https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 16:09:15 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398405 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:18:08 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2398405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Growing up, stockings were always free game as soon as we woke up. So I'd let her do those right away, and that should tide her over until she's able to open presents when the grandparents get up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398394 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:13:01 +0000 honeybear 2398394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: I'm definitely an ogre. :silly: I do let LO pick out one gift to open on Christmas Eve, and he can have his stocking and maybe one gift from us when he gets up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398314 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:08:58 +0000 gingerbebe 2398314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, in DH's family, immediate family presents are after breakfast (so around 930am or 10am) and then extended family presents are after the family luncheon (so around 1:30pm). So I would just say presents are for after lunch/brunch. Then its about killing time! I think they should be allowed to open their stockings any time after 5 or 6am (depending on when its likely they will get up), play with whatever is in the stocking (so put something that will occupy them in there!), then allow them to come wake up mom and dad for snuggles. Then I would have them help you make a special smallish breakfast that they can help you make, like cinnamon rolls from a tube or a Snowman pancake with sprinkles and chocolate chips or something. Then Christmas movie with popcorn! And then hopefully the grandparents will be up, everyone can have a brunch/lunch together, and then open presents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398313 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:07:51 +0000 mediagirl 2398313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: ha! My aunt used to make my cousins wait until after Christmas Day Mass to open presents. I used to think that was the worst type of torture. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398308 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:00:39 +0000 kiddosc 2398308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think if I were in that situation I would let them open their gifts from us/santa and wait to open the gifts from grandparents. I prefer to have Christmas morning just be our nuclear family though. It's one thing to wait 20 min while people get up and get coffee and quite another to have to wait hours. I think that sucks a lot of the joy/magic out of Christmas morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398302 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:54:45 +0000 honeybear 2398302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think that's a good reason to ask a child to wait on opening things (unwrapped stuff seems to me to be fair game for immediate play!). But I guess I'm a huge Grinch, because I make LO wait until I've at least had some coffee! :grin: We even had him wait until after church on Christmas morning last year, poor kid. This year he has to wait for our guests to come over for brunch. If you prep the child in advance, I think it's fine. Alternatively, designate a reasonably exciting gift or two to open first thing and save the rest for Grandpa and Grandma to see. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398277 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:33:46 +0000 PawPrints 2398277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is only 8.5 months so we'll probably just postpone Christmas until mid-day. My parents sleep absurdly late when they visit us. They stay in a hotel or VRBO and they never make it over to our house before noon.</p> <p>Once DD is old enough to understand Christmas, I imagine we'll let her get her stocking and Santa gifts right away and then wait a little bit for grandparents. But we're not waiting until noon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398250 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:21:14 +0000 mediagirl 2398250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Truth Bombs: @kiddosc: my dad is ill and doesn't sleep overnight. He is only able to really sleep from about 5am-on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398244 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:19:06 +0000 NavyRN2012 2398244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our kids wake the grandparents up. They don't mind at all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398238 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:16:39 +0000 Mamaof2 2398238@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have my kids go wake up their grandparents :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398235 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:15:14 +0000 kiddosc 2398235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't make the kids wait. Why can't the grandparents get up? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398233 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:13:55 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2398233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents would get up the second they heard my son up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398228 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:11:41 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 2398228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are usually at my parents' house (this year they will be at ours), but even growing up, the rule was that kids could go open stockings and play with the gifts from Santa, but couldn't touch the wrapped gifts. (Santa brought 1 gift to each kid that was unwrapped and set up, ready to play with.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398225 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:09:57 +0000 Alba4 2398225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I imagine they will get up early too! Praying DS sleeps until at least 6! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398220 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:06:20 +0000 Adira 2398220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents aren't staying with us, but they are coming over early, but I'm sure it won't be as early as the kids get up. I'm planning on letting them open their stockings and then having breakfast while we wait for the grandparents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398214 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 11:03:37 +0000 Truth Bombs 2398214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are the grandparents super elderly? My dad gets up earlier than any of us anyway and we just made my mom tough it out and get up early. She didn't mind a bit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/christmas-morning-with-grandparents-at-your-house#post-2398200 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 10:57:01 +0000 mediagirl 2398200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you host Christmas and your kids Grandparents stay with you, how do you handle Christmas morning and the excitement for your child - when you know the Grandparents can't get up as early as your kids can? Do you let them open their stockings before you go down and then let them play with their unwrapped gifts while waiting for Gram and Gramps or do you make them wait for the whole shebang to start at 8am (or whenever the Grands can get up?) </p>