DEAR ABBY: I have noticed a trend at children's birthday parties. The children aren't opening their presents at the party. Instead, the parents collect the gifts and take them home for the child to open later. To me, this seems rude and inconsiderate to the children who are attending the party. Part of the enjoyment of giving a gift is seeing the recipient's response. Please let me know the rule of etiquette in this matter. Am I correct in thinking that presents should be opened at children's birthday parties in front of their guests? -- GIFT ETIQUETTE
DEAR G.E.: No rule of etiquette decrees that gifts "must" be opened at the birthday party. Because this trend bothers you, ask the parent of the birthday child why she or he has chosen to have the gifts opened afterward, because there may be more than one reason for it. One that occurs to me might be that it's a way of preventing embarrassment on the part of children who might not be able to afford a gift as expensive as some of the other children's.