This is one of those tips that (I'm afraid) will take a bit of work, but it's worth it. Though if your house is anything like mine, where Mummy Christmas is the one doing all the present buying, then this is a task to delegate to Father Christmas. And he will probably thank you for helping him feel more involved in the process.
So it's this: wrap up every single gift from Santa, even the little itty bitty ones that go in the stocking. Cheap and flimsy wrapping paper from the local discount shop is fine - in fact it's better because it provides greater rip-ability.
There are many many benefits to wrapping everything:
- It means that you get to see your children's reactions when they open their gifts from Santa. If the stuff's just there when they wake up, then you'll miss this moment.
- Your children get the extra fun of squeezing and shaking the boxes to try and guess what's in there. They can't do that if every gift's identity can be deduced in a glance.
- Your children won't be overwhelmed by a whole big pile of STUFF just sitting there - and it can be overwhelming, especially for the under-fives.
- Little babies are really only interested in the wrapping anyway, so get some nice bright crinkly stuff and they'll enjoy themselves even more. The cat may join in at this point too.
- Mummy and Daddy Christmas will be able to get away with much more boring and sensible gifts like this. A pair of pants and a toothbrush on their own are just some dull accessories, but wrap them up and they become PRESENTS. Instantly more exciting.
What will you be doing - does Father Christmas tend to wrap the goodies in your house or not? Leave a comment and let us know
More handy hints here in our Tip of the Day section