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Mum slammed for family's Christmas morning routine
A mum has innocently posted about her family’s Christmas morning ritual only to be hit with a barrage of criticism for ‘sucking the joy’ out of Christmas.
Taking to parenting forum Mumsnet, the mum of three said that after Christmas last year the family agreed that opening presents had become ‘chaotic and unrewarding’.
So she decided to introduce a new system and even has the kids – aged 11, nine and eight – practice it beforehand.
“First I opened a practice gift (a pair of socks) and read the card first and told everyone who gave it to me,” she wrote.
“Then I opened the gift and held it up and said it was just what I wanted and the colour was perfect. Then I thanked the person who gave it to me. I explained if it was a large gift I would jump up and hug that person.
“Then they got a turn. I told them if it was a stove mitt or a motorcycle, they had to follow the script. They took turns opening a gift and performed.
“Our Christmas day was much better. I am trying to pass on an idea that might help.”
It’s no surprise that remembering to appreciate the present you get can sometimes be forgotten in the crazy rush to open what’s under the tree.
But this mum’s idea of a practice session, and having to ‘teach her children manners’ was slammed by other parents on the site.
“Christmas is about children, them bursting into living room seeing what Aanta brought tearing off the wrapping papers screaming in joy. You just can't script that at all and its priceless,” one person replied.
“God that sounds awful; and it’d suck all the joy from it from everyone’s point of view,” another said.
“It's surely just good manners to open a gift nicely and thank the person,” someone else added.
Others however were quick to defend the mum and said they were all for opening presents one at a time.
“I think you're absolutely right with the taking turns, saying thank you etc - that's just good manners, as well as being lovely and special,” one person agreed.
“I think that's a lovely way to teach children how to appreciate presents, after all we are not savages.”
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