Do you still open gifts with extended family ?
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Anonymous
| So my fiancé’s family has Christmas with us. My fiancés sister gets these elaborate gifts from them. I feel uncomfortable watching her open these gifts. My fiancé and I plan to have kids after we get married. Anyone with kids, do you open gifts with extended family? How can I put it later so we don’t open gifts with them. Thank you. |
Anonymous
| Exactly what is your concern, OP? |
Anonymous
|
Op here, my concern is… is it rude when you have kids to not include extended family in Christmas gift opening.
I am tired of watching my fiancés sister open gifts. I’m talking about 16 gifts here from her parents. It’s ridiculous. I think when my fiancé and I have kids it will be more bothersome. My fiancé and I have Christmas at our house, but is there a way to tell them to open their gifts before they get to our house? |
Anonymous
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Just explain you’re a no gift family. So no exchanges with anyone and don’t expect anything for your future children. If your children get a gift, teach them to say thank you and Put it to the side without opening. You can open gifts either before people come over with your nuclear family or another day.
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Anonymous
| I’m trying to get this straight. You have guests at your house for Christmas. Once you have kids, you want to tell your guests the only ones who can open presents on Christmas are your kids? |
Anonymous
| I don’t get it. Are her parents there too? Or are you saying she brings gifts to open from people who aren’t physically there? If the former, that seems fine - I don’t know why you’re calling that “extended family”…? If the latter, then yea that seems slightly awkward. Exactly who is allowed to open presents at your dream xmas, OP? |
Anonymous
| Isn’t she opening gifts from her parents? |
Anonymous
Are they not getting you gifts? Is that what you are concerned with? Why do t you celebrate with your own family before you are married? |
Anonymous
|
We open all santa and mom/dad gifts when they wake up. Family gifts are in the afternoon.
To answer what I think is your question - no, if you are hosting the main family gathering for the holiday, you cannot ban the opening of gifts. Where, exactly, do you suggest they open these gifts if the only time they are together on the holiday is your house? In your driveway? |
Anonymous
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Even if they open at your house, your kids will have no interest in adult gifts. Just let the kids open first and everyone else can do whatever you usually do without the kids.
Are they all local? I would ask that they exchange in the morning at their home(s) and then come over in the afternoon. If they are staying with you, that's a different story. |
Anonymous
Just tell them only one nice gift from each person for your children. Any more than that go to the closet for children who have nothing. The sooner you and your spouse grow a spine, the better prepared you’ll be for parenting. |
Anonymous
| Is this because you want all the attention on your unborn kids opening gifts? Is it the quantity? 16 is too many, what is the right number? This is weird. |
Anonymous
|
Op here,
I prefer opening gifts beforehand on Christmas morning. We tell them to come over in the afternoon at Christmas hoping they opened their gifts already. It just awkward watching an almost 30 year old woman open 16 gifts from her parents. I was asking how do you word it to have people open their gifts at their home and then come over later. I guess from now on we’d just have Christmas dinner. |
Anonymous
| You’re not even married let alone have kids. Is this really your main worry? |
Anonymous
| How old is your fiancee’s sister? If she’s a child or special needs, then no, don’t limit gifts if they’re at your house all day. If she’s an adult (without special needs) getting 16 gifts from her parents, that’s strange. |