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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The one by one gift opening is solely for the benefit of the giver who needs to feel appreciated. [/quote]

This. My MIL is exactly like this. The even sadder thing is that she doesn't even pick out the gifts. I buy them, mail them to her house for her to wrap and then give away. Sigh.[/quote]

Ridiculous. The one-by-one is a way to take a moment to appreciate each gift instead of immediately tearing into the next one. Yes, it also allows the giver to see the recipients reaction and/or explain whatever thought went into the gift, and it teaches kids to express thanks.

Last year we went to my in-laws for my first experience with the grab approach. I was overwhelmed, as was my 1.5yr old, who cried and waited to open his gifts until the frenzy was over. I honestly felt like I was in the middle of WalMart on Black Friday. I'll also never know if the recipients cared at all about the carefully chosen gifts I gave, and thus don't know what to get them next time.  Fortunately, my DH was also disappointed in how it all went down and was sorry for our son as well.  Never again. [/quote]

LOL -so, you are at the in-laws and think it should be done YOUR way. You sound like OP's MIL. Give your son another Christmas or two, and he will be itching to tear open the paper. So, are you going to insist the in-laws change things at their Christmas, or are you guys going to be so petty that you boycott over how some Christmas gifts are opened? You sound like a control freak.[/quote]

Not a control freak at all. Love the in-laws, frequently make the 8hrdruve to see them, but will be having Christmas at our house for the foreseeable future. Does it make a difference that their kids are all late-teens, tore through their gifts and then left for their respective rooms to play their new respective video games while DS opened his first-ever Xmas presents?  Maybe it doesn't matter to the masses, but it did to me. It all seemed so materialistic and just wasn't the kind of memory I hope to create for my family. [/quote]

You're contradicting yourself. if you don't like the materialism, why would it matter to you that they witness your child opening his gifts? 
I think it was rude of the teenagers to leave the room, but it's not all about your precious baby. [/quote]

No, not a contradiction. Again, it's having my child learn how to show (and accept) appreciation. He received a small, appropriate number of gifts for his age.  It ended up seeming more materialistic because our focus (DH and me) was entirely on him as he opened gifts alone, rather than spreading our attention to everyone else by turn.  Anyway to each his own. And no, I don't think MIL should dictate what happens at OP's house. I just agree with where she's coming from. [/quote]

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