It’s often a humiliating moment when your child opens a gift from a relative, only to have them say, “I already had this!” Or worse, nothing. They just open it, give zero reaction, and move on to their next gift.
There have been times or two when I have been mortified when my daughter showed zero respect for a gift she received. She looks like a brat. I look like a bad mom. we are getting judge. Looking back, my daughter was three or four at the time and clearly not mature enough to understand gift-giving etiquette (although try telling that to my mother-in-law!).
When she gets older, I plan to prepare her for these types of occasions, and one mom on TikTok has a great strategy for this.
“I constantly practice the three Gs: gratitude, kindness and generosity,” popular content creator and mom Momma Cusses said on Betches. child proof podcast.
“Whether it’s a child’s birthday or we’re going as guests. Gratitude is our first stop. We say ‘thank you’ every time. We’ll take it graciously and we’ll say ‘thank you’ for the best part we can think of.
So basically, even if her kids aren’t Excited They also need to point out something positive about the gift.
“If we like the gift: ‘Thank you so much for this great gift. I’ve always wanted something like this. If it’s a not-so-great gift: ‘Thank you,'” she explains. “This is the first G you have given me this gift… This is your kindness.
“Generosity comes in. You gave it to me. That was enough.
“What I tell my kids to do is, before we go to a party, if someone thinks about you and cares that it’s your birthday. If you don’t like what they give you, that’s okay. Not telling them is not Lie. Thanking them doesn’t mean you’re thanking them for their great gift, it means you’re thanking them for their generous act,” podcast host Tori Phantom interjects.
“If you receive a gift that you hate, we can open it together in private. But if you announce this, you’ll hurt your friend’s feelings. We’ll appreciate this thoughtful gesture. We won’t Be greedy or picky because it really has nothing to do with the gift of having a good time with your friends.
Also, if you want to avoid this torture entirely, don’t open the gift exist reunion! I’ve been seeing this trend a lot at birthday parties lately, and truly, it’s a game changer. It saves time during the party, reduces stress on the kids, and no one has to stand there, bored to tears, for hours! Triple win!
