https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 15:32:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921247 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 23:44:57 +0000 ALV91711 2921247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My boys are 7.5 &amp; 2 so I don’t 100% know yet. Until now the baby got presents because he had to, so it was just a little bit. Now he is starting to get excited about presents. </p> <p>1) we generally open one at a time but in no particular order. I like to see everyone open their gifts. And since it is only ever us Christmas morning it makes it last longer. </p> <p>2) I’ve gotten a couple sane/similar gifts and I’ll put them under the tree together so that they open them at the same time. </p> <p>3) This year I’ve gone more for similar amount. Santa fills the stocking with some fun stuff and leaves 1-2 gifts. Then it’s usually been a few gifts from us l, the amount depends on what we buy. This year most of what the baby is getting(especially in the stocking) is the same as big brother. It’s not all age appropriate but he just wants his brothers things so I’m trying to avoid whining/fighting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921237 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 21:30:57 +0000 wrkbrk 2921237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alphagam84: Smart!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921234 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 21:19:38 +0000 wrkbrk 2921234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peaches1038: Same.<br /> I think you could just forgo spending the same dollar amount and choose to purchase the same number of gifts instead? Does it matter for anything? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921220 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:04:53 +0000 Mommy Finger 2921220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Appreciate everyone's perspective and love hearing how other people celebrate! You confirmed what I thought we would end up doing all along and just have to make things "appear" equal. It doesn't help that I've been able to do some crazy bargain shopping this year but those legos never really go on sale! :) And we already do the big gifts are from us vs Santa but our 5 yo doesn't really ask for anything big. This year he's asking for a tiny whisk of his very own for the kitchen and white shoes that he can draw on. That and he loves crafts and experiments.</p> <p>@agold: You are too sweet. Thank you for your kind words. Sometimes we forget how much we need to hear those things.</p> <p>@alphagam84: Unfortunately we never do stocking stuffers. We celebrate St. Nicholas day on Dec 6th instead and that usually just means some candy and maybe a small toy. Otherwise that would be an idea. Thanks! And I absolutely agree with the trying to make it fair for other kids who don't get as much from Santa. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921216 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 15:18:34 +0000 alphagam84 2921216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. My family also does on present at a time and we all take turns going around the room. I like it as well because you can see who gets what. My in-laws are the opposite and I don't like it.<br /> 2. Same gifts are opened at the same time<br /> 3. If you only have "santa" bring stocking stuffers, then you avoid the whole issue of elves being paid, etc. You also make it more fair for other kids who don't get big Christmas gifts from santa since their parents may not make a lot of money and aren't able to afford it. Then just explain to your kids you spend the same amount of money on each and sometimes that means one $$$ gift or several less expensive gifts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921214 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:59:49 +0000 LadyDi 2921214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. We open one at a time, the presents are organized into one pile for each kid (DH grew up with presents that way. I don't think it's a great idea if one kid gets a lot of big gifts, but it's not a hill I am willing to die on....yet). Growing up it was a free for all, but my mom goes crazy on Christmas so if we did one at a time we would be opening gifts until New Years. </p> <p>2. Same gifts are opened at the same time.</p> <p>3. Same as others have posted, I make sure that the kids have roughly the same amount as each other. I spent way more $$$ on my 5 year old than my almost 3 year old, but they have the same number of boxes to open. The baby has less....but he's too young to know. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921211 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:09:52 +0000 Petitduck 2921211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mommy Finger: </p> <p>1 &amp; 2: I come from a large family. Traditionally we would have one person open a gift at a time, just random order though. If people were getting the same thing (like hats or something) my parents would let us open them at the same time. </p> <p>3) I didn’t grow up with presents given from Santa, just stockings, and that is how we have been doing it for our kids too. It’s hard for kids to grasp the concept of money and quantity of gifts so we also try to match number of gifts as well. Usually they get something bigger/ more expensive and some little ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921210 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 13:55:34 +0000 MrsSRS 2921210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When my kids have matching gifts I have them open them at the same time. I match number of gifts, not price point, because that's what matters to kids I think. If there's going to be a huge discrepancy, like when my older one wants a fancy LEGO set, I might group more than one small gift that belong together into one box for my younger child. But I also keep it pretty small. In our house Santa fills the stockings, the kids get one gift from me that they share (toy kitchen, guinea pig, fancy swing, etc) and then they get usually about two more gifts each from me and that's it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921209 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 13:55:10 +0000 bhbee 2921209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. Santa is a free for all - they all get to come out at the same time. Anything under the tree goes youngest to oldest for us and grandparents. Need to drag it out and fill the day! We always separate our own gift opening from grandparents/family so at least at home I get to do it my own way! (We live far away so if traveling, we open ours at home before leaving.)</p> <p>2. I would be ok with sometimes having people open together if it makes sense! But separately is still fine too. Whatever seems fun!</p> <p>3. I don’t worry about cost so much as how it looks to the kids (similar to above) - my 2 year old is getting way less expensive stuff than my older kids who love Legos and such. But definitely my 8 year old knows that some small things are expensive and I think that’s a good conversation to have - if you asked for XY that would be your only birthday gift, etc. I guess I usually have these conversations more when they are building a Santa list - #1 we won’t ask for things that are expensive from other (non parent) people (Santa, ideas for grandparents if requested, all kind of the same - they can choose to treat you but you should ask for something reasonable to be respectful) #2 for something big/expensive, you can let us know you would really like it, but it’s just a request and not a guarantee and some things might not make sense for us right now (we’ve also discussed that Santa knows what makes sense for our household and wouldn’t get us, say, a huge tall toy we don’t have space for). Talking about money and Santa is so tricky, so I find it better to frame it as a general approach vs Santa specific. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921207 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 13:28:11 +0000 catgirl 2921207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Growing up it was kind of a mix in my family - each person was handed a gift, we all opened them at the same time, showed them off, would be handed another gift, and repeat. It kept things from taking a super long time but wasn't chaotic either. DH's family just did a free for all. We do a mix of how my family did it and every one going one at a time. I really like to see DD's reaction to gifts, so I don't like to be distracted while I am opening mine.</p> <p>When I opened gifts with my cousins there was typically at least one thing we all got that was the same or a variation of one thing. We would open them at the same time. I don't think it's a big deal either way. You could also choose to wrap the items together with both names on the package, then they would open it together. </p> <p>I think when kids are little it's more important to have the same number of gifts since they don't fully understand value. Your older LO is right on the cusp of that. Maybe try to wrap up some super small inexpensive gifts to keep the number of presents similar? Though like others, santa only brings one (or maybe two small) things, parents and other family members bring the rest. So talking about budgets is easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921205 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 13:27:16 +0000 erinbaderin 2921205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. We try to do one at a time, but no order - we just pull a present out from under the tree, take it to whoever it belongs to, and then they open it, and we go to the next one. Sometimes the kids get excited and they start to overlap. If one family member has gone a while without getting a gift we'll hunt one out. </p> <p>2. Only two kids in our family but if I get them the same thing I'd have them open them at the same time.</p> <p>3. I don't worry about spending the same amount, I make sure they have the same number of gifts and that they're roughly the same size, so that it doesn't look like one kid gets big presents and the other doesn't. In our house Santa does stockings and one present, the rest are from us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921204 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 13:00:31 +0000 lindseykaye 2921204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. We kind of do a mix. Growing up it was a little bit of free for all but we always paused to show what we got to the family and see the excitement. Our youngest is still small so we let our oldest help find and pass her presents, making sure she’s not left out. We never have as much for ourselves under the tree as the kids so as parents we typically watch the kids or guide them on what to open next, opening a few here and there so we aren’t the last ones opening.</p> <p>2. We pass these out and have them open at the same time. I don’t want the surprise spoiled and I like them seeing they’re getting something matching :happy: </p> <p>3. In our house Santa brings 1, maybe 2 if they go together, reasonable gifts - the rest is from us. So we still may have to balance requests someday but this really helps when we talk about other wish list items, dollar value, and number of presents. The discrepancy isn’t so noticeable right now so I’m glad to read other responses! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921203 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 12:57:30 +0000 peaches1038 2921203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We open gifts one at a time. Santa only brings one present and parents give the rest. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921202 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 12:33:03 +0000 agold 2921202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. I do one gift at a time, also. Its how I grew up and I like it. My husband grew up the same as yours, but he likes the slow open now, too. Basically, we open presents for hours if you count the time when we go to my mom's in the afternoon. We will totally drink coffee and even take a small break to bring the breakfast in. :silly: </p> <p>2. I haven't gotten to this situation yet, but I like the idea of all the kids opening up the same gift at the same time. I will do that. Thanks!</p> <p>3. Yikes. I know what you mean about dollar amount and wanting gifts equal. I'd find a way to still make it equal. So, get your little guy a pricey gift, too. Or, get little guy a gift equal in size, even if its not equal in dollar amount. Or, get your little guy less gifts. I don't know. And I don't think the kids will really know the difference right now, unless little guy is opening gifts a lot longer than the big boy. Best of luck! You sound like such an awesome mom and I'm sure your Christmas morning is going to be great. Sounds like you are doing your best to keep the magic alive. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921201 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 12:31:27 +0000 oldschooolmama 2921201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. We only have one daughter but growing up it was a free for all. Definitely chaotic. If we have more children we will do the one person at a time.<br /> 2. If we got the same gift we had to wait until we all got the present then we opened them at the same time. It didn't have to be the same gift but for example we would all open a different board game at the same time. I would do the same.<br /> 3. Growing up the more expensive gifts were family gifts. With our daughter we do the five things (something to wear, want, need, read, and something you don't know you wanted) so maybe that could be something to think about for the future. Or just do the same number of gifts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921200 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 12:21:43 +0000 josina 2921200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1. We pass out all the gifts, and then go from youngest to oldest opening one at a time. So DD opens one, then DS, then DSD, then mom, then dad, and back around again.</p> <p>2. If I give the same gift, they just open them back to back, I usually tell the kids which gift to open going from smallest to largest. They both get crocs, so dd will open hers, then ds open his right after.</p> <p>3. Thats tough! This year I was able to spend the same on the little's even though their gifts varied in price. We kind of x any really expensive gifts though (like DS wanted an xbox, not happening). I told him that the parts to make it are really expensive so Santa can't gift an xbox.<br /> We also gift the majority of the presents from us, and Santa just brings 1 or 2 things, If one was more expensive, I'd just gift another cheap item so they have the same amount to open. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3-random-questions-on-giving-christmas-gifts-to-your-kids#post-2921199 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 12:10:45 +0000 Mommy Finger 2921199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok 3 random questions on how you handle Christmas gifts at your house when you have multiple kids.</p> <p>1) We are a family that passes out gifts and then one person opens their gifts at a time. We always go youngest to oldest. In DH's family, it was always a free for all. They would just start handing out gifts and as soon as you got one you opened it. I always felt like this is too chaotic and you don't see what other get. Or maybe I just like seeing the faces when they open it. :)</p> <p>2) If you are like me above and one person opens at at time, if you are giving the same gift to multiple kids, do you have them open the gift at the same time or do you still just have each kid open up their gifts and then move on to the next one? I have memories of going to my grandparents house for Christmas and they would get me and like 5 of my cousins the same shirt but different colors and we'd all have to open at the same time. :)</p> <p>3) Lastly, my boys are 8 and 5.5. The 8 yo is starting to ask for things that are more expensive. I like to spend the same amount of each. Unfortunately, this might mean that it would appear that the older one gets less presents bc I bought him a $100 Lego set and I can buy 5 $20 items for his brother. I've started to talk to DS1 about how he's asking for more expensive things to set the stage and normally he would get it but in his mind, the elves make all of the presents so money doesn't matter. So we've gone down the road of Santa needing to pay the elves for their work... Any other suggestions? No I'm not ready to have the "Santa isn't real" conversation yet. </p>