OMG, I am so mad at Jaden!

[Tonya]

Maybe I'm just angry because I just woke up, but I've never been so disappointed in my son before. He knows darn well today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas Day. This morning, he came into my room and said Merry Christmas. I told him that it wasn't Christmas. I reminded him which I am positive he already knows that tonight is the night that we open one gift and that we put out the milk and cookies. TOMORROW is the day that we open all the gifts.

I know he knows all of this. He is a bright kid with an excellent memory. He can tell you every gift that he's gotten over the past five years and exactly who gave it to him. He remembers. We discuss our Christmas plans all the time. He knows we are waking up, opening gifts together, taking pictures, and then going to the inlaws.

Well, he played stupid and opened all of his gifts while I was sleeping this morning. He even opened my Godson's gifts probably because he knew it was stuff that he likes.

Even if he thought it was Christmas, he knows darn well that Christmas is about giving not getting. And he knows we open gifts as a family and take pictures. He knows mommy and daddy want to watch him open his gifts.

I am really to mad right now to decide how I am going to deal with this. After explaining what he already knows, I calmly asked him to put all the new toys in a box and told him that he cannot play with them. I put the box in the closet. He asked me if I was going to take them back to the store. I was honest, I told him that I am to angry to make that decision right now. I told him that when daddy gets home from work, we'll decided together.

I am considering keeping the gifts locked up for a week or so before he can play with them. OR taking my gifts back to the store (he'll still get plenty tomorrow from Santa and a large one from us). I don't think it is my place to return the gifts that he opened that came from friends and family, so he'd keep those. I don't want to traumatize him, but on the same line, this is selfish and unacceptable.

What do you think the proper punishment is?

[flamepony12]

wow, I can understand why you would be mad! It really depends on what you think the punishement should be, not what we think~ but I would just say rewrap your godson's gifts (which you're probably already doing) and think about it for a while. Hope you settle down soon. (((HUGS)))

[caseysmom]

Sorry Tonya but I almost spit out my coffee I am laughing so hard...Jaden is one smart cookie! You have to admit it is just so hard looking at those gifts all the time...my 13 year old had a melt down the other day and starting opening one...I stopped her but she is having a hard time resisting.

As far as punishment I don't know...I guess not having as much to open tomorrow will show him.

[Jods]

I think if he is getting gifts from santa tonight and more they should be either taken back or kept away for a while (till he forgets about them) If he thought it was christmas he would have said Santa didn't come right and he knows his Dad doesn't work on Christmas doesn't he?? I think he was just pretending he thought it was Christmas as well. Just tell him you can't have gifts if you know what they are and you opened all your gifts and ones that aren't yours. (wrap back up your godsons and put them under the tree so he gets the point) The ones from family and friends maybe take away for a little while I'm sure they'd understand he was being punished or let him think he's not getting them and give him them after all the commotion tomorrow... Good luck. My brother did something like this when we were kids and my mom put all the toys in a toy box and nailed it shut. She kept it that way for a while I was impressed. Hope you and your family have a good christmas.


Yeah I know I'm going to be a strict parent

Edit: I do agree he is one smart kid brave 2!!! I would have never done that for the fear of everything being taken back. LOL
You will laugh about this when hes older!

[Corinna]

This is the reason we always kept presant hidden in our room till christmas morning. Beside how can santa come if he saw presants he would think he had already been there.

[Jods]

No santa hadn't been yet she said they were from her and family/friends

[Palomino21]

Our cats would open our gifts for us as kids. LOL....

We trained them well, my sister and I. hahahaha

[Tonya]

I'm a little calmer now. That was a crappy way to wake up. I just talked to hubby. We hadn't finished wrapping his presents, so he still has a Gameboy Advance and some games from us not to mention Santa's gifts. So, I think we can punish him without totally ruining his Christmas or traumatizing him. Everything that he opened today from us is going back to the store. Everything that he opened that came from friends and family is going to be stored for a month. His room has to stay perfectly clean at all times that month in order for him to get them back.

[Cincy'sMom]

I think it sounds like you have found a good way to handle it.

My best friend's step-son got in trouble for lying right before Christmas last year (he was 12 or 13). He had things in his room taken away...his posters, games etc. He was left with his bed and a desk. He then had to earn things back, and earn his Christmas presents. For each week he he was good, did what he was told, etc., he got a few things back. Maybe that would be a way to go too, rather then keeping everything ( I don't know how much is involved) for a month, let him earn things back slowly, so he sees his reward a little sooner...a month can be along time to a 7 year old.

And I agree...as mad as it makes you now, this will be a great story to tell his first girlfriend, the grandkids...

[catnapper]

Tonya, sounds like you made a good decision. Thats exactly what I would have done (hubby says the GameBoy would be walking back to the store too.) He needs to learn that his actions have repurcussions and something he does effects others. It affects how you and Mike enjoy Christmas, it affects your level of trust in him. The sooner her learns these lessons, the easier time you'll have with him as a teenager!

[Laura's Babies]

I think the solution you came up with is PERFECT! Stick to your guns though and don't give in!! If not handled right this year, he'll do it again, but next year put someone elses names on his gifts under the tree...

What kids don't think of these days!!!!

[Karen]

The only thing I'd ad is having him pick a couple gifts that you could then give to a shelter that has children. Teaching him more about giving than getting, and maybe helping him be grateful for all he has.

Gosh, we never would have gotten away with that, but I am the third kid or four, so the older probably would have beat on me or sat on me to keep me from "ruining Christmas."

[caseysmom]

I like the shelter idea also. When my kids were that small I didn't put much out, it was just too tempting. I did a little unwrapping rewrapping as a kid...

My youngest is pretty practical...she says she wants to be surprised, she asked me not to put anything out that she might be able to guess what it is. She is 12 though.

[Tonya]

I was just logging on to tell you all that. We are going right now to donate ALL the gifts to the homeless shelter. If they're still up for volunteers, we're going to help with delivery today.

[carole]

Maybe Jaden thinks he is living in NZ, after all it is xmas morning here, wow I think you are being way too hard on the little guy, I know I am in the minority, yet again,but it is xmas after all and he is just a little kid, yes by all means teach him he did wrong,but go a little bit easier on him please.

Maybe it would be better to leave temptation out of the way next year, and hide the gifts.

P.S Children with ADHD donot learn from their mistakes in the same way as other children,I guess you could say they don't have a conscience to a degree, they don't always learn from the consquences of their own actions, so whether your form of punishment will actually achieve what you hope , I really have to wonder., and I am not saying he should not be punished because he has ADHD, I just think one has to look at it slighty differently is all. JMO.