How to avoid disappointment on Christmas Morning
Imagine the pure joy of running to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning, tearing the wrapping off all your presents and discovering the toy that you had been wanting for months! It must be one of the best feelings as a child: delight, anticipation and thrill.
But wait, your parents have to remove the toy from layers of plastic and cardboard, assemble the 23 pieces with directions that only come in French and Japanese, and then find three C batteries. Feelings of joy are replaced with disappointment and frustration.
I have been the parent of such a child. I once spent over an hour on Christmas morning trying to assemble a Little Tykes grocery cart, just to realize I was missing a wheel cap. I have spent $12 at a convenience store on Christmas afternoon buying batteries for a toy with the fine print “batteries not included.” My frustration and the disappointment of my children have taught me a few important lessons that I would like to share, so no one else has to go through the horrors of Christmas morning toy assembly.
Tip #1 - Preassemble Toys
One way to ease the frustration of Christmas morning is to preassemble toys that come in pieces, preferably before Christmas Eve to make sure all the parts are accounted for. If you have an older child that will enjoy helping put a toy together, it is still a good idea to open the package and make sure you have everything you need.
Tip #2 - Remove Toy Packaging before Wrapping
Even the most simple of toys come so securely attached to their packaging that it takes at least 5-10 minutes to free them. Removing toys from packaging before wrapping them will allow your child to enjoy the toy as soon as he opens it. Some toys are in odd shapes that make wrapping without packaging difficult. These toys can be put back into the box they came in, without the cardboard inserts, twist ties and rubber bands. Removing packaging will also help reduce the amount of waste you have on Christmas morning.
Tip #3 – Keep a tool kit handy
Many toys require tools to adjust them, assemble them or even change the batteries. It is helpful to keep a small tool kit with various screwdrivers, a wrench and screws handy. Scissors or a pocket knife are always handy when you have packaging to open or tags to take off.
Tip #4 – Batteries, Batteries, Batteries
I used to joke that for every child’s birthday party I went to, I should just bring a big bag of batteries as a gift. In every set of gifts there always seems to be one that doesn’t come with batteries or comes with batteries that are already worn down. So now before major holidays, I stock up on all different types of batteries. It is also a good idea to check small electronics before you wrap them to make sure they don’t take a specialized battery or need to be charged.
Amber Hodgson lives in Lee’s Summit where, thankfully, her husband now assembles all toys that come in more than three pieces.