A coworker brought her kids’ presents into the office so her six-year-old wouldn’t find them, and a week or two ago I read about people hiding presents really well, to the point of not being able to find them for years. These things together got me wondering: do kids really seek out their gifts on a regular basis?
And, because I never did, not did my brother that I’m aware of, I want to know why kids who did…did. I didn’t because it would’ve ruined the surprises. Knowing everything you’re getting isn’t nearly as much fun. Plus, I was never good enough an actress to pretend to be surprised, so I wouldn’t burden myself with the need to on purpose - it was bad enough when I occasionally saw something I shouldn’t by complete accident and had to pretend I didn’t know about it.
So how about you, did you look for yours? Did any of you discover that Santa wasn’t real that way?
I never gave it much thought. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the pile of presents under the tree tended to grow bit by bit, but those were presents labeled as being from family members. To be sure, on the morning itself, the pile was MUCH bigger, and dominated by presents labeled as being from Santa (not that anybody was fooled, what with Santa using the same wrapping paper as we did, and having my Mom’s handwriting).
Pawing around under the tree during Advent was strongly discouraged, and it was as much as a kid’s life was worth to get caught SHAKING a package to try to get a clue.* It just never occurred to me to go snooping around the house for the stash.
*Not literally, of course, but the essence of the threat was conveyed.
My sister always did and then she’d show them to me. I think my mom got off a few surprises via last minute shopping or keeping them in her trunk but mostly I knew ahead of time. Even at the time, I’d have been happier not knowing but older siblings and all.
These days you could leave a gift for me sitting on the coffee table in a bag and I won’t bother looking at it if I know it’s a future gift. I’d rather find out at the appropriate time.
I didn’t when I was a little kid because I believed in Santa Claus (up to the age of 7 or 8). The idea that presents could have been in the house leading up to Christmas never crossed my naive little mind.
As an older kid, I didn’t look because I didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Once, my brother told me about the Nintendo he had found in our parents’ closet. I was happy but I would have been happier if he hadn’t spilled the beans.
Of course. Children are naturally inquisitive and have a low tolerance for suspense. If a gift has been purchased, the gift giving sentiment is felt and it is senseless to wait for days or weeks to give it. Therefore, hiding it is an implied challenge. Like a protracted Easter egg hunt.
That experience as a child helped me develop an invaluable mindset as a parent: If you don’t want your kids to touch or see something, don’t bring it into the house.
My mother knew better, she kept everything at my grandmother’s in the garage attic. When I was 12 I was sent to the garage to get something and did some snooping in the attic. Found bags of toys and clothes. Got really excited when I found a slot car set I has been asking for. Christmas morning came and no slot car set. Found out a few weeks later that my aunt also stashed stuff for my cousins in the attic too, my cousin Jerry got the slot car set.
My answer is “Of course not,” but that just goes to show that different children are different. What you say is true, but it’s also true that children naturally love surprises.
So, no, I never looked for hidden presents when I was a kid. I don’t remember exactly what my motivation was, but I assume it was some combination of
Not wanting to spoil the surprise for myself (I loved Christmas morning and wouldn’t have wanted to do anything to ruin it)
It not occurring to me to do so, and
Feeling that it was Wrong to do so, something I just shouldn’t do. After all, when someone goes to some effort to try to do something nice and special for you, it seems pretty assholish (towards them and towards yourself) to try to thwart them.
When we were kids, Mom piled the wrapped gifts in their bedroom, and we weren’t supposed to go in there. Yeah… Apart from knowing that someone was getting a record album (this was back in the 60’s) generally you couldn’t tell from the outside what might be inside.
My MIL used to label her gifts with numbers to keep the boys from snooping… until the year she lost her list of what number went to which son. They talk about that to this day!
One year, we’d put our daughter’s wrapped gifts on the shelves in our closet, and she happened to be in there and noticed the packages. Her subtle question was “Are they for someone little and 6?” Clever girl!
I never looked for presents. But one year I accidentally came across some of my presents. What a crummy Christmas that was. To this day I don’t even shake a present or try to guess what it is while I’m opening it!
Christmas Day and I opened my presents and Dad looked a little confused. This was after I was beyond Santa age so he had no problem asking my mother where the large crayon/pencil art set he got me was. She had hidden it and forgotten about it and claimed she didn’t remember where it was. Thus began a family scavenger hunt that went on for a couple hours and turned up nothing. We did find it later around Easter ------- several years later!!! When my mother hid stuff of mine, she freaking well HID IT!!!
Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn’t. I infuriated my mother once by not only looking for them, but opening and playing with them. I never did it again after that.
I always found my presents before Christmas. My curiosity was unbearable, and my parents were often out of the house. I still loved Christmas as a kid.
Now I could also leave most presents alone for any length of time, if I didn’t ask for it, I probably don’t want it.
We did. Especially presents shipped from Kansas by my Grandparents, which we carefully opened and taped shut again. I’m sure our parents knew we did it and didn’t care. I don’t remember finding the presents our parents bought for us. I was the youngest though so maybe my older siblings were “protecting” me.
Kids may love surprises but not so much when they know ones coming but aren’t told what it is.
Surprise a kid by telling them they’re going to Disneyland tomorrow and they’ll love it. Tell them that they’re getting a big surprise in 5 days and it makes those 5 days torture.
