Imagine you’re at your classmate Jay’s birthday party. You’ve already played party games, belted out “Happy Birthday,” and devoured a slice of Funfetti cake. Finally, it’s time to open presents! You can’t wait for Jay to see what you got him: that Star Wars LEGO set he’s been talking about for weeks.
Everyone sits around Jay while he tears the wrapping paper off his gifts. A few minutes in, he digs into a sparkly bag, and draws out . . . the exact same LEGO set you got him. Uh-oh. Next, Jay grabs your gift from the pile and rips off the wrapping. His face falls when he realizes he’s received two identical gifts. “Thanks,” he mutters nervously, burying them both in his pile of presents.
It’s a situation that doesn’t feel good to you—or Jay. But could it have been avoided? Some think so. They say that the best time to open gifts is after the party has ended and the guests have gone home. But others argue that opening gifts in front of guests is a tradition.
What do you think? Should birthday kids open gifts at the party or in private?
Imagine you’re at a birthday party for your classmate Jay. You’ve played party games, sung “Happy Birthday,” and eaten cake. Now it’s time to open presents! You can’t wait for Jay to see what you got him: the Star Wars LEGO set he’s been talking about for weeks.
Everyone sits around Jay while he tears open his presents. He grabs a gift bag and pulls out . . . the same LEGO set you got him. Uh-oh. Next, Jay grabs your gift. He rips off the wrapping. And his face falls when he sees that he’s received two of the same gift. “Thanks,” he mutters, looking uneasy. He buries both gifts in his pile of presents.
It’s a situation that doesn’t feel good to you—or to Jay. Could it have been avoided? Some think so. They say that the best time to open gifts is after the party has ended and the guests have gone home. But others argue that opening gifts in front of guests is a tradition.
What do you think? Should birthday kids open gifts at the party? Or should they open them in private?