At one time or another, most parents will have the unnerving experience of a toddler busting into their bedroom in the middle of the night.
It’s extra concerning when they ask for a pair of scissors. But what will really launch you out of bed is when you realize it’s 3 a.m. on Christmas morning, everyone in the family is now up, and the child requested the scissors so they can open a new toy.
A new toy you lovingly wrapped and put under the tree a few hours ago.
That’s how Scott and Katie Reintgen started Christmas this year, courtesy of their 3-year-old son. And that’s how they discovered he’d opened his entire family’s haul of Christmas presents.
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“This was absolutely on brand,” Scott told “Today.” “He is our wildcard. Very adventurous. Quick to do something unexpected.”
“At first, I laughed,” Katie said in “Today.” “Then wanted to cry. After a second of dread, I moved into ‘super mom mode,’ as all moms do.”
That’s right — the North Carolina couple got everyone back to bed and went back to work rewrapping their other two kids’ gifts using the scraps left by little T. (They’ve requested media use the abbreviation “T.” instead of the youngster’s full name.) They didn’t have enough paper left to wrap T.’s presents again, but figured he’d had enough unwrapping fun.
Scott, a bestselling sci-fi author, took a photo of the initial scene and shared it on social media. It now has nearly 7 million views on X:
Yall. My three year old came down at 3am and unwrapped EVERYONE’S presents. pic.twitter.com/8dlfqdwHO7
— Scott Reintgen (@Scott_Thought) December 25, 2023
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Like the Reintgens, most folks find the holiday humor in T.’s rampage. But will T. make Santa’s naughty list next year?
Not likely. According to Scott, the unwrapping spree was well-intentioned at its heart. He told Raleigh, N.C., TV station WRAL that T. only wanted to ensure the morning gifting process went smoothly.
“His explanation was that he was trying to help us out,” Scott said. “He was trying to make sure it was clear whose presents were whose; the wrapping paper was kinda getting in the way for him.”
In a follow-up tweet, he added that they weren’t mad at their son at all.
Just adding his explanation for why he opened everything!
Also have to add: we’re not mad. He’s a good kid, and it’s a story we’ll tell for the rest of our lives. pic.twitter.com/GKiJjPjQXR
— Scott Reintgen (@Scott_Thought) December 26, 2023
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See, when you think about it, he was trying to do everyone a favor! Good old T. — no doubt he’s still in Santa’s good graces. His parents did talk to him about letting other people enjoy their own gifts, though.
“We were grateful it brought a lot of light and laughter into the holidays,” Scott told “Today.”
Three-year-old unwraps all of family’s presents in the middle of the night originally appeared on Simplemost.com, helping make the most out of life.
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