Waiting to between dinner courses to hand over gifts?

[tommyg]

My Santa always delivered gifts during the night. Things would be sent to Santa for him to deliver. When my relations arrived at my house their gifts would be handed over ASAP.

Today we were at the ILs. I'd accepted that they didn't want Santa to deliver their gifts but instead leave them under their tree. However I expected they would be handed over when we got their but no they were opened between courses of dinner. Dragging the whole thing out for to me was adult entertainment rather than a kids excitement. Honestly it was painful to watch I'm glad DS wasn't waiting on anything in particular from them.

Tbh I think this is only the 2nd time we've been at theirs for Christmas dinner and I don't remember them doing that the last time.

Anybody else do that? Or had it done to them?

 

[Mrs_T]

When I was a child we used to have our stovking and father Christmas present first thing, then the rest we'd take over to my grandma's and have after Christmas dinner and the queen's speech! I used to love the anticipation! Don't remember it as a toddler though I have to say.

I think it's very hard at Christmas to let go of your own childhood traditions so maybe they just wanted to do it the way they are used to, just like you would've liked it your way.

 

[Pearls18]

We do Santa presents first thing (these are from DH and I) , but we don't open the rest of presents from family until after dinner (we don't say they come from Santa I'm not keen on this I like LO to thank the family directly), we were at my mum's, we had easily 100+ presents under the tree it looked ridiculous and some other family had come over to watch, it was a bit exhausting tbh with so many presents and it becoming a bit of a spectacle taking it in turns (although we all dived in at the end) but to be fair DS handled it pretty well barring asking when he could open the next pretty often lol, I'm not sure what I would prefer to do tbh. At the ILs they have a set way they have what they call "tree" presents and they just open as soon as really lol. I just respect the wishes of the person's whose house it is, if we have been invited round theirs for dinner we follow their lead, next year I think we will do Christmas Day at our own house, it's the first year I've felt I would prefer the one day just us, then we can figure out what works best for us.

Sorry I just realised I didn't even answer the question, no I've not heard of it in the middle dinner although I think it would be nice if it was just one present each, thinking about it that is what the ILs do often but not this year, they give one tree present during/just after dinner when we're sat at the table, it's only one each though but they didn't do it this year for some reason.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

We do stockings, brekkie, more pressies than some more after dinner but my kids understand and prefer this x

 

[freckleonear]

In our house, the children open their stockings as soon as they wake up and then we open presents under the tree when everyone is ready (although if they have lots we spread it out over the day and into Boxing Day). Yesterday we went to the in-laws for lunch and then opened presents in the afternoon. I prefer it that way so that presents aren't the focus of our visit.

 

[Pearls18]

In our house, the children open their stockings as soon as they wake up and then we open presents under the tree when everyone is ready (although if they have lots we spread it out over the day and into Boxing Day). Yesterday we went to the in-laws for lunch and then opened presents in the afternoon. I prefer it that way so that presents aren't the focus of our visit.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Yes I prefer that so much more too!

 

[tommyg]

In our house, the children open their stockings as soon as they wake up and then we open presents under the tree when everyone is ready (although if they have lots we spread it out over the day and into Boxing Day). Yesterday we went to the in-laws for lunch and then opened presents in the afternoon. I prefer it that way so that presents aren't the focus of our visit.

Maybe you have hit the nail on the head. The whole thing became focused on presents and DS asking when he could open something else. Rather than proper family time with games etc that my family would have done.

 

[jd83]

My family always wait until after dinner to open the gifts. It's hard for the kids to wait, but we've always done it this way. As an adult, I appreciate it now because it give everyone time to catch up as a family before the chaos of gift opening, and then people clearing out once they are all opened.

Opening in between each course of the meal though? That does seem a bit weird.

 

[HappyAnjeL]

I'm all for doing whatever their tradition at their house may be, but I do find it odd to do it between courses.. Maybe ok for adults but my LO would want to play with what she got and I'd have trouble getting her to stop and start eating again. We let her open stocking first thing then we wait for everyone to be ready to open the rest.

 

[tommyg]

Thankfully most of what he got was clothes but yes if it had been something he'd desperately wanted it would have been a nightmare.

Never had the issue of family leaving after presents. Kid stuff is normally under their own tree so opened in the morning. Adults stuff is either under there own tree or where dinner is going to be. When everybody descends it's have a drink, open presents, dinner then a few games and family catch up.

 

[QueenMummyToBe]

Our family tradition is to open pressies from Santa, friends and family we aren't seeing on Xmas day in the morning. Then we get ready, go to my dad's, the kids play with the toys they have from Santa etc or colour or watch a film whilst we get lunch ready. We all have Xmas lunch and then we open pressies from everyone that is there on the day. They then have time to play whilst the adults that didn't cook dinner clean and wash up.

It's how we have always done it since I was a small child and It means my dad and sisters get to see the kids open the presents from them.

Xx

 

[tommyg]

I think I might actually have been better if they'd started lunch / dinner maybe at 3 pm and opened stuff after it instead of waiting until 5.30 then spreading it out.

Glad I'm not the only person who finds between courses odd. Another tbing that bugged me was i hate forcing Ds to eat. But he was getting told "if you eat that you can open something else" which i wasn't wearing. I let him skip soup as he isn't a big fan of it but normally i would give him some with the hope he might eat a little. However thanks for your thoughts ladies.
It is always good to get others opinions esp when it comes to my ils who are very different to my family.

 

[Indigo77]

My ILs expect everyone to wait their turn when it's gift opening time.
I think it's a bit much to expect from a toddler.
I told them so & everyone reluctantly conceded.
It then became VERY entertaining for them & so much more fun & they acknowledged it later with little comments...

Everyone has their traditions, but the expectations need to be accommodating for LOs.

 

[Snow Owl]

We do Santa in the morning and most of the presents under the tree. Then after lunch (at nanny's) we do presents from everyone there (uncles, nanny, great nanny. Just spreads them out a bit)