Handing out the gifts to the kiddies

[apples and bananas]

How do you hand out the Christmas gifts to your daycare kids?

I have little ones, 15 month, 20 month X2 and a 3 year old.

For birthday presents I always send them home wrapped with the parents. I just thought that it was too much confusion opening gifts with the other kids here, and wanting to open them... play with them... not share them etc.

I don't do a "Christmas Party" for the kids. It's just more then I want to do at this point.

I'd love to hear your feedback on what you do to give your Christmas gifts to the kids.

thanks

[DisneyPrincess]

Its easy, on December 21 its the last day for my daycare before Christmas and so, we will sit near the tree and I'll let them unrap each their gift, even at 15 months old they can tear paper apart I'm sure

Might wait after afternoon naptime so its close to go home with their gift so they don't cry for it all day since I wouldnt want other kids to play with their gift etc etc...

Merry Christmas

[bright sparks]

I send them home at the end of the day before Xmas with there parent's. I like the idea of opening things under the tree as a group regardless of age, but its a tradition for my family to open any and all presents on Xmas morning so I actually get a little upset if my kids gifts are opened early or if someone opens the gift a week before Xmas or something. The only exception is at our Xmas Party but Santa gives the present to each child so its a little different. Each to their own and I think it's a very personal thing.

For birthday's I never allow the gift to be opened here. Theres only one gift and while it will teach the kids to share and observe another recieving a gift on their special day, it's just a conflict that I can totally avoid if it's sent home.

[mimi]

We have a Christmas party and do a not so secret Santa between the kiddies. I have always given them their gifts from me as they go out the door, but I don't get thank you's from the parents and never hear if the gift was well received soooooooooooo starting this year I will have them open their gift from me just so they know it is from me and I get to see the joy on their faces. Call it selfish on my part, but I just got tired of asking in the new year if dck liked their gift. I usually get a blank look as they try to remember what I gave and then they give a polite "oh yes" I love giving the gifts to the kids, it is as usual, the parents who take the joy out of it.

[DisneyPrincess]

I like seeing their reaction to what I got for them, hey I paid for it :\ But seriously its my special time with them. But I dont have Santa coming (like my husband would do Santa type of thing), kids that age get scared very easily at a big red suit white beard man, it would be way to much drama lolll

Same for birthdays, they get my gift and usually the friends did each a coloring for them (obviously not the babies) and they really enjoy seing their friend getting the coloring they did for them or even a birthday card.

And we always have a little party with cake !

[DisneyPrincess]

OMG yeah actually once I ask the three year old : So are you having fun with your spiderman car (I had actually paid more then usual just because the car was sooo cool and he was sooo into spiderman) and he said no my mom keeps it in her room Say whattt ??? loll

[sunnydays]

I have always sent them home with them on the last day before Christmas, but I am also a bit tired of recieving no thanks or comments on it...so I am thinking of doing a group gift exchange as mentioned above...that sounds like fun...especially if the gifts are similar for all kids so that there is no jealousy

[Spixie33]

I send them home wrapped on the last day in front of the parent. I usually don't find out if they liked it or not until after the new year.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I have a Christmas 'tea' on the last day before we break for the holidays ~ parents are invited to come and socialize the last hour of the day.

Initially i used to have them open their presents together ~ however the first year it was a little mayhem with pieces of toys getting lost and one parents gift got broken by another child so live and learn and NOW as they announce they are leaving for the day and start the good bye process than I hand over their child's gift and ask them to take it home and put under the tree and the child presents their gift to their parent to also take home and put under the tree so that there is a surprise for all on Christmas morning ~ this works way better for me cause I do not need to see them open it and more often than not on Christmas day I get a text or email thank you from the family for their surprise or they wait until the New Year and thank me than and on the rare occasions you get someone who 'forgets' I will just politely ask them 'did the present survive the trip home' with that concern that perhaps it might have broken or something and than they will usually remember they forgot to say thank you

[mimi]

When I receive a gift from a parent I always write a small thank you note in a card. I was brought up to be grateful for gifts not expectant.