lulubelle Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I am so disappointed! I am so stupid! Last night, I just packed a storage bin of all the presents we got through the mail so far. Mostly my youngest dd's stuff. I enclosed it all in a huge bed sheet and put another sheet on top, along with a lid. Stuck it down stairs in the basement in the t.v. area, thinking they wouldn't touch a bin with sheets in it! I normally do not let them watch t.v. in the morning or even take a shower in the mornings, but on this particular morning I did. I'm in the shower and I hear my boys yelling upstairs......and finally realize they are telling there are a bunch of toys in a bin downstairs! I would say it was about 50% of Christmas stuff. It was quite a storm of emotion and first I blamed them and then I had to tell them it was my fault. And, why didn't I shove it into a corner near the other side of the basement??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Oh, that's a bummer. But I wouldn't change anything--maybe they'll learn not to snoop next time when they realize how disappointing it is to know about your presents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 It could have been hidden better, but they were obviously snooping. A natural consequence is the lack of surprise they will have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olan719 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I'm sorry - that stinks! Did you let the kids have them now? :D Even though it was my fault, I'd be tempted to say "Merry Christmas - enjoy it now; you'll be getting nothing else later". J/K I do understand your disappointment. I worry about that too - that's why everything is stored and hidden very high in our bedroom closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 That stinks. How old are they? Are you dealing with a Santa thing here, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in AL Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I don't know the ages of your kids, but I told mine as soon as they would understand that if I ever thought they were 'hunting' for their gifts, I would take every one of them back to the store and if the store wouldn't take them back, they would be donated to needy kids. I meant it, too, and they knew that. As far as I know, they never looked for them. I also have a habit of keeping them in shipping boxes, taped shut. If the gifts were found purely by accident (did they pull the sheets out to play with and just saw the gifts?), then yes, I would be a bit upset with myself. I'm sorry this happened. Try not to kick yourself--- regardless of the reason, it does happen. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Oh, that's a bummer. But I wouldn't change anything--maybe they'll learn not to snoop next time when they realize how disappointing it is to know about your presents. I remember the year I found my gifts, not so "hidden" around my Dad's basement workbench. I knew they were my gifts, and deliberately opened (and re-wrapped) them. I never told but Christmas was such a bummer for me that year. I never snooped again. It was a painful but appropriate natural consequence that worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 It all depends on the ages of your kids and how inappropriate their behavior was per your house rules. My best friend's daughter found her Christmas presents one year by some pretty obvious snooping. When my bf found out, she took her dd to wal-mart and made her return every.single.one of them. The kid was absolutely mortified and never snooped again! LOL She still got things for Christmas that year, but not the things she had really wanted (which were in the pile of presents she found). For us (we have tons of closet space, though), all presents stay in their shipping boxes and go in the top of my closet or another closet in the house. If I put something out in plain view like that, I would expect my kids to be curious and see what was in it. I am not sure this was their fault at all, in your case. Sounds like they were just being kids and investigating the new thing in the room. Unless they are specifically not allowed to open drawers and boxes, etc. then I am not sure you can really punish THEM. KWIM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I wouldn't do a thing--just relax and carry on with Christmas as planned. I was a great Christmas present snooper! It wasn't the end of the world when I succeeded in finding most of them. These days I've been hiding them in locked suitcases. They haven't caught on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 my kids are 3, 5, and 7. The 3 yo decided she wanted to play with the sheets! And, I stayed up crazy late last night, because my husband is away - and I'm a little more anxious. And, he said that some of his stuff that he ordered was in the boxes, so I decided to open them all up. It would have been best to have left them in the boxes - was excited I was being so efficient by opening and organizing. It would have been best to tell them what was in it and leave it alone, so that Christmas was a surprise. My 7 yo gets it, but not my 5 and 3 yo. Also, our other half of the basement was flooded a bit 2 days ago with overflow from the washing machine and stuff is all over the place, so I decided not to put the bin in there for now until it was all put back together in there. We have a really small house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 my kids are 3, 5, and 7. The 3 yo decided she wanted to play with the sheets! And, I stayed up crazy late last night, because my husband is away - and I'm a little more anxious. And, he said that some of his stuff that he ordered was in the boxes, so I decided to open them all up. It would have been best to have left them in the boxes - was excited I was being so efficient by opening and organizing. It would have been best to tell them what was in it and leave it alone, so that Christmas was a surprise. My 7 yo gets it, but not my 5 and 3 yo. Also, our other half of the basement was flooded a bit 2 days ago with overflow from the washing machine and stuff is all over the place, so I decided not to put the bin in there for now until it was all put back together in there. We have a really small house. I'm sorry. I would be so disappointed. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adams101 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 One year my cousin and I were getting a doll. My cousin knew we were getting it, so they put a huge can of peaches in her box and wrapped it up. I was about 6 or 7, but I remember how funny it was. She was so mad. They later gave her the doll, after everything else was open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 My mom always hid hers in the same place- her closet. All the kids knew that, and she even said we could snoop if we wanted, it was our choice, but that it would mean that it would be no fun opening presents on Christmas. I snooped one year, but never did it again because she was right, it was no fun. Her perspective was that it was our own loss if we knew what we were getting beforehand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Oh no! :grouphug: I did think "Uh-oh" when you wrote your kids wouldn't be interested in a basket of sheets. My kids would think, "Wheeeeee!" if they found a bin full of sheets. Sheets and blankets make good forts-capes-costumes in my house. I'm sorry that happened. I'd just re-hide them and go on as usual. For me, as a mom, part of the delight of Christmas is seeing the anticipation and surprise of the children, so I'd be really disappointed. You can still have a lovely holiday. :) Maybe they'll be really excited to finally get to play with the toy stash, and hopefully they've learned not to spoil their own surprise next time. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I wouldn't worry about it. Wrap the presents, put them under the tree and call it good. I think most people snoop, or accidentally find their presents at some time. It may build their anticipation, or be disappointing but honestly, they will get over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 My mom always hid hers in the same place- her closet. All the kids knew that, and she even said we could snoop if we wanted, it was our choice, but that it would mean that it would be no fun opening presents on Christmas. I snooped one year, but never did it again because she was right, it was no fun. Her perspective was that it was our own loss if we knew what we were getting beforehand. I do the same thing. Put them where they know they'll find them so they don't accidentally happen on them. I only have one snooper in the bunch and she quit once she was 8 or so for the same reason. I did it out of desperation because I got sick of trying so hard to hide them, but I think it's actually worked to help develop self-control. I'm sorry for your disappointment OP. I can imagine how you feel. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I wouldn't worry about it. Wrap the presents, put them under the tree and call it good. I think most people snoop, or accidentally find their presents at some time. It may build their anticipation, or be disappointing but honestly, they will get over it. :iagree: Plus, Christmas is still more than a month away. They just may forget about them, especially if you make the month special in other ways (ie. activities, shows, making cookies, etc.) because they'll be too busy thinking about those toys that they found. You also said it wasn't all of what they are getting, so there will still be surprise gifts too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I remember the year I found my gifts, not so "hidden" around my Dad's basement workbench. I knew they were my gifts, and deliberately opened (and re-wrapped) them. I never told but Christmas was such a bummer for me that year. I never snooped again. It was a painful but appropriate natural consequence that worked. I did this, too, around the age of 12. Christmas was such an anti-climax that I never did it again. I go out of my way now to avoid any area my husband might tuck presents away around that time of year. I want to be surprised! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Wow, some of you are really hard on kids finding Christmas presents. I'll admit I was a snooper but for a good reason :blush: I hate surprises, hate them, hate them, hate them. They make me itch. I dislike them so much that when Christmas time would come around or my birthday I would become very anxious. Would I have the right reaction to the gift? Would I hurt someone's feelings if my reaction wasn't right? What if I didn't like the gift? So, I would snoop and be able to practice my reactions. Some people don't like surprises. Next time you catch one of your kids snooping for their presents try to decide if maybe they aren't a surprise type of person. I rarely wrap gifts. I just want people to know what it is. My kids have informed me that they like surprises so I've been wrapping for a couple years now for them. Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 BTDT I hide my kids presents at grandmas each year because if I don't not only do they snoop but they open them. I had stuff come from rainsbow resource that I hid in the bottom of my closet in a rubbermaid, under all my cross-stitch stuff. I keep my stuff in the bucket all the time so it wasn't a new bucket sitting there. I went to cook dinner, come upstairs to get them and find out they wee in the box and had opened the puzzles which were now scattered. They have done crap like that every year, which is why I keep the items at grandma's. In the past we even slept over there and opened presents there in the am, because I caught them getting up in the middle of the night and opening EVERYONE's presents under the tree on xmas eve, I love getting them stuff, but they make it so stressful and remove all the fun of the surprise with their snooping. (I was a snooper as a kid too, but at least I had the impulse control to not open it all right then and there) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Wow, some of you are really hard on kids finding Christmas presents. I'll admit I was a snooper but for a good reason :blush: I hate surprises, hate them, hate them, hate them. They make me itch. I dislike them so much that when Christmas time would come around or my birthday I would become very anxious. Would I have the right reaction to the gift? Would I hurt someone's feelings if my reaction wasn't right? What if I didn't like the gift? So, I would snoop and be able to practice my reactions. Some people don't like surprises. Next time you catch one of your kids snooping for their presents try to decide if maybe they aren't a surprise type of person. I rarely wrap gifts. I just want people to know what it is. My kids have informed me that they like surprises so I've been wrapping for a couple years now for them. Kelly I agree. One of mine hated surprises and when it became very stressful I planned the list with him, wrapped his gifts with him, and stashed them in his closet. End of surprises, end of angst. I realized I was trying to keep the surprise for me, not him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I agree. One of mine hated surprises and when it became very stressful I planned the list with him, wrapped his gifts with him, and stashed them in his closet. End of surprises, end of angst. I realized I was trying to keep the surprise for me, not him. I'm so glad you were able to do that for him. What a good mom! It can still be fun even without the surprise. You are still getting something you want and waiting for it. So there is still anticipation and the excitement of Christmas morning. My mom is still mad at me because she just can't understand someone not wanting a surprise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I remember the year I found my gifts, not so "hidden" around my Dad's basement workbench. I knew they were my gifts, and deliberately opened (and re-wrapped) them. I never told but Christmas was such a bummer for me that year. I never snooped again. It was a painful but appropriate natural consequence that worked. My best friend growing up did this every year with her Christmas presents while they were under the tree. Her mom never knew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praisefor3 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I agree with Tap, Tap, Tap. Christmas is big here, too, and I like to give surprises but I would most certainly not punish the kids are make them feel like they've spoiled their Christmas. I might let them know I had been excited about surprising them but then not let it cast any negative on this beautiful holiday. And I definitely wouldn't let them have them now. I'd just whisk them away and have Christmas day just as planned and it will all be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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