Presents Aren’t As Much Fun If They Find Them In November
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Your child’s first Christmas is always special. And easy.
At least, it’s easier than the rest. Let me explain.
That first Christmas (and usually the second, depending on when they’re born), your young human is easy to please; they will be happy with anything that can at least partially fit in their mouth to accept a liberal application of drool. Bright colors and noise making ability are also attractive at that point. Of course, the fact that the toy you found adorable in the store (you know, the one that plays the first two bars of “The Wheels On The Bus Go ‘Round And ‘Round” every time you press a part of it) will become a tinny audio form of Chinese water torture by the end of January is another post entirely. The challenge that awaits new parents is one that you don’t even think about until age three or so.
Where do you hide the presents?
Now, admittedly, Santa takes care of his part, but Mom and Dad like to grab a few things as well, and nothing makes your heart sink into your lower intestines in early December faster than “Look what I found!!!”, followed by “the Wheels On The Bus Go ‘Round And ‘Round”.
As they get older, they get smarter, and a lot better at finding that bag in the bottom of the closet. (They also get better at walking into the bedroom at the wrong moment, but that’s not only another post but another blog.) This means that when your first child hits age three, you begin the ongoing “Quest For ‘They’ll Never Look Here’.”
My wife and I have used everything from our parents’ houses to a rental storage unit for our quest, but not everyone has those options. Attics are popular, but again…apartment-dwellers might find that chopping a giant hole in the ceiling with a steak knife and covering it with duct tape may mean they’ll lose their security deposit. (Check your lease agreement.) So what to do?
There are always good places if you look hard enough. For example, if there’s enough space, you can put some things in the air-return area of your air conditioning/heating system. Not all systems have space there, and if you do store things there, make sure they’re not meltable and wrap them well. We’ve used that with some success in the past.
Of course, I have two boys, so I usually put their presents under the soap in the bathroom. They never look there.
Where do you hide the presents?
Shannon says...
I put my daughter’s gifts in locked suitcases. She knows exactly where they are but can’t get in to see them. Drives her crazy! I’m brilliant
Dave Hughes says...
Okay, I have to admit, that is brilliant. Very, very ebil, but brilliant.
Dannie says...
Hmmm… my kids have yet discovered that they ar even suppose to try and look. Thank goodness for car trunks just in case.