Presents the night before

Bumpmakesfour

Just out of interest..what would you have done if it was a school day that his b'day fell on?My OH is at work by the time the kids get up so my three have always had to wait for daddy to get home at about 6pm to open most of their presents if it's a school day.They open a couple of little ones but have never complained about waiting for hubby for the rest and I've never felt "mean" making them wait .Interesting hearing how different families work

pigpen

Kimberley82 wrote: »

thats just mean

no it isnt, and there is no way mine would get presents before their birthday.. even the day before.. he has presents to look at play with and tell his friends about at school and a big super surprise for later so the next day he can go to school and tell them all you had a fabulous surprise for him.. over dinner while out for a meal.. in fact Id as the waiters to bring it out on a platter like they do engagement rings in films lol

He should be grateful for ANY presents and if he was disappointed with the smaller ones I would be debating whether to let him have the big present or not.. I hate ingratitude!

But then.. mine only usually get 1 birthday present and they know they get it after we have had dinner and cake so are used to having presents the evening of their birthday... cant be wasting time in a morning when they have to be out to school.

Kimberley82

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

Just out of interest..what would you have done if it was a school day that his b'day fell on?My OH is at work by the time the kids get up so my three have always had to wait for daddy to get home at about 6pm to open most of their presents if it's a school day.They open a couple of little ones but have never complained about waiting for hubby for the rest and I've never felt "mean" making them wait .Interesting hearing how different families work

I guess same as we did this year. Let him have his main one the night before.

I would feel bad making them wait as thats never how we have done it here.

Kimberley82

pigpen wrote: »

no it isnt, and there is no way mine would get presents before their birthday.. even the day before.. he has presents to look at play with and tell his friends about at school and a big super surprise for later so the next day he can go to school and tell them all you had a fabulous surprise for him.. over dinner while out for a meal.. in fact Id as the waiters to bring it out on a platter like they do engagement rings in films lol

He should be grateful for ANY presents and if he was disappointed with the smaller ones I would be debating whether to let him have the big present or not.. I hate ingratitude!

But then.. mine only usually get 1 birthday present and they know they get it after we have had dinner and cake so are used to having presents the evening of their birthday... cant be wasting time in a morning when they have to be out to school.

It would be mean to suddenly change it after 9 years of doing it one way.

There is no way I would have given him it in the restaurant as he would have had to wait to get home to play with it.

Bumpmakesfour

Kimberley82 wrote: »

I guess same as we did this year. Let him have his main one the night before.

I would feel bad making them wait as thats never how we have done it here.

Fair enough..each to their own and all that Guess if they're at school they're busy so don't mind waiting so much.If my dad was out till the evening of my bday I'd have had to wait...to let him see me open the presents,so it's just how things were/are done and luckily mine have never complained so I don't feel mean

Kimberley82

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

Fair enough..each to their own and all that Guess if they're at school they're busy so don't mind waiting so much.If my dad was out till the evening of my bday I'd have had to wait...to let him see me open the presents,so it's just how things were/are done and luckily mine have never complained so I don't feel mean

Exactly thats how its always been in your house, not the same as changing things

Bumpmakesfour

Kimberley82 wrote: »

Exactly thats how its always been in your house, not the same as changing things

Yup...although I'm sure if I did decide to change it and say "you don't have to wait,open what you like"..they wouldn't be complaining :rotfl:

pigpen

Kimberley82 wrote: »

It would be mean to suddenly change it after 9 years of doing it one way.

There is no way I would have given him it in the restaurant as he would have had to wait to get home to play with it.

Id have given him it with dessert so he didnt have to wait to play with it.. Id have had them bring out a cake with lit candles and his present... so it was special.. that is hardly mean just requires a bit of planning in advance.

At 9 he is perfectly capable of understanding things do not stay the same forever and appreciating a surprise.. and I am sure an extra present would be welcome ... unless it was socks lol..

Spendless

I don't let mine have presents the night before BUT I haven't been in the position Kimberley was. Initially I was for the idea of asking child but when I saw the suggestion that she let him have it the night before so Dad could see him open it, he could then play with it during the time he has to go to work with Kimberley (an issue she has posted about before) then he's not wanting to play with it at the restaurant nor having to wait till the very end of the day for his main present it made perfect sense to do it that way and I'm glad she did.

digitalphase

I found it a bit odd you'd already set it up? Surely that's part of the fun for him?

I wouldn't have given him the present the night before, though I can see why you did.

I hadn't really thought about it, as my son is only 18 weeks old, but for my son's birthday he will wait until the evening then his dad can watch him opening his presents.
His dad gets up really early in the morning for work, so we couldn't open presents in the morning, unless it fell on a weekend. My boy was born on a Friday, so am guessing his first two birthdays will be on a weekend, so that will be fine, we can watch him open them together in the morning.

TBH when he's school age, he'll most likely be at school on his birthday, so would have to wait anyway. I dunno really, maybe could open cards in the morning. He can then look forward to the evening of presents.

I seem to remember opening presents of an evening, along with a birthday cake with candles to blow out... or is that tradition done with now?

Oh, and OP, what is your signature all about?