# My kid and misleadingly boxed xmas presents **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 25, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160 "2013-12-25T19:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/1 "2013-12-25T19:24:06Z")
Little Frylock opened each gift and stopped at the box, assuming that each box contained exactly what it said, “I got oatmeal!!! Look! It’s my three favorite flavors, too!” “Take a picture of me with my new cat food!” He’s in the smart kid classes, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/2 "2013-12-25T19:29:44Z")
My toddler would see brown cardboard under the wrapping paper and stop, saying it wasn’t a toy for her after all. I had to persuade her to continue unwrapping every single gift. Also: what the motherloving frack is with all the tiny rubber bands that hold Barbies in their packages? Who thought that up? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/3 "2013-12-25T19:34:35Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > My toddler would see brown cardboard under the wrapping paper and stop, saying it wasn’t a toy for her after all. I had to persuade her to continue unwrapping every single gift. > > Also: what the motherloving frack is with all the tiny rubber bands that hold Barbies in their packages? Who thought that up? You never heard of “Bondage Barbie”? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/4 "2013-12-25T21:22:25Z")
My daughter is getting a gift that is inside an electric rolling pin box. Walmart was selling prang boxes a few weeks ago. They also had a combination coffee maker/shower head box and the Blankeez, an 8 person blanket with sleeves. Found some others on [Google.](https://www.google.com/#q=prank+gift+boxes) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/5 "2013-12-25T22:01:37Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Little Frylock opened each gift and stopped at the box, assuming that each box contained exactly what it said, “I got oatmeal!!! Look! It’s my three favorite flavors, too!” “Take a picture of me with my new cat food!” > > He’s in the smart kid classes, I swear. Have you definitively ruled out “precocious smartass”? That’s what it sounds like from here… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/6 "2013-12-25T22:16:01Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Little Frylock opened each gift and stopped at the box, assuming that each box contained exactly what it said, “I got oatmeal!!! Look! It’s my three favorite flavors, too!” “Take a picture of me with my new cat food!” \ That’s too funny! We were having fun guessing at the gifts at last night’s gift opening - one of my favourite guesses was, “Hula hoop!” (amongst all the normal, rectangular boxes). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/7 "2013-12-25T22:24:17Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > We were having fun guessing at the gifts at last night’s gift opening - one of my favourite guesses was, “Hula hoop!” (amongst all the normal, rectangular boxes). 😃 Years ago, I had a relative who took strange delight in giving a Christmas present and asking, “And what do you suppose it is?” I guess I was in my early 20s, when she handed me what was obviously an LP record, and asked her question. Me, being the smartass that I was in those days, answered, “Must be a bottle of Scotch.” We both had a good laugh. **Frylock** , if your little one is that thrilled with oatmeal and cat food, then you might already have some gift ideas for next year. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/8 "2013-12-25T22:35:23Z")
Pfft, tiny rubber bands securing a Barbie. One of my nephews presents i got for him, (a big plastic train) was secured to it’s box by actual _screws_. I literally had to go find a screwdriver to get the toy out of the box. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/9 "2013-12-25T22:36:20Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Walmart was selling prang boxes a few weeks ago. Had to look up prang box. I wondered if Walmart was selling boxes of parts from crashed planes. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/10 "2013-12-25T22:45:38Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Years ago, I had a relative who took strange delight in giving a Christmas present and asking, “And what do you suppose it is?” > > I guess I was in my early 20s, when she handed me what was obviously an LP record, and asked her question. Me, being the smartass that I was in those days, answered, “Must be a bottle of Scotch.” We both had a good laugh. > > **Frylock** , if your little one is that thrilled with oatmeal and cat food, then you might already have some gift ideas for next year. 😉 This backfired spectacularly with us one year when we were kids. We went to visit the grandparents, and my brother, then about 11 or 12, picked up a squishy package and took a few guesses as to what it was. Then my dad piped up, in an unmistakably sarcastic tone, “Socks!” Guess what it was. Super awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/11 "2013-12-25T22:51:18Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Have you definitively ruled out “precocious smartass”? That’s what it sounds like from here… 🙂 I know it kind of reads like that in text but he is the most guileless human being I have ever known. It’s actually something I worry about. But anyway, this morning was amusing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/12 "2013-12-26T00:47:08Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Had to look up prang box. SO did I. Hasn’t helped much. [This](http://containerlist.glaserarchives.org/index.php?id=16) is my best guess. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/13 "2013-12-26T01:13:44Z")
I believe he meant _prank_ boxes (or am I being whooshed?) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/14 "2013-12-26T01:22:33Z")
Reminds me of when my brother decided to use a box from some rather expensive headphones to hold a not-very-valuable gift for our dad. He’s a bit obtuse when it comes to such things. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/15 "2013-12-26T01:55:15Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Reminds me of when my brother decided to use a box from some rather expensive headphones to hold a not-very-valuable gift for our dad. He’s a bit obtuse when it comes to such things. It’s traditional in my family to use any handy box to package a gift. Put corduroy pants from Sears in a leftover Lego box? Sure. A gift certificate for Bob Evans in a jewelry box? Why the hell not? And . . . occasionally . . . the contents are actually what the box says. It keeps you on tenterhooks just that little bit longer. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/16 "2013-12-26T18:57:19Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > This backfired spectacularly with us one year when we were kids. We went to visit the grandparents, and my brother, then about 11 or 12, picked up a squishy package and took a few guesses as to what it was. Then my dad piped up, in an unmistakably sarcastic tone, “Socks!” > > Guess what it was. > > Super awkward. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/17 "2013-12-26T19:21:13Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > Pfft, tiny rubber bands securing a Barbie. One of my nephews presents i got for him, (a big plastic train) was secured to it’s box by actual _screws_. I literally had to go find a screwdriver to get the toy out of the box. I got fed up of this after only one christmas, and now for the kid’s toys I unpack them before I wrap them, and fit batteries if needed, and then _maybe_ put it into a suitable box if required. Mostly, though, the kids open their wrapping to reveal the actual toy, ready to play. Saves a lot of stress. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/18 "2013-12-26T19:39:19Z")
Yeah, toys in particular are so insanely locked in their packages with twist-ties, wire ties, screws, little plastic key blocks… hate it. A lot of our presents were in either white shirt boxes or Amazon shipping boxes, and there’s all kinds of loud exclamations when one of those is revealed. “ANOTHER white box! Wow! Now I have the whole set!”… etc. There a famous family picture of me at about 4-5. The Big Boss truck and trailer, almost as big as I am, are off to one side while I play fort in the empty box. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/19 "2013-12-26T20:10:03Z")
My sister literally got me two packages of potato chips. To be fair, I had recently been going on about how much I was disappointed that we kept forgetting to get some… She also got me Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajamas. That girl is awesome! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160/20 "2013-12-26T20:25:16Z")
When I was a kid, I gave my mom’s friend a tchotchke in a pretty blue flowered box. I was so happy to have found that box in the trash, it was just the perfect size. She was a little puzzled as to why she was apparently receiving a box of tampons. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kid-and-misleadingly-boxed-xmas-presents/677160.md?page=2)