08 December 2023 , 13:44
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Former The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann has sparked a heated debate because of her Christmas rule about opening presents.
The 33-year-old reality TV star, who welcomed her second daughter Finty in July 2023 with her businessman fiancé Lori Haines, has a strict pre-breakfast gift ban in her house.
Her children, including six-year-old Sunday, can only open their gifts after they've all had breakfast together. Ferne said: "The funny thing about Christmas is you don't realise how unique everyone's celebrations are until you become a blended family and you find yourselves having to decide which childhood traditions you want to carry on keeping the magic alive.
Speaking to One4all, she said: "We've got this one rule we always stick to no opening presents until after breakfast. It builds up the excitement, and, trust me, it's worth the wait just to see the kids light up knowing Santa got their letter in the post." However, the topic of when to open presents on Christmas morning has caused a big debate online, with many disagreeing with Ferne's choice.
Ferne has a simple Christmas rule that has divided fans (Mike Marsland/Getty Images for L)
The kids have to wait until after breakfast to open gifts (Instagram/@fernemccann)Online trolls have previously criticised parents like Ferne, arguing that it's "not fair". A Reddit thread has users worldwide debating the 'right time' to open presents. One user said: "Late morning for me but first thing for my kids. Anyone making children wait until the afternoon is just cruel."
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Another agreed, saying: "Always the morning. Always! Waiting til after lunch seems so mad to me." A third added: "As soon as you open your eyes start unwrapping."
However, some users shared why they chose to wait until after breakfast to open gifts. One said: "Morning, after we are all dressed and breakfast. It was a 'rule' my mum made up to ensure grandad had done what he needed to do down at the farm for the animals and could be up with us to open presents."
Another commented: "After breakfast around 9.30 - 10 the kids can't wait any longer than that!" Meanwhile, one user posted: "Teaching our children to pace themselves and take notice of the gifts they get seems to have reduced the rabid little monsters' effect, but maybe we're just lucky."
Ferne's other traditions include "popping satsumas into the kids' stockings" – a tradition her partner had never heard of. Ferne added: "As it's Finty's first Christmas, we'll be introducing a new tradition where we enjoy a Christmas carol get-together."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]