6-year-old granddaughter opens Christmas presents from her grandma a week before Christmas, grandma refuses to buy her more presents despite her mother's insistence: 'The mother wants me to let her take the original presents home.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Dec 18, 2025 8:00 PM EST

Why would she reward such bad behavior? 

One of the primary goals of Christmas is to inspire young children to behave well over the last couple of months of the year. The existence of a Naughty List and a Nice List always struck fear into my heart when I was a kid, and I tried as hard as I could to ensure my placement on the Nice List every year, back-to-back. Every parent knows that telling their young kids, "If you keep behaving badly, Santa might not come this year," is a foolproof manipulation tactic to get them to behave. Kids who wholeheartedly believe there's a chance Santa might not come will not mess around being menaces in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Kids who know that their parents will give in to them no matter what might try some major stunts in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Even if parents have no intention of putting their kids on the Naughty List, there need to be consequences if they knock down the Christmas tree like Dawn Davenport or open their siblings' presents early and break them. If a kid ruins Christmas, that's something they should have to live with that holiday season, no matter how harsh it might seem.

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  • The little girl in this story opened her Christmas presents a week early. You'd think that would be enough to land her a spot on her mother's naughty list, but quite the contrary. Her mom expects her daughter's grandma to buy her more presents before the big day!

  • Girl in red and white polka dot long sleeved shirt sitting on white fur textile
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Am I wrong for not buying more presents?

    So my grandkids were over and we made Christmas cookies. One especially difficult grandchild decided to open her presents that she found, despite being told that they were for next week. The mother wants me to buy more presents for her to unwrap next
    via u/dunwerking
  • A group of wrapped presents sitting on top of a wooden floor
    via Katya Azimova

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • week, and let her take the original presents home to play with, to the dismay of her siblings. I refuse to buy more gifts. I just don't understand the parenting style, it's really hard to watch
    via u/dunwerking
  • Sadness of a senior woman
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Resident Goat_Crow I need to know the age of this child. Toddler? Ok I can see this type of behavior because toddlers are feral. Older child? Getting coal for the rest of her childhood from this granny. In no world would she be getting MORE gifts after that. NTA but I'm also thinking OP's lying lol. It's just too far out there that the mom would ask to keep them and get her more for next week.
    via u/Resident_Goat_Crow
  • OP dunwerking 6 years old.
    via u/dunwerking
  • SnooSprouts6437 NTA, this is called a natural consequence. The child was told no, the child refused to listen, and now they won't have a gift to open next week. I would keep the gift with you. DO NOT rewrap it, but don't let them have it til Christmas.
    via u/SnooSprouts6437
  • Redd1tmadesignup Absolutely not! She needs to learn the consequences of her actions. She will have her gift unwrapped on Christmas and she can watch her siblings open theirs. She does not get rewarded for doing something wrong. I'd be mortified if my child did that.
    via u/Redd1tmadesignup
  • Ok_Homework_7621 The mother is going to make the kids hate each other with the preferential treatment. Do not participate.
    via u/Ok_Homework_7621
  • Natural-Potential-80 NTA why would you reward bad behavior?
    via u/Natural-Potential-80
  • Trevena_Ice NTA. This is a terrible parenting style, rewarding bad beheavour with more presents + getting their presents early. I hope you told her off and that you would keep the present or she would find nothing under the christmas tree I see why the child is difficult with a parent like that
    via u/Trevena_Ice
  • malibuklw NTA. Presents stay at your house until Christmas, and if you want to you could wrap them again (but I don't think you should). Some kids (many?) will sneak a look at their presents if they know they can. That doesn't mean the behavior should be rewarded.
    via u/malibuklw
  • mutant-heart In our house, this is how your presents get donated to someone more grateful.
    via u/mutant-heart
  • lisa_lionheart84 NTA. This is horrifying. I have an almost 2-year-old. If my kid ever pulls a stunt like that and I respond this way, my mother will come back from the dead to smack me on the head. And I would deserve it! If the child is really young, I think it'd be wise to hide the presents since a week seems like an eternity at that age. But definitely do not buy her more presents.
    via u/lisa_lionheart84
  • CHADOfNEATHERREALM NTA- Buying more gifts would essentially reward your grandchild for disobeying you and being "difficult." It is also completely unfair to the other siblings who followed the rules and have to wait. The mother is asking you to enable bad behavior at your own expense. You've already provided the gifts; if there is nothing left for the child to unwrap next week, that is a natural consequence of her own actions. Stand your ground- it's important to keep things fair and maintain yo
    via u/CHADOfNEATHERREALM

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christmas family drama behavior gifts presents bad parenting grandma granddaughter holidays children
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