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       #Post#: 45586--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: TootsNYC Date: January 15, 2020, 11:20 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I so much see gifts as a way to create connections between me
       and the recipient. So it would bother me to have another person
       open the gift I gave to a child.
       Now, this kid wasn't bothered, so it woudln't be a problem.
       But next year, it would be a problem for me, and I WOULD be
       pulling that child over to be right next to me when I gave them
       the gift.
       And I might say to the child's parents (remember these are
       siblings or nie-phews) that I felt their habits were interfering
       with my bonding with the youngest child, that the gifts were one
       of the few ways I have to create a meaningful connection with
       them.
       It wouldn't be about whether the older child is behaving
       properly--it wouldn't be about that child at all.
       Of course, I would also be doing things to link myself to the
       older child.
       #Post#: 45598--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: Sycorax Date: January 15, 2020, 2:03 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       When it's a 6yo and a 3yo (who doesn't seem to care), I'd leave
       it alone, while being secretly annoyed.
       Depending on the family dynamics, though, I might try to say
       something.   I would not want to encourage this behavior in the
       older child.  The younger child is not going to be OK with this
       eventually, and it's definitely not going to be "cute" behavior
       in the older child.
       #Post#: 45601--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: TootsNYC Date: January 15, 2020, 2:23 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       (It's already not cute.)
       My mom was really good at shifting our focus to the enjoying of
       creating a birthday experience for our sibling.
       #Post#: 45620--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: vintagegal Date: January 15, 2020, 4:59 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       6 year old is gonna be REAL POPULAR when she starts going to her
       classmates' birthday parties. Someone better give her a clue
       before then.
       #Post#: 45630--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: Wanaca Date: January 15, 2020, 8:15 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=vintagegal link=topic=1585.msg45620#msg45620
       date=1579129197]
       6 year old is gonna be REAL POPULAR when she starts going to her
       classmates' birthday parties. Someone better give her a clue
       before then.
       [/quote]
       Oh goodness...I hadn't even thought about this.  Oh no.  At 6
       yrs old (if she has any friends) she will be going to birthday
       parties real soon--if not already.
       #Post#: 45642--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: vintagegal Date: January 16, 2020, 7:31 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       My MIL was like the LW, only more so. She got very upset when
       some of the grandkids (all under 3) were opening presents, and
       insisted, "That's HIS present!! HE has to open it!" She was
       weird in many small ways like that. But come on, they're
       toddlers.
       #Post#: 45645--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: Dazi Date: January 16, 2020, 8:26 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I can just picture the floor throwing, screaming temper tantrum
       she is going to have at the first birthday party she goes to. I
       predict an absolute nuclear meltdown where mom is going to have
       to pick her and carry out that spoiled screaming child. I've
       seen it happen.
       #Post#: 45648--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: Hmmm Date: January 16, 2020, 8:44 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Dazi link=topic=1585.msg45645#msg45645
       date=1579184817]
       I can just picture the floor throwing, screaming temper tantrum
       she is going to have at the first birthday party she goes to. I
       predict an absolute nuclear meltdown where mom is going to have
       to pick her and carry out that spoiled screaming child. I've
       seen it happen.
       [/quote]
       Yeah, me too. We were at a party for a 5 year old and one of the
       other 5 year olds kept wanting to "help" open the gifts. The
       guest's mom kept tried to "gently" pull her back. But after 2 or
       3 gifts the mom suggested the bday boy let the girl help him
       open the gift from her to him which ended up with her ripping
       the paper off, showing it off to everyone and then unboxing it.
       Both kids ended up on the floor crying. I was happy when the
       bday boy's Dad "gently" ushered the tantrum throwing guest and
       her mom to another room and then eased them out the door. Bday
       boy came back a few minutes later to open gifts.
       Then there was the 6 year old;s party where the older sibling
       kept trying to insert himself into opening the gifts. It was so
       annoying to constantly hear "Joey, Jimmy is still opening the
       other gift. Would you put that one down please." and
       uncomfortable to watch the tug of war going on between the
       siblings.
       #Post#: 45655--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: TootsNYC Date: January 16, 2020, 10:13 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Dazi link=topic=1585.msg45645#msg45645
       date=1579184817]
       I can just picture the floor throwing, screaming temper tantrum
       she is going to have at the first birthday party she goes to. I
       predict an absolute nuclear meltdown where mom is going to have
       to pick her and carry out that spoiled screaming child. I've
       seen it happen.
       [/quote]
       HER mom won't. HER mom will say, "Oh, please let her help open
       the presents! It means so much to her."
       #Post#: 45658--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Would you insert your opinion on how your gift was being ope
       ned.
       By: Kimberami Date: January 16, 2020, 10:57 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I don't have enough information to decide if she is a "brat" or
       "a selfish child with no friends". It's hard for me to blame the
       6 year old for acting like a 6 year old. This is situation that
       was manufactured by the adults in charge. I stand by the fact
       that this was something done in the baby days of the younger
       sibling to head off sibling rivalry.  Mom (and any other person
       with agency over the children) let big sister open gifts for the
       baby. Today's peace was bought with future problems.
       The 6 year old seems to be able to understand that the present
       itself doesn't belong to her.  I think that is a very good sign.
       If the auntie really has a huge problem with how her gift is
       opened, she could do a few things that could help the situation.
       At events were everyone will get a gift, she can always hand
       both children their gifts at the same time. That way big sister
       is occupied with her own present while little sister opens hers.
       On single person gifting occasions, she could attempt to engage
       the older child in a positive conversation while the younger
       child is being given a gift.
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