The Gift-Giving Gauntlet

Why opening presents can be overstimulating (even when they LOVE the gifts)

✨ One thing to remember

Gift-opening looks magical — but it is an intense sensory and emotional cocktail for a neurodiverse nervous system.

Think about what’s involved:
• Bright paper
• Loud ripping
• People watching
• Social expectations (“Say thank you!”)
• Big surprises
• Fast transitions (“Open the next one!”)
• New smells
• New textures
• New items to figure out
• Sudden emotional reactions
• Camera flashes
• Noise from everyone doing the same thing at once

That’s a lot for any brain.
For someone with FASD or sensory sensitivities, it’s basically a mini rollercoaster:

➡️ Excitement
➡️ Uncertainty
➡️ Pressure
➡️ Surprise
➡️ Overload

They can love their gifts and still feel dysregulated by the process.

Enjoyment and overwhelm can exist at the same time.

✨ One thing to release

Release the expectation that gift-opening should look calm, linear, or “Pinterest perfect.”

Some things to let go of:
• “They should sit still the whole time.”
• “They should open everything right away.”
• “They should smile for each gift.”
• “They should know how to react.”
• “They should say thank you instantly.”
• “They should appreciate the moment more.”
• “They should open gifts in front of everyone.”

None of these expectations account for the stress, sensory input, and emotional intensity happening inside their brain.

Overwhelm doesn’t mean ingratitude.
Avoidance doesn’t mean disrespect.
Leaving the room doesn’t mean they didn’t like the present.

It simply means:
“My nervous system needs a break.”

And that is absolutely okay.

✨ One thing that may help today

Try a Slowed-Down Gift Plan — one that honours their capacity.

Ideas:
✅ Let them open gifts in a quieter spot, away from the crowd
✅ Open gifts over several hours… or even several days
✅ Present one gift at a time, not a pile
✅ Skip the “everyone watches” moment
✅ Let them play with one item before moving on
✅ Create a “gift break” station with snacks, headphones, or a cozy spot
✅ Pre-open tricky packaging in advance
✅ Use familiar wrapping paper or gift bags instead of loud crinkly paper
✅ Give social scripts or check-in cues (“Want a break or keep going?”)

A slower structure gives the nervous system space to breathe —
which means more joy, less overwhelm, and fewer meltdowns afterward.