Parents: When do you put the presents under the tree?

[MichelleCarmen]

Today a huge box with four gifts arrived in the mail, so I placed those under our tree. Then I wrapped up two small gifts (ornaments to kids from the cats) and put those under.

Usually, we wait until Christmas eve (after family has visited and brought the kids gifts) and then stick the rest from us there and in the middle of the night, Santa brings more plus does stockings.

How do you all do this? Do you place some under earlier in the week to build up the excitement?

 

[Octavia]

Our "Mom and Dad" presents gradually came during the week before Christmas. "Santa" gifts came late on Christmas Eve so they were a surprise the next morning.

 

[D&T]

we won''t put presents out until after the kids goes to bed the night before christmas, However if we receive presents from family and friends we put that under the tree.

 

[fieryred33143]

Growing up we didn''t have a single gift under the tree until Christmas morning. It was so exciting to go to bed anticipating Santa and waking up to see that the living room exploded with gifts. We have kept that tradition even though I am 27 and my brothers are 19 and 20.

We will do the same for DD.

 

[Ara Ann]

When our oldest son was little, we could put the wrapped gifts out as I wrapped them. We saved the toys for Christmas morning and DH loved setting up very intricate 'scenes' with actions figures etc., as DS got older, so they'd be ready to go as soon as he got up...LOL. But we couldn't put out any gifts when DS 2 came along...when he was a toddler, he opened a few things before Christmas...LOL, so since then we've waited until Christmas Eve to put the gifts out...we still do to this day and he's now 14!

 

[butterfly 17]

I put ours under the tree already. My kids know we''re the real Santas. lol

 

[lyra]

My DH used to insist that they not go under the tree until very close to or on Christmas Eve. Well, we have downsized a lot in the last 10 years, so now they go out as soon as they are wrapped pretty much. Otherwise, I cannot even access my bedroom walk-in closet!

It was my family tradition to have them out about 10 days before Christmas and I absolutely *delighted* in shaking boxes. It was so much fun trying to guess what things might be. My mom would put things like uncooked macaroni in the box so it would sound even more interesting--yet we never knew for sure. Lol.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/16/2009 12:14:24 AM
Author: lyra

My DH used to insist that they not go under the tree until very close to or on Christmas Eve. Well, we have downsized a lot in the last 10 years, so now they go out as soon as they are wrapped pretty much. Otherwise, I cannot even access my bedroom walk-in closet!

It was my family tradition to have them out about 10 days before Christmas and I absolutely *delighted* in shaking boxes. It was so much fun trying to guess what things might be. My mom would put things like uncooked macaroni in the box so it would sound even more interesting--yet we never knew for sure. Lol.

The uncooked macaroni is hilarious. I''m going to pick up some Pokemon Kraft Mac/Cheese and wrap it up. lol!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

My parents always put the presents under the tree when I''d gone to bed on Christmas eve. I remember the magical feeling on Christmas morning, when I came downstairs and saw them all there. Santa had been...

I''ll do the same for DD, it was so much fun!

 

[rockpaperscissors67]

I don''t put the presents under the tree until Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed for a couple of reasons. In past years when they were younger, I caught them trying to peek by ripping little pieces of paper. Plus, I generally don''t wrap until Christmas Eve. Before this year, I kept the presents in my office until the last minute so no one could stumble on them, but now, they just remain in the shipping boxes (still sealed). It stinks having nosy kids around sometimes!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I''m not a parent but growing up we''d put all family gifts under the tree in advance of Xmas (usually as we get and wrap them) and then Santa''s gifts would appear overnight.

 

[MustangGal]

My parents (and DH''s too I think) would put some gifts under the tree as they got them wrapped. Others wouldn''t appear until x-mas morning (the thigns they went out and got that night I suspect

). The large gifts from Santa would be unwrapped and sitting out on x-mas morning when we woke up, but we were not allowed into the living room until all the kids were awake and dad had coffee going. Then he would go inot the living room with the video camera and film us walking in to see the Santa gifts.

My mom would occasionally put gifts under the tree with no names on them, just to make us wonder who they were for. And half the time she would forget too...

We have all our gifts under the tree now, but DS is only 10 months. Next year we''ll have to plan it out a bit more!

 

[radiantquest]

All my presents from family were put under the tree as they were wrapped, but santa gifts and the stocking did not get done until Christmas eve.

One of my coworkers told me that when he was a kid his parents did it all on Christmas eve. He said that his parents would send the kids to bed, open up some wine and do all the decorating. Putting up the tree, decorating it, gifts, the train set, everything. He said it was so amazing waking up to that. Nothing when he went to bed and in the morning everything was decked out and there were presents. He says that looking back now no wonder his parents were a little grumpy on Christmas day since they had been up all night.

 

[elrohwen]

My parents would always put out a bunch of presents from "Mom and Dad", then on Christmas Eve they''d put out some more from "Santa" (there would even be presents for them from Santa). Even when I was older, we would always address a few presents as being from Santa, but we didn''t wait til Christmas Eve to put them under the tree anymore.

 

[partgypsy]

Both my family and my husband''s family have the tradition of displaying the presents under the tree, with Santa''s presents appearing on Christmas day. Might have to change that. Two days our 3 year old had been good, but this evening I walked into her ripped the tiny edge of wrapping off one box to peek at it. I took it away to hide it. I walk back to her literally ripping into another package! (at least I know she can recognize her name). I took that one away and sternly told her if she did it that one more time all the presents were going bye bye until Christmas. It''s a week before Christmas and GOD both kids are already so worked up! Last night was so cute, the two put together an impromptu dance/play where older daughter pantomining looking for Santa in the air, in the chimney, then falling asleep next to tree, with younger daughter being Christmas elf sneaking and putting presents under the tree. Elf then hides behind tree and watches as girl wakes up and finds them. It could have been Broadway and I wouldn''t have enjoyed it more.

 

[pennquaker09]

I''ve been putting things out here and there, but the bulk is in the guest walk in.

For most of my childhood, I was an only child and my parents used to wait til like a week before Christmas before anything was under the tree.

 

[somethingshiny]

We will put out all of JT''s presents Christmas Eve after he''s in bed. We have presents for others under the tree but he knows they''re not for him.

At my mom''s yesterday, JT found a large package with his name on it. He said it would be a good game to figure out what''s in the package. We could shake it, listen to it and open it if we had to! So, that solidified my thought of NO PRESENTS until Christmas Eve.

 

[that_someone_special]

My mom always put them out as long as the tree was up... so after thanksgiving.

ONE YEAR she got really sneaky.
On christmas day we were not allowed to open a single gift until we had our whole pile next to us. Then she had us stand up and switch spots. Turns out the gifts the the brothers had been shaking weren''t even theirs! hahahaha Laughed so hard at this. She said she had a terrible time remembering who was supposed to go on the tag- but in the end it worked out and it was too funny.

 

[Smurfysmiles]

All of our presents went out on Christmas Eve because we opened gifts on Christmas Eve. We always considered our stockings to be the only thing santa brought
this year it is me, dh and mil and fil
but i got stockings and bought stuffers for all of them and they won't be filled til christmas eve!!! I had to hide everything from dh because he is getting snoopy

 

[somethingshiny]

We decided to put JT''s gifts under the tree (from us). He started asking why there were gifts for Mama, Daddy, Nana, Papa but not for him.

So, we put them out and he was thrilled. The ones that can be shaken are at the front of the tree and he messes with them all day long! It''s actually pretty fun. Everyday he has a new guess for what''s in the boxes.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Well we put most under the tree and the boys have been opening packages all day! Tonight they''re opening family gifts and tomorrow the ones from Santa.

 

[packrat]

We just now did it. There were a couple under there already from my parents and aunt/uncle for the kids, but the bulk of them went tonight. Usually we do it sooner. Lazy I guess.