Do you let your kids open their presents during the party?

March 13th, 2010

My 5 year old is having a party tomorrow at home. Should she open the presents while her friends are there or wait until they go home. We have a lot planned during the 2 hours her friends will be here. What do you think?
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26 Responses to “Do you let your kids open their presents during the party?”

  1. G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S says:

    no but i’m a kid and my parents do.

  2. cassandra says:

    Her friends will be hurt if she doesn’t open their presents in front of them and oooh and aaah over each and every present. The parents will be offended.

  3. FaZizzle says:

    Usually we always opened the gifts when everyone was there. It was the nicest part of the party–everyone saw what everyone else gave and they all giggled afterward.

    Gifts are great after the cake. Everyone is sluggish anyway.

  4. abercrombie_cheer_chic34 says:

    my mom always let me. i think it is cool to show off wat you get so everyone sees

  5. jon f says:

    at the party its more traditional and it takes up time so you’re not spending money and you are having fun doing so…but it could get messy with the paper and bags everywhere…

  6. nbatch2006 says:

    yes let her open them thats half the fun. and the kids bringing the gift want to see if she likes them.

  7. Meg says:

    as they get older they dont have to open the presents but when they are young they enjoy the attention while they are opening them and its fun for them and gives the kids all sumthing to do

  8. Dianne says:

    I think she should open the presents in front of the other kids, so she can thank them and show how much she likes the gifts.

  9. Shannon A says:

    If you have time then yes, by all means let her open them at the party. If there isn’t time at the party, then wait to open them.

  10. joker01 says:

    while they are there so that their friends will no if she likes them (notice i didnt say or not. make sure she knows not to be rude k ) plus most kids open thier presents at the party

  11. starry says:

    Well of course if the presents are from the friends then yeah but presents from parents can wait. They need to see her open them

  12. nimo22 says:

    Half the fun of the party is opening the presents. The other kids are usually as excited to see the presents as the birthday kid is.

  13. mommyof2 says:

    yes…they get really excited and many people may be upset or offended if they didn’t open the presents while the guests are there.good luck and I hope the party turns out well.

  14. ***Rocky*** says:

    you can just have her friends bring the gifts and have someone stack them real nice like a display and save it for after the party . little kids are not shy to tell whether they like the gift or not

  15. JAB says:

    Of course you do! That is all part of the party. If you are concerned about your child not reacting appropriately to some gifts then you should teach him/her to thank everyone individually for gifts as they open each one. The gift opening should be made part of the party – you need to fit it into the schedule of activities. I think you would be doing your child and the guests a disservice by not opening up the gifts. There will be time after the party to look closer at each gift.

  16. sheerjoy says:

    No one here has yet said Yes because then it gives her the chance to personally thank the giver instead of sending thank you notes to every1

  17. momto3 says:

    Traditionally children open the gifts at the party while their guests look on.

    When a 5-6 year old is invited to a party, most parents let the kids pick out the gift for the birthday child. The guest wants to see his/her hard work pay off by seeing the smile the birthday child gets from their gift.

    At my children’s parties it is usually the second to last “thing” we do. The last thing to do is hand out the goody bags and let the kids who have just patiently watched birthday child open their gifts go to town on the goodies. Let them play a little more and then call it a day. Thank yous should be sent out in a two week time frame.

    NOW, on the flip side to that:::::: if you’re party was NOT at home but at a ChuckECheese or something…..I’d save the opening of gifts for a home project and be sure to send out the thank yous quickly. This gives the guests the notion that you did open gifts and you appreciated them.

  18. texanweazel says:

    It is not only fun for the Birthday Girl, it is fun for the children that brought the gifts for her.

    Let them see the delight on her face and fully enjoy the gift of giving!!!!! It is one of life’s most precious lessons….

  19. awhistmj says:

    I would definetly let your child open her presents while her friends are there. At her age children loove to watch people open presents.

  20. 1slyfox says:

    I’ve never been to a party where the gifts were NOT opened while the guests were there. I would cut something else from the schedule and let her open her presents.

  21. Clickshutterclick says:

    I have a lot of neices and nephews, the way we do it with them, and the way I had it when I was kid, as well as how all my friends do it with their children’s parties is this; You have all the fun stuff and the party, then towards the end you have the cake and open the presents. Visit a little while longer, ooh and aah over the gifts, then people start leaving. It just makes sense to have the cake at the end (after everyone’s worked up an appetite, and after the vigorous activity that may cause a cake repeat). Also, by that time the kids are tired and ready to settle down and watch another kid open presents. The big question is, what’s the point of getting someone a present if you can’t see how much they like it? For some, that can be a big deal. Especially for kids, they get to see that giving a gift can make someone else happy and they get to experience that joy, and learn that it is as fun (at least almost as fun) as if they were to get something. I know that most children are very excited to see what another child will think of their present, they actually anticipate whether their gift will be liked. Personally, I would be offended if someone refused to open a gift I took time to get them at the party. It’s like, here, I’m having a party, give me stuff and leave. In my social circle anyways, it would be considered rude. But like I said above, there are practical reasons to open them at the party, and to do it after all the big activities.

  22. Silverwolf says:

    I agree with everyone else that answered…YES!

    What’s the one thing that every kid looks forward to when they hear the word “birthday”? PRESENTS!! If you have too much on the schedule, then revamp it a little. I know others have suggested scheduling ideas, but I know how chaotic kid parties can be, and nobody but Mom looks at the clock when they are having FUN!! Have present time early, but comfortably after everyone arrives.

    The plan that works best for me is to eat and socialize until everyone is there, then open presents (so latecomers can still eat to their heart’s content while watching). Then have cake and ice cream. Have a HUGE trashcan available and encourage everyone to pick up after themselves…it saves you cleanup time later. Say something like, “Okay, let’s get ready for (games, whatever). Throw your plates away and (give instructions to start game prep).” Keep drinks available in the kitchen, but eating is over when the plates are tossed. When the mess is disposed of, continue with the balance of your schedule (games, crafts, etc). That way, if someone can’t stay for the entire time, they won’t miss the “important” stuff or feel bad about leaving early. And you can adjust the number of games to fill whatever time is left.

    I hope this helps. Have fun!!

    Blessings

  23. toomanycommercials says:

    I personally like it when the kids open the presents during the party. I think it’s very good social practice for the guests to sit politely and watch, and for the birthday girl/boy to practice polite thank-you’s, etc. Plus after buying a gift I like to watch the child open it. I feel kind of cheated when the parents sweep the unopened gifts aside and that’s the last you hear about it.

  24. Tammy J says:

    Yes. Everyone wants to see the look on her face as she opens the gift the picked out for her. I would do it when everyone is sitting down eating cake. That way the kids are quite and everyone can see her. Good Luck.

  25. pbs3 says:

    I would say yes. That way people will be able to watch her open their presents. It makes people feel that their effort was worth it.

  26. STYREE says:

    DEAR
    THE ONES FROM THE OTHER PARENTS LET HER OPEN THEM THERE ONES FROM YOU DO AFTER THEY LEAVE OK
    TAKE CARE PS SO SHE CAN THANK EVERY ONE THAT GOT HER SOMETHING

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