Rhonda in TX Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I've always put them out over the course of the week before Christmas. The kids enjoy looking at and shaking them. :) Christmas Eve, we put out "Santa", stockings, and a few other gifts. This is how it was when I grew up, too. This year, I'm thinking of hiding all gifts and putting them all under the tree Christmas Eve, after the kids go to bed. I'm just wondering what others do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I do the majority of my shopping online. I wrap the gifts and put them under the tree each afternoon when deliveries arrive. I love the look of pretty packages under the tree. My boys have never bothered them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 All of the gifts are wrapped and under the tree now. :) We do Santa when the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve so they will have that surprise, unwrapped, the minute they get up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I do the majority of my shopping online. I wrap the gifts and put them under the tree each afternoon when deliveries arrive.I love the look of pretty packages under the tree. My boys have never bothered them. This is what I do too. St Nicholas doesn't bring any presents ... just stockings on Christmas morning so there is no reason for me to hold any presents back. My kids are very interested in the presents but they don't know which ones are theirs because my sister and I have three kids between the two of us. We're naming all the presents Huey, Duey, and Luey. They won't know who Huey, Duey, and Luey are until it's time to open the presents! (Actually they've got a pretty good idea that Luey is the baby because those presents "rattle" like a baby's present would. Clever kids!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Christmas Eve. Sadly, we had issues over the years with cats and boxes and trees.:glare: Now it's just habit, even though we have different cats who behave themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 We put the ones from relatives and such under the tree as they come in. Everything else goes under after dd goes to bed on Christmas Eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 We put everyone else's gifts under the tree as they are purchased and wrapped, because it looks pretty and festive. But the ones for our family (that we will open together on Christmas morning) go under after the kids go to bed on Christmas eve, same as when we had Santa coming. Then I leave all the tree lights on, the little Christmas Village lights on and turn on Christmas music before I go to bed so its still a magical awakening in the morning. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 after everyone is in bed Christmas Eve otherwise, whoever is under 5 at the time will get curious;). Hmm, maybe next year I can have them out earlier..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 After we finish eating our Thanks Giving dinner. When mine were little, we waiting to avoid early openings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 at 2 am on Christmas Day :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 HOURS after the girls go to bed on Christmas Eve...all the wrapping will be done in advance. But this year we are going to Seattle for Christmas on Eve morning, so we're going to have family gifts here in the desert on the 23rd. I'm actually really looking forward to it. I think Christmas Eve services are going to be SO much more meaningful knowing they aren't dwelling on what they are getting "tomorrow morning." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 We put up our tree the weekend before Thanksgiving and I put some gifts under the tree that day. I think it looks prettier with gifts beneath it. So as I wrap them, I put them under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 These days, gifts go under the tree as soon as they are wrapped. I like adding a few each day. In years past when I had a home business, a lot of people were picking up orders during December. I really didn't like the look of *tons* of packages under the tree...too obvious and a slight potential for tempting a break in. (Surely not from my clients, but you never know....) I gathered all the kid's teddy bears and stuffed critters, put a pretty Christmas bow on each one, and placed them under the tree. It was more than cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I put them out as soon as I wrap them, which means some are out the day we put up the tree after Thanksgiving while others don't make it there until Christmas eve because I am a slacker lol. We put out stockings Christmas eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Lynn Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 We always put them out as I wrapped them and stockings were found filled Christmas morning. I have loved seeing the fun build under the tree. This year, the presents are building on the top of a cabinet in the garage, out of reach of our ds. At least he can see them. He is terribly upset that everyone gets presents. He thinks all the presents should be for him. I think there is some confusion that I am not getting, because he cries about it every time we talk about everyone getting something. We will keep working on it. I just hope he is more generous in spirit on Christmas morning. I would have trouble with a child crying whenever someone else gets a present. We will have 5 people, who will not have their own families with whom to celebrate. We just wanted to share this year even more than usual, so I hope he will be on the same page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I put them under the tree as soon as they're wrapped, except for the few that Santa brings. I think the tree looks more festive that way. Our Hanukkah gifts go under the tree too :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 When I was growing up, presents for the extended family went under the tree as they were wrapped, then prezzies for us kids went out after we were in bed on Christmas Eve. I'll do the same here, once the kids are past toddlerhood and can be trusted not to open Nanna's present ;) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I put gifts out as I wrap them. The only thing that waits for Christmas Eve are the stockings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Almost all of ours are under the tree. Instead of using labels with to/from on them, I number them on the back. Then I keep a list with what number is what gift. This keeps the boys from messing with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Ours will go out on Christmas Eve. I have a cat and 2 dogs that would be blamed for opened presents, so I can't risk it before then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 The night before - I'd love to put them out as soon as I wrap them BUT we have four cats...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I put them under xmas eve. My folks have a few under their tree already and they will continue to add. We do christmas at their house, so I always put my gifts under on christmas eve after the kids are asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 As soon as we buy a tree, put it up, and decorate it. We will try to buy it tonight before the snow, put it up when dh finally arrives home (which may be tomorrow but may be Sunday or Monday), and decorate it a day after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Between the cat, the dog, and the kids, NOTHING goes out until everyone is asleep Christmas Eve. Even then, we're going to have to figure out how to lock the dog and cat up! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 When I manage to wrap them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I put them out as soon as I finish wrapping them - at 2 AM Christmas morning LOL!!! You people are all way too on the ball! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Most years I put them under as I wrap. Or in a couple of wrapping sessions. But this year...I have a very active almost-1 year old who would shred everything she could get her hands on. So I have stacks on top of my dining room table, buffet, etc. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I hide all of the gifts until Christmas Eve. We put them under the tree and fill the stockings after the kids have fallen asleep. One year, we put the gifts under the tree as I bought and wrapped them. None of us liked it. It took away from the Christmas morning surprise. We don't do Santa...so our waiting has nothing to do with Santa bringing gifts overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We put wrapped presents under the tree as they are ready in the week before Christmas and then put out one or two gifts from Santa on Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed. This year I've borrowed an idea I found on here...all of the presents are addressed to Santa's different reindeer so nobody knows which ones are theirs. It has been very fun with the kids...so thank you to whomever suggested that. We are loving it! (Dh is afraid I'll lose the list though...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 As soon as the tree goes up, and as packages arrive. This was the first year the dc have been really good about staying out of things, though. It probably helped that they just had eight nights of gifts (albeit small ones aside from tonight) to distract them from what is sitting under the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnytracks Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Presents go under the tree late christmas eve night once everyone is in bed. I will put a couple of new board games I bought under the tree the night before christmas eve. Christmas eve for us is full of family fun and of course a huge meal. The kids will put their gifts under the tree for each other sometime christmas eve. We will open those later that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I put gifts out as I wrap them. The only thing that waits for Christmas Eve are the stockings. :iagree:Plus, our Santa gifts go out under the tree then too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We've always put them out as they were wrapped. We never gave gifts in the name of Santa (greedy -- we wanted them to know the gifts were from us LOL), so the Christmas morning thing was never really needed. This year, though, I decided we'd put a couple of the gifts for the boys from us under the tree now and then the rest when we leave my parent's house on Christmas Eve. My parents' presents to the boys are already under the tree. I wanted them to be surprised by the presents this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Since my kids are younger, we wait until Christmas Eve for all the gifts. If they were out earlier, my oldest wouldn't open them, but I know my youngest would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Christmas eve after everyone has gone to bed. I think it's much more dramatic to go from an empty tree to one filled with presents on Christmas morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We do all of ours late Christma Eve/Christmas morning, around 1 a.m. It's a combination of animals/little kids/nosy big kids but MOSTLY we like the fact they went to bed and there were no presents, and they woke up the next morning, and the tree was FULL of presents. It's quite exciting for them. Plus I remember what me and my sibling did when we were younger: we opened all the presents we could find, by slitting the tape at the paper seam, so you could never tell, peaking and then putting another piece of tape right on top of that one. My mother never knew until we were older and told her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairie rose Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Christmas Eve because I have a curious toddler who won't leave them alone and will unwrap them all the second no one is looking. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Christmas Eve. My 7yo has autism and piles of wrapped presents would just be too tempting! :D So everything is wrapped and locked in the master bedroom's walk-in closet upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Santa brings all the presents. Otherwise, people are constantly harrassing the presents. The cats like to tear at the wrapping paper and the kids spend too much time "admiring" the presents. Just makes things easier.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I put the gifts for other family members under the tree, but gifts for our immediate family stay hidden until Christmas morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pongo Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Only the gifts from the kids to each other, and our traditional PJ gift goes under the tree. I buy the funniest , craziest PJ's I can find for each child. That's the gift they open on Christmas Eve. They shower, put it on, and go to bed, they wear them the entire day for Christmas. Last year my ds was mortified, his was a superman PJ w/ cape.:) I have done it since they were babies, they always start talking about the PJ's around T-giving..lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 (edited) on Christmas Eve. Now that they're older, we put them out as we purchase and wrap. Edited December 19, 2009 by Stacy in NJ sp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest janainaz Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We only put them out Christmas eve after my kids go to bed. I like the big suprise in the morning. My sister and I used to slice the tape on packages, carefully unwrap and see what our gifts were, and then re-wrap the gift putting transparent tape over the other tape. You could never tell they had been opened. We finally got caught one year when my sister handed me a package and I said, "No, not the socks, the other one." I don't think my kids are devious like we were, but I'm not going to chance it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 We put them under the tree after the kiddos are in bed on Christmas eve. The only presents out before that are the boxes containing their Christmas pjs. I love seeing their faces on Christmas morning when they see the tree with presents. I also love spending time on Christmas eve with dh talking about the kiddos and what we know they are going to enjoy as we put everything under the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 christmas eve since dd is still grab and tear age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 We only put them out Christmas eve after my kids go to bed. I like the big suprise in the morning. :iagree: My sister and I used to slice the tape on packages, carefully unwrap and see what our gifts were, and then re-wrap the gift putting transparent tape over the other tape. You could never tell they had been opened. We finally got caught one year when my sister handed me a package and I said, "No, not the socks, the other one." I don't think my kids are devious like we were, but I'm not going to chance it. :lol: What a way to get caught! I used to open gifts, too, only I was an expert in peeling the tape back without taking any of the paper with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 I think we've always done it this way. I feel like it keeps the focus off of the gifts, through the season, and keeps them from getting torn, etc. ETA: I'll also echo those who like the surprise factor! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 There are only a few gifts for each so we wait. We fill the stockings then too, just dh and I. I love doing that with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtoboys Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 not until Christmas morning. . .I don't trust my boys not to open them, or at least shake them. I could threaten them not to, but it's just kind of hard for little kids to resist. ;) (Just my opinion though!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 We put them out at night, after the kids are in bed, on Christmas Eve. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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