https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 04:41:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664969 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 17:00:19 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2664969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Love these responses you sneaky kids! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664936 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:54:57 +0000 erinbaderin 2664936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We never unwrapped presents under the tree but we definitely hunted them down where they were hidden in the house. It's funny - so know now that it's so much more fun to wait until Christmas morning but that's probably one of those things kids have to learn from experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664930 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:50:44 +0000 mamainthesun 2664930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had wrapped gifts under the tree in the week leading up. I never opened them before! Can't say the same for my brothers and sister!! I don't think my parents wrote names on the gifts, maybe that's why!! Presents were always from family members, never Santa. And we open them Christmas Eve. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664918 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:38:27 +0000 catgirl 2664918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just want to add I wasn't a kid who opened them early but my husband and his brother always tried. My MIL would collect random boxes all year then would put the gift in a random box (like for a coffee maker), wrap it, put that in another random box, and wrap that. Sometimes as many as 5 boxes - that way if they tried to look it would be really hard. A little over the top in my mind but it's an idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664912 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:36:24 +0000 gingerbebe 2664912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No Santa after age 4 for me and even then he just brought a candy filled stocking. We just had gifts lined up under the tree as we received them BUT I did secretly unwrap the gifts and rewrap them as I got older so I may try to just put them under the tree after my kids go to bed. We always stick to bedtimes but once they "get" Christmas we will probably let them stay up a little later and watch movies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664908 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:32:04 +0000 shabang 2664908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a child, I became an expert at unwrapping and re-wrapping any gifts under the tree before Christmas. It was kind of a bummer on Christmas day because I already knew what I was getting, but that never stopped me. </p> <p>So, in case sneaky child runs in my genes, we'll put presents out Christmas Eve after bed. We do this as adults in my parents house too - everyone sneaks out at some point during the night to add theirs to the mix. It's really fun. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664843 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:24:20 +0000 JennyLayneAZ 2664843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine was similar to @JennyPenny: growing up. Mom and dad would wrap presents and put them under the tree throughout December, and then the presents from Santa (and stocking stuffers) would be put out - unwrapped - while we slept Christmas Eve. Then when we got up in the morning (or middle of the night lol) we knew Santa came and we got to go through his presents and then open the stuff from mom and dad. </p> <p>I don't know yet what we'll do for LO, she's too young this year. Right now I just have her presents sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be wrapped :silly: . My husband said "you're showing Piper her Christmas presents!" and I'm like, "uh, she has no idea what that even means right now" lol so this year its easy! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664836 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:15:07 +0000 catgirl 2664836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JennyPenny: We also make sure gifts are ready to go. While DD is little her Santa gift will be unwrapped and assembled if necessary. Gifts from us are wrapped but they are removed from packaging, with batteries and assembled, if needed. It makes it so fun that as soon as the gift is touched it's ready to be used. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664833 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:11:01 +0000 JennyPenny 2664833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did Santa growing up and my parents would keep wrapped presents under the tree throughout December. Then Santa would leave our 1 "big" present on Christmas Eve after we went to sleep, but it was left out and unwrapped. This was especially cool in the early days when kid presents might require a lot of set up and are awkward shapes to wrap. This way the present is ready to be played with right away! You could duplicate that even if you didn't do Santa.</p> <p>ETA: We had to wait upstairs Christmas morning till my parents were up to go downstairs and see our presents. But we could see/play with the big present while everyone leisurely got breakfast and whatnot and then had present opening all together maybe 30 min - 1 hr later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664823 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:01:25 +0000 catgirl 2664823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will put gifts from others under the tree as they arrive. Gifts from us will be put under a day or two before Christmas and stockings and one or two things from Santa for Christmas morning. We both grew up with a similar structure so it works out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664815 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 13:54:23 +0000 twodoghouse 2664815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runnerd: We did it that way, too! We already have presents wrapped under the tree, although Blake did help himself to one of them the other day, so it needs a re-wrap. My parents always put wrapped presents under the tree, then added stockings and one "Santa present" for Christmas morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664755 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 12:34:30 +0000 snowjewelz 2664755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We won't be doing Santa... </p> <p>When the girls are young, wrapped gifts will go under the tree the night before after they go to bed until they know that they can't open them! </p> <p>I think I will just tell them when present opening time is... So they can never just run down whenever and rip things open. </p> <p>They'd just go to bed when they go to bed....? Unless we're somewhere for Christmas Eve or have people over... But to me bed time doesn't have anything to do with presents the next day... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664723 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 11:41:59 +0000 looch 2664723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom used to buy, wrap and put under the tree. I used to unwrap and open every single box because the temptation was just too much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664649 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:57:18 +0000 Mamaof2 2664649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runnerd: your probably right!</p> <p>As a kid if there were presents under the tree beforehand we would sneak and open them - ha! So it wasn't so exciting opening them for real on Christmas morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664627 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:35:26 +0000 runnerd 2664627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: @erinbaderin: yea I think our own childhoods color what we think makes it special :)</p> <p>I grew up with the presents under the tree throughout Dec, and so I want to do it the same way :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664624 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:32:49 +0000 erinbaderin 2664624@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did Santa, but he just filled stockings. Presents appeared under the tree over the course of December, and then the stockings got filled after we went to bed Christmas Eve. I have all my presents under the tree right now, and have for over a week!</p> <p>@Mamaof2: I think the fun and anticipation comes from getting to finally open the presents! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664615 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 09:13:25 +0000 Mamaof2 2664615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Whether or not you do Santa I think the fun/anticipation is going to bed with nothing under the tree and waking up to something magical :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664608 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 08:59:27 +0000 Anagram 2664608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do Santa growing up, and if I remember correctly, some presents would be there in the days leading up to Christmas, and other would appear that night.</p> <p>Although I'm pretty sure the "presents appearing" was more because both of my parents worked and owned a side business and had kids--and they just stayed up late the night before wrapping presents because that was the only time, not to make it more magical, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664605 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 08:57:53 +0000 Adira 2664605@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do Santa, but regardless, we put all the presents (Santa's and ours) under the tree Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed. That way when they get up in the morning, there are suddenly lots of presents under the tree. I think it makes it more magical. My parents did this for us even after we stopped believing in Santa.</p> <p>My kids are still young (2 and almost 4), so they don't wake up early just because it's Christmas. But I'm sure they will eventually! I know I did!</p> <p>Christmas Eve bedtime is the same as any other day. Though I can imagine them staying up later as they get older. It's A Wonderful Life usually plays on Christmas Eve and I used to stay up and watch it with my parents when I was a kid, so at some point, I'll let my kids stay up and watch it with me too. But not until they are older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/no-santa-gift-logistics#post-2664590 Tue, 13 Dec 2016 08:27:28 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2664590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Filing away for when LO is older and equates Christmas with new toys. If Santa doesn't bring presents...</p> <p>When do you place wrapped gifts under the tree?<br /> Do your kids wake up at dawn and scurry to open them Christmas morning?<br /> What time do they go to sleep?/ Is there an incentive to go to sleep early? </p>