# Help! It's Been So Long Since I Cared, I Don't Remember What To Do! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 23, 2000, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979 "2000-12-23T07:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/1 "2000-12-23T07:11:42Z")
When you’ve got children under the age of ten, which is more important: the number of boxes that each child opens, or the actual number of _things_ that each child receives–i.e. if I put a shirt and a pair of pants for my stepson into ONE box, is that ONE gift, or TWO? My 33-year-old brain just doesn’t remember how it worked when it was 7 years old! My husband says it’s the number of boxes. He says “take two siblings who are old enough to care. Give one sibling one box with 150 toys in it, and give the other 150 individually wrapped toys, and the one who ony got the one box is going to be p\*\*\*ed, and the one that got the 150 separate ones is going to be lording it all over the place.” I think it’s the number of _things._ I seem to recall a Christmas recently where we gave my stepson and his older sister each the same number of boxes to open, but one of the boy’s boxes had two things in it. Now, said things happened to be one package of socks and one package of underwear (oh, quit looking at me like that! His mom said he needed them!). Anyway, the girl was upset because the boy ended up with one more _thing_ than her. Help! What do I do?!?!?! [sub]Note to the humor impaired: the entire post is a joke, and all I really want is to hear what it was like for you as a kid at Christmas. :D[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/2 "2000-12-23T07:13:30Z")
This is an easy one. Number of boxes. The more time they spend unwrapping the happier they are. And they can count boxes at a surprisingly young age. ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/3 "2000-12-23T07:23:57Z")
Definitely the number of boxes. And if they’re under 10, then big boxes themselves can be pretty neat. ---
**Author:** ![Adventurious82](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e495f1/32.png) [@Adventurious82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adventurious82)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/4 "2000-12-23T07:25:30Z")
By all means, the number of boxes. I have a niece and nephew, aged 9 and 7, and found out that if I separately wrap each gift – like 4 packages of dolls clothing for 1 doll, or 4 packages of StarWars accessories – they get all excited over the amount of loot! They get 4 gifts instead of 1 big one! For the girls, big, shiny ribbons in bright colors, for the boys, wide wrappings of metallic ribbon tape and metallic paper. They go nuts! By the way, as an uncle, I never, ever buy them clothing, having been told in double secret confidence that Mommy and Daddy and Grandma get them cloths, but toys hit the top of the list on Christmas. Glow in the dark goop for both is a great stocking stuffer! ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/5 "2000-12-23T07:25:47Z")
I found myself having exactly the same dilemma this morning. I went for the same number of parcels under the tree. I will be going to Kmart in the morning to buy a little something so that they are even 😉 But then I realised that I mostly bought books for my 7 yo who was recently dx’ed as dyslexic. I can’t decide whether this means we are just Mean Parents or whether we have Done it Right because he genuinely loves books… ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/6 "2000-12-23T07:39:04Z")
> [@](#): > > **…By all means, the number of boxes…** \*\*As a red blooded male, I am obliged to concur. What? We’re talking about the holidays? ::d&r:: > [@](#): > > Anyway, the girl was upset because the boy ended up with one more thing than her. PS: **Persephone** , the boy will _always_ have one more thing than the girl… ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/7 "2000-12-23T07:45:49Z")
If it’s clothes, I’d put it all in one box. To me there was nothing more discouraging than opening box after box of clothing. Since clothes are something that parents normally provide, it was no different than getting a toothbrush or soap for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/8 "2000-12-23T11:31:40Z")
I’m an only child, so I got a lot of Chirstmas presents, all for me. I preferred a small number of good presents to a lot of crummy ones, though. ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/9 "2000-12-23T15:01:57Z")
I was an only child, and I lived with my mom and my grandparents. My cousins would come over on Christmas Day. The thing that used to piss me off the most was when Santa would leave stuff under **my** tree for my cousins. I mean, he already went to their house, and left them plenty of stuff there. Why the hell did he leave them stuff at my house too? He didn’t leave _me_ anything at _their_ house. Totally unfair, if you ask me. Rose ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/10 "2000-12-23T15:06:06Z")
I got to go with drop et al. Boxes. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/11 "2000-12-23T15:07:14Z")
sorry make that dropzone et al. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/12 "2000-12-23T16:11:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > [PS: **Persephone** , the boy will _always_ have one more thing than the girl… \*\* You just watch your mouth, Zenster! It’s Christmas! No dirty talk like that at Christmas time! 😉 Now the kids in question are actually aged seven, three, and one. The three-year-old (the Little Goddess) and the one-year-old (BabyGuy) couldn’t care less. The seven-year-old (Junior), on the other hand, while indeed a charming and sweet boy, is of the age where he’ll be noting this for future reference, to use as ammo should he ever decide to make an appearance on Springer and call me a Wicked Stepmother (although I highly doubt it–he loves me to bits, thank goodness). Now, if I put Junior’s clothes in one box, he’ll have one less box to open than the Little Goddess. BUT, more than anything, he wanted one of those scooters that are making a huge comeback, and we managed to score one. Think the scooter might temper the one-less-gift situation? He’s also old enough to understand just what “limited finances” are, so I’m thinking that if he starts to complain at all, we can sit down with him and tell him that the money is tight, and while he may have had less boxes, we actually spent more money on him. [sub]now tell me YOUR stories, darn ya, like I asked in the OP, and make 'em funny![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/13 "2000-12-23T18:17:02Z")
Boxes, in fact I went out today in order to amke sure that my nephew, age 5, receives the same number of presents as my neice, age 7, because I know he will notice he was one present short and he would make a big stink about it. Keith ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/14 "2000-12-23T18:34:24Z")
I was always happy as long as I got the stuff I wanted. If my brother or sister got more boxes, I didn’t really care if their boxes had stuff that I wasn’t interested in. When my nieces were little, it was the number of boxes that counted. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/15 "2000-12-23T18:58:20Z")
My youngest (of four) is 30, and he still counts the boxes! (And adds up the cost.) Maybe that’s part of being the youngest, the hand-me-down memories, being shortchanged sometimes. But I tell him I’ve always loved him the best, so that makes up for it. Yeah, right Mom. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/16 "2000-12-23T21:08:04Z")
Oh boy. Your kids will rightfully take revenge on you Christmas moring if you give them clothes!! And underwear- come on…what kind of a mind do you have?! What parent gives a child underwear without making them graphically pose in it later that night? ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/17 "2000-12-23T23:40:04Z")
Hey, I didn’t give him underwear this year! Sheesh! I got him a cool pair of jeans and a cool shirt! He always likes the clothes I buy for him! I know this for a fact, because I periodically have to replace them because he wears the crap out of them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dublos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f08c70/32.png) [@dublos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dublos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/18 "2000-12-23T23:48:00Z")
**Persephone** I think it depends on your present opening. At my house it was traditional to take turns, youngest (me!) got to open first, then to the oldest. That makes the number of boxes **really** stand out. On the other hand if it’s just a big free for all open fest, they may not have time to count the boxes and they end up counting the number of things instead. Though I think the scooter should more than make up for any other inequities. -Doug ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/19 "2000-12-23T23:58:05Z")
> [@](#): > > When you’ve got children under the age of ten, which is more important: the number of boxes that each child opens, or the actual number of things that each child receives–i.e. if I put a shirt and a pair of pants for my stepson into ONE box, is that ONE gift, or TWO? I’ve got **NO** experience whatsoever in these things but, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that for a young child it definitely counts as one gift, whether you put one, two or three presents in the box - especially something like a shirt and a pair of pants, which are closely related. I’d ‘spread them around’ if I were you. Actually, my post is a lame pretext to plant a great big smooch on your cheek and wish you and yours the best for the holidays:D. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979/20 "2000-12-24T00:02:49Z")
((((((omni-not))))))) Lame pretext duly noted, smooch received, and one sent back to you, friend! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-its-been-so-long-since-i-cared-i-dont-remember-what-to-do/46979.md?page=2)