Trying to decide if we'll open gifts in front of everyone at LO's 1st birthday party or wait to open them later that night. Just went to a 1st birthday party and they didn't open gifts and I was a little bummed.
As a guest, do you prefer that presents are opened at the party? Or would you rather they not be opened?
159 votes
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
I always like to see them opened at the party to see the reaction.
honeydew / 7667 posts
My in laws would never let us live it down if we didn't open them at the party. As a guest I don't really care.
grapefruit / 4770 posts
I've never been to a kid's party where they didn't open gifts at the party! I prefer them to be opened there as a guest.
pear / 1642 posts
I am completely indifferent as a guest. At Ks first birthday we were not planning to open presents and I was cornered by the family and given a stern talking to. Under no circumstances was anyone going to miss K opening their present to her!
So, I'd plan on opening gifts 
watermelon / 14206 posts
I like them opened at the party. Then the guest sees the reaction, and the kid can say thank you right then and there. D gets so excited opening presents (he's a blast at Christmas!) and I wouldn't want someone to miss his sweet reactions.
pomegranate / 3231 posts
I prefer not to watch presents being opened. This is a major reason why I dislike attending showers, too.
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
Indifferent as a guest. Honestly my kid was too hyper/ overwhelmed at both of his bday parties to open gifts - this year we actually waited until the next day.
persimmon / 1379 posts
For family parties, we would NEVER get away with not opening them. For kid-only parties, I have never been to one where they have been opened.
pineapple / 12566 posts
Indifferent. Maybe it would depend on how many guests there are at the party, but it wouldn't bother me either way.
GOLD / coconut / 8266 posts
I wasn't planning on opening R's gifts at her party but my mom had a canary. I didn't care either way.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
@MrsRoo: My parents and brother will be the only family at the party (all other family lives out of state), but I do think my mom would want us to open them during the party.
@winniebee: We took M to a party a couple of months ago and she was all over trying to "help" the other kids open their gifts. The girl is obsessed with wrapping paper. So I think she'd be into it (at least until the wrapping paper is off and in her mouth!).
@lamariniere: I think we'll have 25-30 people (but all couples/families so there won't actually be 25-30 gifts).
hostess / wonderful grape / 20803 posts
@lawbee11: I would suggest doing it early in the party. By the end (after all the guests and cake) she might be worn out. My kid loves to open presents too but was acting very crazed by the end of both parties!
coconut / 8279 posts
Indifferent.
@winniebee: J was the same way, distracted, overwhelmed, tired, etc., but we had family that insisted. He was MISERABLE opening them, crying, throwing them, lol. Disaster!
cherry / 132 posts
I love giving presents and spend quite a lot of time trying to find the right one so I'd definitely want to be there to see the look on their face when they open it. I also make a lot of presents, and I never really trust that people like them if I haven't seen their reaction when opening them.
That being said, gift opening can be really boring at kids parties. They are generally so slow opening them, and then they are totally unreasonable about wanting to play with toy they get
SO my advice to parents of kids who receive gifts from me would be to just open mine, the rest don't matter 
pineapple / 12802 posts
I wasn't sure about this either. We had quite a few people over, 40-ish. We let everyone hang out, mingle, get to the party, and then did cake and then I told everyone we were opening gifts but if they wanted to stay outside and chat that was fine. It ended up being about half and half. The kids all played in the yard and there were a good portion of adults chatting outside and a handful inside watching the gifts being opened. It's was pretty casual, which is how I like it.
ETA: to answer the question, personally, as a guest I like watching gifts being opened.
persimmon / 1481 posts
I would definitely do everything else first, but in sure there will be a lot of people who want to see your LO open her first presents.
cantaloupe / 6164 posts
I like seeing them opened, but we didn't have time at Sadie's party. She was ready for her nap & not feeling well. We let her open them on her actual birthday instead. No one seemed to mind.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
Indifferent. M's party was short and she was overwhelmed as it was so we didn't open presents. I don't think anyone was upset.
pineapple / 12053 posts
showers, i like the gifts to be opened. birthday parties, especially under 4, i don't care to see it! kids take forever (aka, i would have had to help her) and are fickle/cry, so we didn't bother to even attempt to open gifts! we wanted to spend time with our friends.
ETA: we opened our immediate families' gifts beforehand with them present. my friends would not have wanted to see their gifts opened... or maybe i don't want to see my gift opened by their kids, so i put that expectation on myself! ha.
coconut / 8472 posts
I'm not a fan of parties with a mountain of presents that the parents open (like a 1st bday). I'm hoping to avoid it when we have D's party. It's not like he's going to have much of a reaction and I'm totally over opening the presents myself and having to act so excited over everything (like at baby/wedding showers). I'm kind of a grinch I guess .
coconut / 8475 posts
I seriously don't care either way.
That being said: we don't open gifts when we hold parties. I'm actually scared of lo's reactions because sometimes he acts indifferent (when really he is just distracted, tired...).
cantaloupe / 6687 posts
If it's just a small party with family then open away bc that's what grandparents and aunts/uncles live for
If it's a bigger gathering and/or primarily a kid centered party (lots of activity or people coming and going and different times) I prefer not to open gifts during the party. I'm indifferent what others do at their parties but slightly prefer just enjoying the party than having to gather round and watch the presents being opened
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
For a variety of reasons, I would rather they not be opened. Especially at a party with small children.
pomegranate / 3768 posts
I've actually never been to a party where thru opened gifts other than showers. Personally I prefer DD to open her gifts at home do I guess I wouldn't expect it at a party.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
I don't really mind either way. I like when it happens at boring parties as a signal that the party is over after the gifts are done lol.
persimmon / 1447 posts
@CupQuakeWalk: This. I would be terrified she wouldn't be appropriately excited for a gift and someone would end up with hurt feelings.
I prefer gift opening after the party is over.
persimmon / 1147 posts
I hate gift opening at any party (birthday, bridal shower, baby shower). At DDs first birthday we opened them the next day. We might do different as she gets older and understands better, but at her first birthday DH and I were the ones actually opening the gifts and it just would feel awkward. Opening them the next day allowed DD to enjoy her party and guests and the next day enjoy all her new toys. She didn't know any different and others didn't make a comment either way.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I generally don't care.
What we did was, after the party, opened family gifts. It's very generational and I could see why family wanted to see what the gifts were-there were handmade dolls and really special things in there. But my friends mostly gave toys and outfits and said to open them later and enjoy the party. My mom was basically horrified we weren't opening gifts and it's an expectation in DH's family, so this was a good compromise. Party was from 4-7, I opened the gifts at 730 while E ran around chasing her cousins. It was actually kind of perfect. I only had to open about 8 gifts, family was happy to see their gifts oohed and aahed over, and E just ran around like a maniac, playing.
apricot / 274 posts
I wouldn't mind the gifts being opened later. I could understand family wanting to see the gifts open. I would compromise on it and open family presents if they would care in front of them before or after the party.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I don't have a preference especially at a 1st birthday party because the child could care less. When they're older and excited to open presents it's fun to see!
We ended up playing it by ear at LO's first birthday party. It was getting late and we could tell guests were starting to get restless so we went ahead and did cake and not presents.
pomegranate / 3329 posts
I like to watch kids open gifts, but I would also suggest doing it earlier on. For M's first birthday she was a crying miserable mess while opening!
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
I don't mind it for small parties...under 8-10 gifts.
cherry / 150 posts
I voted to open at the party, but at this age I don't really care when they're opened. I usually like to see people's responses to my gift, especially if I make them something handmade and special, but when they're young it doesn't matter to me, especially if babe is being fussy, etc.
nectarine / 2115 posts
For kids, absolutely like to see them opened there. That said, how you do it could depend on how many people are going to be there. I went to a one year-old's party where gifts were opened as people arrived, which I thought was cool. (It was a pretty casual)
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