Toddler Birthday Party Question.

My son is 8, he's attended about a zillion parties in his life, but I've only seen kids "play" with the gifts at maybe 2. Usually, they are opened, oooooh'd and aaaaah'd over then they are packed into a car.

And I'm all for opening the gifts at parties--the kids LOVE to see their friend's reaction to the gift they picked out especially for him/her!

I stick around, but I would not expect my child to play with the gifts. I explain to my child that they do not belong to them and can only play with them if they are invited to.

we stay unless its a huge party with too many presents. then we just stay until our gift is opened and then head out. I don't let my kids touch the presents wrapped or unwrapped.

I've only seen this once, with my goddaughter at her sleepover party. Her mother wanted her to share her toys, and there was one that she wanted to keep for herself. Her mother was okay with me just putting that one away for her. I think that it's understandable for the kids to want to play with whatever toys are out. I think that it is also understandable for the recipient to want to be the first to play with his/her own toys and to want to do it alone. (I actually think that it's rude for the parents of guests not to suggest to their little ones that they should give the recipient the option to share.)

It depends...If it is getting late no we don't stick around for the gift opening. The parties I've had for my kids we have not opened gifts in front of the other kids...No time and then didn't want to make kids sit around when they were too busy playing.

When my son turned 5 he and his friends really wanted to open presents at the party. The wanted to see what he got and they wanted him to open what they gave him. Before that time, we didn't open presents at the party. Younger kids seem busy enough with the play and cake and aren't interested in presents as much.
I'd just play it by ear. If my child was happy to stay, we'd stay. If they were antsy and we needed to go we'd go. Everyone there has kids, and usually understands that parents gotta do what they gotta do.

lol, I just asked this question a week ago...
I am choosing NOT to have my son open his presents in front of everyone.. It's VERY time consuming, the other kids get bored, and too chaotic.. We always send thank you cards anyway~

I normally stay until my gift is open depending on how the party is going.

But I do not let my kids start grabbing the gifts that are on the table/floor, I have seen it done with other kids and find it very rude of the parents to allow there children to do that.

We don't, others do, I feel it's so hard for all the kids to watch the birthday kid to open presents with out helping or wanting to play with their gift. In the past we have watched as the birthday child get upset when someone touches or tries to help with the opening of the present. But that is just what we do.

We've always had our son open his present when his friends are here and have never thought otherwise. I feel that if someone took the effort to buy him a gift, the polite thing to do is open it in front of that person and thank them. Yes, we've had a few years where the other kids had started playing with the new toys and my son has gotten upset, but I figure that's just part of being a kid and he did eventually grow out of it. He just had his 6th birthday and he was very polite and shared all his new toys with his guests. I have only been to a few parties where the kids didn't open the presents and I personally thought it was rude. But I know to each their own.