Birthday parties mean birthday presents which brings up the question, “Do you open the gifts at the party or not?”
When I ask people this question I get some adamant "Yes" and "No" answers, but quite a few Moms I talk to, especially new Moms, aren’t quite sure what to do.
My vague answer is, “It depends.” There are quite a few things you need to consider regarding your child’s birthday party and the answer may not be the same every year. First and foremost you need to do what is right for your child. Does he or she want to open gifts or just keep playing with friends? You also need to consider what you can handle as the party hostess. Sometimes it is hard to gauge how much time it will take. But, don’t let anyone tell you how it should be done. It’s your party. You set the rules.
If you are on the fence about whether to open gifts at a kid’s birthday party or not, some things to consider are the number of guests at the party, the age of the kids, and how many activities you have planned. Sometimes these factors can easily push you to the right answer.
So, what is your opinion? Should you open gifts at a kid’s birthday party or not? I’d love to hear how you handle the issue at your kids’ parties.
You can download a free Kids Birthday Party Planning Worksheet and find more tips and advice on how to plan and host a fun, unique and memorable birthday party for your child from my blog site, ChocolateCakeMoments.com.
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Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach, kids party planner, and weekly contributor to Patch.com. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, newspapers, magazines, blogs, as well as her own family fun site ChocolateCakeMoments.com.
For older kids who usually invite just close friends and not the whole class, opening gifts at the party works fine. In either case, we always send thank-you cards, and typically make invite the gift-givers over later to play with the presents they gave us. I don't think it's pointless or ungracious to do it either way.
The party if for friends to get together and enjoy each other's company. One person may give a really nice give while another gives a cheap gift. Its the thought that counts but it could make the guest(s) feel bad. The other thing is that each guest wants to give the 'original' gift. If there are 3 or 4 of the same gift, it can get very awkward quickly and the birthday person may not know what to say and could also hurt guests feelings.