Kids' Bad Reactions to Gifts: Hilarious or Heinous? (Video!)

Redbook

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK


Zooming the camera in on my son's excited face, my husband and I waited while he tore into a Christmas gift sent to him from his distant grandparents. Our plan was to tape the present opening and then send them the DVD along with a thank-you card. The fact that we thought this plan was a good one will attest to our newbie status as parents. Parenting rule #1: Kids never do what you expect them to. As the wrapping paper flew and the box was opened, his 2-year-old face fell. With tears dripping down his cheeks he wailed, "Cwothes?! Dis is worst pwesent EVER!" Then, he threw them at the fireplace. The camera was quickly turned off as we gave him as stern lecture about manners and politely saying "thank you" no matter what. He's now 9 and is the picture of politeness, but I'll admit that every Christmas Eve my husband and I watch that video and giggle all over again. I still think it's hilarious.

Jimmy Kimmel recently asked parents to reenact this very situation by purposely giving their kids a terrible Christmas present. Here's the highlight reel.

Did you laugh? While I thought it was mostly funny, my mom friends' reactions were more mixed. Anne wrote, "The one time my girls tried that the Christmas tree and all the decorations were down by noon. They never did it again." Robyn added, "Most of the kids were funny, but the one that flew off the handle about the Hello Kitty shirt was disturbing. Calling his parents stupid? Not funny." Jennie summed it up by saying dryly, "That kid who told Jimmy Kimmel to 'Suck my b***s' needs to be kicked in the b***s." I have to agree that I was surprised that whichever parent was holding the camera didn't drop it and run across the room with a bar of soap in hand. But then I suppose the kid had to learn it somewhere.

Most parents seem to agree thought that whether or not you giggle a little, you need to nip this behavior in the bud. The only trick is how. For my son, after his lecture, we re-wrapped the gift and made him try it again, this time politely.

Have your kids ever reacted badly to a gift? If so, how do you handle it?


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