielady908]

Growing up we actually opened our gifts the same way that you did as a child. Everyone opening them at the same time, oohs and aahs....wrapping paper flying and everywhere. What a great joy. My inlaws are like yours, Christmas eve everyone takes their turn while the the rest watch. Which is ok, but when everyone one opens all together, I think its much more fun. Either way, Chirstmas is my favorite holiday and I enjoy it all the same.

Denise

 

[phorsenuf]

We open them one at a time. Someone "plays" Santa and hands them out. We really enjoy watching each other opening them up. It also makes it last longer. I think one year we did it the way you did and within minutes it was over. Seemed too quick after putting in all that time. Plus afterwards nobody knew who gave what because it was so rushed.
To us it is special, we see the joy on each others faces and we make memories. To us its not "medcinal" and nobody feels on the spot. I guess its all in how you make it be.

 

[preshi]

I think we do it the uncomfortable way. I hate being put on the spot but it's the way it's always been done, at my parents, at DH's. Someone is the passer outer (LOL) and passes one to each person. Everyone opens them one at a time then everybody gets one more...yuck. I like your idea better. I'd feel much less embarassed about the whole procedure.

 

[Blondie]

Everyone opens at the same time on Christmas morning in our house, just as we did it when I was a kid!

 

[phorsenuf]

Actually, let me clarify my response. The presents that Santa brings that are wrapped are opened as a free for all. The presents from the family are opened seperatly.

 

[JetMom]

We open one at a time. It makes the whole thing last longer and you get to see what everyone else got. At my MIL's it's more of a free-for-all and I always wind up frustrated because i don't know what each of my DS's received. I am sure that things wind up going home with the wrong grandchild every year.

 

[Alice28]

We're kind of a mixture of both. As a kid, and now, someone would pass out one present to each person- then we all open those gifts at the same time. So it's not really one person at a time, but it's not a hog wild free for all either. We do open stocking stuffers as a hog wild free for all though.

 

[Princess Michelle]

At my house we hand out all the presents and then we each open one at a time until no one has any more. I like it this way.

 

[eeyore74]

As a kid, it was mostly we all opened them up at once. Since it's just DH and I now, we tend to take our time to make it last longer than 30 seconds.

 

[browneyes]

At my mom's, we used to sit the kids down and my brothers would hunt out a present for each kid and make them all wait until each kid had 1 present. That was pure torture for the kids (and me). Then they had the bright idea one year to let me hand out the presents. I handed out the presents to the kids and told them to have at it, to not wait. Ah. Pure chaos. I loved it. I don't get to hand them out anymore.

At home I tell the kids to have a free for all, but if I have out one of my cameras, that means STOP! It's pic time, then they can open them up again.

 

[tmfranlk]

We take turns opening one at a time from youngest to oldest. It started for much of the same reason JetMom worries about...parents never got to see what the kids got and presents got mixed up. Plus, it makes the opening last so much longer, which is great. Another benefit is that the kids can play with the opened toys while everyone else opens a present amd them they are ready for a new present when it's their turn again. The only time we ever did a free for all, the opening was over in 10 minutes and it seemed like a let down.

 

[dizneenut]

Everyone opens at the same time here. Its how I did it as a kid, too.

 

[believe]

In-laws is a free for all since it is a small family and everyone gets multiple gifts.

Now that my family has gone to one gift per child we take the time to open each gift, youngest to oldest.

At our house Santa doesn't wrap, so there is not wrapping except a gift or 2 that DH and I give DDs.

Either way is fine with me. I love seeing what everyone got either way.

 

[Serena]

We pass out several gifts, making sure everyone has a few, then it's a free for all. Then we pass out more, and the free for all again.
Since the girls always have more gifts than I do, I take pictures along the way.
Then the relatives come over and it's much more calm and dignified.

 

[WDWLVR]

Growing up we would do it one at a time and everyone got to see what everyone else got. My in-laws just rip into everything and it is over in minutes. Honestly it takes some of the joy out of it for me as I really enjoy the giving and watching the person open what I picked for them. Oh well - to each their own. I'm never going to get my in-laws to change so I just deal with it.

 

[eeyoreforever]

Originally posted by Alice28
We're kind of a mixture of both. As a kid, and now, someone would pass out one present to each person- then we all open those gifts at the same time. So it's not really one person at a time, but it's not a hog wild free for all either. We do open stocking stuffers as a hog wild free for all though.

You described pretty much what we do. There are five people opening presents on Christmas Eve and usually 2-3 are opening at the same time. Then we see what each present was and go to the next 2-3. My dd's like it this way. When they give someone a present that is from them, they want everything else to come to a stop while that present is being opened. As far as Santa stuff-see who can dig through their stuff the quickest!

 

[disneyjunkie]

Christmas morning in our house is a free for all. That's the way it was when my sister and I were kids, and it's the same way now for our kids.

We've never had a problem knowing who gave who what. Each box has a tag on it and the kids always yell out who it's from before and after they open it.

Christmas morning in our house is loud, wrapping paper is all over the place, and the opening of presents is over quick. For us this is the only way to do it. We would all go crazy if we had to do it any other way.

 

[Gette88]

Free for all

My DD's open their gifts at the same time while DH and I are trying to gather up the wrapping paper as they toss it over their shoulders. Lots of ohh's and ahh's and look what I got.

 

[tkyes]

One at a time for us!

We all spend a lot of time picking out the perfect gift for eachother and we want to see that person open their gift.

I don't feel "on the spot". It's my family, I'm comfortable enough with them to open a present in front of them.


Tamie