OT: Opening presents at birthday party?

[3goofyboys]

In my area/group of friends, it is most common not to open gifts at the party. Our kids are all small (none older than 3) and the kids don't really care yet what the birthday child thinks of their gift. As they get older, we will open gifts at the party so the gift giver can see the birthday boy open their present. We have occasionally had a child who did want my DS to open his gift from them at the party and in that case we pulled DS and that child to the side during free time and had him open it. I think whatever feels right to you is what you should go with.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I've done it both ways at my kids parties, and I've found a compromise that works well for us. After cake, I arrange to have someone else do an activity or game with all of the children, except for the birthday boy/girl. We then have 1 child at a time ( or more if they're siblings and brought 1 gift) come and sit with them while they open their present. I always take a picture of my child with the present and the friend..this makes it easier to remember who gave what. I then make double copies of my pictures and include a copy in the Thank You card. This usually works best of they Birthday child is opening away from the main group. This has worked out great for us. The kids are all occupied and get to have a special minute with the guest of honor!

 

[CarlisleMom]

My DD7 has always opened her presents in front of her friends.

For the last 3 years, one of her friends has opened the presents after the kids leave. It makes me wonder if the child likes the gift(s) we spend so many hours picking out. One year the child did not open the presents until almost 3 weeks after the party - how I know? My mother had handmade her American Girl clothes that match the childs school uniform. I had to ask if they liked it and that it was handmade.

 

[summerrluvv]

Where I live, it's the norm not to open gifts at the party. If we have a home party, I do tend to do gifts with the guests still there though. I think it's nice, and I think the gift giver appreciates seeing their gift opened.

 

[kato0627]

My DD (7) just celebrated her birthday on Sat at Build A Bear. We than went to the food court for pizza and cake. We did not open her gifts only b/c we were in the middle of the food court. She was anxious to get home and open her gifts. I think you need to do what is best for your situation.
Happy Birthday to your DS and have fun

 

[aussietravellers]

My DS has never opened his presents at the party, except for one time. His party has always been outside of the home so we always have taken them home and he has opened them there. At home I always take a note of who has given what gift and we then do up personal thank you notes, usually including a photo of the child who has given the gift at the party. When they are ripped open at the party, you can not remember who they are from and I like to thank them and actually mention the gift given.

I don't think it is rude not to open the gifts at the party, my DS has not been to many parties where the gifts are opened at the actual party, unless the party is held at home. But when the party is held at a theme park, play centre of venue of some description it is hard, things can get lost and the parties are usually organised and timed and there isn't usually present opening time scheduled at the parties. I am not offended if the presents are not opened when my DS goes to a party and my DS doesn't care either, they are so used to not opening, you see the kids look for the present table when they arrive at the table, they just want to run off to play Plus if there are only just a few kids at the party its ok but if there are a lot of children, 12 to 30+ then often the guests don't want to sit around for that long watching someone else get the presents, they want to play (and get their own take home favors ).

Anyway, it does not bother us what people do when we go to parties, I think it just depends on the person and the location of the party, there is nothing wrong with opening them at the party and there is nothing wrong with taking them home or opening them later.

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

I wish we could do without LOL - It's hard to get my kids to sit still long enough to open presents at a party LOL- but my in-laws insist that they will not leave until all of the presents are open... so we do it to end the party haha.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Talk about timing. We just got home from our DD7's b-day party this evening. It was at Chuck E Cheese and it difficult figuring how to have everyone see (which they all wanted to) at the long tables. We did cake and ice cream and she opened her present while her friends ate. I felt like it was taking forever but the kids all liked watching her open them. With 3 kids we have never been to a party that the child did not open the presents. Interesting, I never heard of this. I wonder is this the same at baby showers? Wedding showers? I know sometimes it draggs on watching those gifts get opened (as cute as the baby ones are.)

One year we did no gifts for our DD14. She had just been in preschool a month when it was her b-day and we invited the whole class jsut to get to know everyone. I wanted everyone to come and not feel like we were only inviting them for a gift. All but one child boought a gift anyway and that kid cried and cried. We never did that again. We have the party for the fun of it and are grateful for the gifts we are given.

Oh, and as for thank yous. I always make my kids (even when they were young) do thank yous. When they were young I would make something cute on the computer and just have them write their mane, as they got older they maybe wrote to and from and the middle was typed. Now, they write thank yous to everyone for sharing in their special day and for the gift. I think it is a nice (and somewhat lost) art. Of course as they open they say thank you, but I prefer to go the extra step.

My DD will be writing her thank yous tomorrow after school and we will hand deliver them on Tuesday.