Monkey Joe’s Blog

If you’ve been to a birthday party lately, you may have noticed that the birthday kid didn’t open their birthday presents at the party. Or maybe they requested no presents at all. There are quite a few trends like these making their rounds in the kid’s birthday party world.

The latest trend/debate? What do you do with the birthday presents at the party?

Some parents are opting to open birthday presents after the party, while other parents are pretty upset about this new trend and want to keep the tradition of opening birthday presents during the party. We’re sharing the arguments for both below.

Why you should open birthday presents at the party

This has been the tradition for years. The party begins, kids play, they eat cake, and they open presents. It’s just how it’s always been, right?

• The birthday kid is excited to see and open their gifts and new toys.
• Guests get to see the excitement when the kid opens the present they brought (especially grandparents).
• It allows you the opportunity to teach your birthday kid to be grateful and gracious for presents.

Why you should open birthday presents after the party

While the reasons for opening the birthday presents at the party are great, many parents feel the focus should never be on the present, but the birthday kid. For this reason and more, many are opting to just leave the presents to the side and open after everyone has gone home.

Here are some of the top reasons for opening the birthday presents after the party:

• You don’t have to worry about your child’s reaction to a particular present.
• There’s no pressure on the birthday kid with everyone staring at them.
• Attention spans of kids are just not that great.
• Sometimes there are more than one of the same gift, which can get awkward.

What We Think

When it comes down to it, you should do whatever makes you and your birthday kid comfortable. It’s their party, afterall! Don’t worry about the trends or what others will think. Look at the pros for each, and make a decision that works for your family. Either way, don’t forget to send a thank you to the guests that brought a birthday present!