It’s fine for stocking fillers to have less longevity than big presents but having said that, useful socks and accessories for the kids’ rooms make great stuffers. Don’t feel you have to spend masses on stockings as this early on the Christmas Day we suspect excitement will be high whatever the gift. A bulging stocking is part of the fun, so we recommend picking little treats in different shapes and sizes. 

If you’re gifting for babies, a present is, needless to say, as much for the parent as it is for the little one. Along with an adorable rattle or teddy, consider pretty nursery accessories which will always go down a dream.

The obvious temptation is for kids to rip open all their presents at once. But if you can, encourage them to open one or two each child in turn, which will help calm any hyper moods and enable each present to be properly appreciated – especially important if the gift giver is there. When it comes to your own gifts however, we give you full permission to tear them all open at once. That comes as a given. You did do all the tricky kids’ gift buying, after all.