At this time of year with Christmas fast approaching, kids up and down the country are busy thinking what Santa could bring them for them and praying for their favourite toys. But one mum has sent a warning to all parents to keep an eye on your kids to make sure they do not ruin their present surprises after an incident with her daughter last year.
Chloe Vizor, 21, from Reading, caught her daughter Evie red-handed opening presents before Christmas Day.
Mum-of-three Chloe had been sitting downstairs late on Christmas Eve when she heard the familiar pitter-patter of Evie's footsteps upstairs.
When she went to see what was going on she found her then four-year-old daughter surrounded by a sea of opened presents and ripped wrapping paper.
Chloe said: "They were all in bed. I was downstairs and I heard the pitter patter of some little footsteps but it took me five minutes to realise where I was hearing them.
"I ran up there and caught her in the act. It only took her about five minutes and in that time she opened ten of them, which is quite a lot. They were all scattered around the floor.
"There were no adult ones conveniently, it was all children's ones that she'd opened."
Chloe then had to spend the rest of the night on Christmas Eve re-wrapping all of the presents to try to salvage some surprise for her kids on Christmas Day while her two younger daughters, Hope, two, and Violet, one, were fast asleep.
The next morning, Chloe captured her daughter's still-surprised reaction to her brand-new toy doll despite having seen it the night before.
Chloe said: "She had opened a baby doll and I recorded her opening it again on Christmas Day and she acted so shocked as if she hadn't already opened it the night before.
"She hadn't forgotten because when I showed her that video she was saying 'naughty Evie', so I don't know why she acted surprised.
"It's almost a year later now and she's still talking about Santa, which is good because I didn't want it to be ruined at age five."
This year the mum has been more creative with stashing presents away to make sure her kids will not find them and urges other parents to take similar precautionary steps.
Chloe said: "They're still not allowed in my bedroom but I've managed to hide them up high this year on top of my wardrobe and they're all covered so she can't find them.
"If you have an outhouse I'd say put presents there but if you don't then try to hide them up high or somewhere you can lock them away because in just five minutes they can open half of their parents."
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