What makes sense here?

[Brie]

We are flying to see family for Christmas--one hour flight, three hour drive in a rental car. We are flying SW so we can check up to six bags (but I would prefer not to check more than 3 or 4).

We will be gone the 23-26. Family will likely give the boys tons of presents and Santa will come. (We do stockings and a few small gifts from Santa.) P will be 11 months and I'm sure will give no fucks.

We have four large presents for the boys (Paw Patroller from my mom and mini trampoline from us for C; Crawl Around Car from my mom and Bright Beats Play Center from us for P), plus several small gifts for each from us.

We plan to leave all of P's stuff from us at home, and C's big stuff and a few small things. They will both open stockings and family presents on Christmas Day with everyone else. I really don't want to haul a ton of stuff there AND back if we can avoid it.

But, when do they open the stuff from us (and the ILs)? Before we go? When we get back?

I am tired of thinking about logistics.

ETA: ILs don't come home from visiting BIL's family until the 29th. I am having surgery on the 30th.

[spk926]

We often traveled for Christmas growing up. It was to places like Mexico or cruise ships; so not easy to ship stuff ahead of time and certainly not easy to ship back.

We would get just stockings and maybe 1 or 2 small toys on Christmas morning that (I know now) my parents would pack in their suitcases. When we came home from vacation all our presents, including those from Santa, were waiting at our house. I know now that it was our neighbor that would come over when we were gone and set them all out. My parents told them where the presents were and they had them out by the time we came home.

As kids it's wasn't odd to us at all and made sense. Every year we traveled we would make sure to tell Santa when we visited him at the mall where we would be for our stockings but knew he would leave our other gifts at home.

[annieh22]

Open when you get back. Something to look forward to, plus then you're not opening and having to leave right away without time to play with all the new toys.

I always struggle with these kind of logistics too. Nothing is quite ideal, but there is no wrong answer.

[countthestars]

I would probably just do it when you get back. Unless you do it pretty soon they won't have a ton of time to use the presents until you get back.

[redpenmama]

We travel for Christmas and open our gifts when we get home. The kids get a lot of presents from the grandparents, etc., so I'll usually bring 1-2 small gifts/stockings to open on Christmas day. Then, we have our gifts set out for when we return.

[aprilsails]

I would open up Christmas PJs or something equivalent (say colouring books for the car ride) before, but everything big afterwards.

My parents learned this lesson the hard way when I was 4. They gave me a huge dollhouse my Dad had built as a copy of our own house. They then attempted to whisk me off to visit grandparents for 2 days. My behaviour that year has become family lore. I apparently cried silently but steadfastly throughout Christmas dinner.

[heygrey]

The year we traveled I got a stocking and a few small items Christmas day. We had a second Christmas on New Years eve. I was young enough (preschool) that I didn't understand the date and was just SO excited that more gifts magically appeared one morning.

[anna7602]

We have traveled for nearly every Christmas since DD was born. She gets the big presents after, when we get back home.

[bexporter]

Open your gifts (and ILs) next weekend (before you go). Feel free to have Santa come to your house early too. My family was always on Santa's early list, and we never questioned it at all (not that your kids are at that stage, just adding extra info).

[nomad]

I think after as pps have noted forth age kids you have. My sister's kids are a few years older and spend most Christmases traveling. Last year they were given bikes and they got pictures of bikes at their house under the tree on Christmas morning. I think once they understand the date and still believe something like a picture under the tree is a good substitution. Otherwise presents at home after the holiday.

[origami]

We are traveling too starting on the 19th, but we are not going to see family so there won't be xmas gifts for them where we're going. We will let the kids open 1 thing early, 1 small thing on the trip and everything else in January when we get back. Mostly because I didn't order the presents in time for them to be delivered before the 19th. In your shoes Id just leave all your gifts at home and either open them before + after or just after. Seems like your kids will get enough from your family to cover christmas day.

[mpc]

The year I got a bike santa took a picture of it under the tree at home and put it in a card I opened on Christmas Day.

[Deleted]

Do it when you get back.

Christmas won't be such a fast letdown that way.

Save it for New Year's if you want!

We were gone all the time with family growing up. My parents just picked a night sometimes before, sometimes after and we had Christmas. It was fun and one of my childhood highlights looking back. I wouldn't stress it.

Hell, if he's getting presents otherwise, I don't think I'd pack anything.

[hermione]

Another vote for when you get back. If you think C is old enough to care, I'd leave a note from Santa on Christmas morning saying he left a few more presents at home.

[patches31709]

Dec 13, 2015 7:41:41 GMT -5 mpc said:

The year I got a bike santa took a picture of it under the tree at home and put it in a card I opened on Christmas Day.

That was very smart of Santa!

[arebee]

We do gifts before we leave. We don't have room in our car for anything else and DD isn't old enough to get it yet. I am not sure what we'll do when she is older though.