KWR: Does receiving gifts make you feel awkward?

My FH hates it, too, but he hates when people are staring at him. He feels like he has to give a performance. He hates opening gifts in front of people.

The attention of receiving/opening gifts makes me feel super uncomfortable and put on the spot. There's also a weird guilt attached to someone having spent time/money on me.

A lot of folk feel awkward receiving (or giving) gifts, but the reasons vary wildly. Perhaps a frank talk with him could shed some light on his particular reasons and start the building of a middle ground so maybe he gets less awkward with you giving him gifts to start with?

Miranda yes! He never even hands the gifts to me, he just sort of places it there when I've walked away, so I see it when I come back and he doesn't actually have to hand it to me. It's so weird. He even did that when he proposed!!! Lol

Oh I'm the same way. My boss gave me $100 for Xmas and I had no idea what to say to him. Part of me wishes he didn't do it. I'm so awkward when it comes to showing gift appreciation, especially if I LOVE it

I do feel awkward opening gifts if it's in front of more than a few people. It's because I'm kind of reserved/shy, though. The whole thing of being put on the spot is uncomfortable. I had an awkward/embarrassing moment at our engagement party. I opened a gift from my great aunt that wasn't even there, but yet I said thank you a few times. Oy. Lord help me at my bridal shower :/ I don't avoid it though like your FH does. It could be anxiety or shyness.

I always feel awkward when I receive a gift from someone I don't have a gift for. I have a weird desire to present a gift in return in every situation. And if their gift to me is clearly of higher value than mine to them, I feel guilty for weeks.

I think its a male thing. I sure don't have that issue! Lol!

I hate when my DH open gifts. I spend time thinking about what he wants or needs and get it. And he opens it and is like "oh, cool."..... Like I seriously spent a week thinking about what to get you and then shopped and all I get is "oh cool." When I get something I say something enthusiastic to say. Like "I love these Pjs. Perfect colors!"

I've told him this many times lol. Fake it for me!

I feel awkward giving and receiving gifts. I avoid birthdays and holidays as much as I possibly can. I get this weird feeling of guilt and like @MissGeek said... I feel like I'm put on the spot. Ian hates it. I seem to always need a logical reason before buying anything. I've learned to just buy him shit without thinking too far into it. But seriously.... He asked me one year what I wanted to do for Valentine's Day and I told him we really needed to go to Costco. All of his friends told him it was a trick and he really needs to get me something, take me out, etc. He was shocked when all I really wanted was to go to Costco lol.

Yup! That's me!! I hate that I'm like that. I feel a lot pressure giving and receiving gifts. Pressure to make sure that I look pleased and grateful for receiving a gift. And pressure coming up with a good gift.

My coworker just sent me a gift at home from Harry and David. Although I was very impressed I shamefully admit, my first thought was, whyyyy did she do that.

I guess this year is just particularly annoying because I was at a loss at what to get him. He got a new truck that I knew he'd want to camo up lol, so I thought that was a fantastic idea. I told him don't buy anything for your truck before Christmas (he only got it about a week or so ago). Since he didn't listen to that plea now I have shit to give him and he'll probably end up getting me something way better and then the circle of awkwardness continues.

I never know what to do! I'm always excited but I never know how to react. It either for me feels like I'm being too excited or not enough, so I always feel super awkward. I LOVE giving gifts though. It's one of my favorite things.

I don't mind around Christmas because everyone else is opening gifts too, so nobodys really watching. Birthdays and anything where you are the only one opening presents and everyone is watching... makes me sooo uncomfortable.

ETA: I also feel guilty if I feel like someone spent more on me, or if I didn't get them anything at all. Makes me feel absolutely terrible.

I feel that way, too, but I don't think I can explain it. I just don't like getting gifts. Love giving. But I feel so uncomfortable getting them and even more so having to open them in front of people. It makes it worse.

Opening gifts in front of people is the most awkward thing ever. Especially in a situation like Christmas where there's multiple gifts. I never know how long I'm supposed to hold onto said gift and say how much I love it (whether I actually do or not) before it's socially acceptable to move on to the next one.

I hope someone understands what I'm talking about. It was hard to explain in words.

DH and I pretty much stopped buying eachother stuff. I'm really hard to shop for because I'm picky and generally if I want something I just buy it. Gift opening is always awkward for me because most of the time I already know what it is or I just don't like it since I'm wierd and I have no poker face to feign interest. This probably makes me sound like a brat but I'm just a shopaholic.

I never feel confident in my gift choices, so when there are gifts exchanged, I am usually worried that mine won't be good enough. Also, I feel bad when someone gets me something that I don't like or need or whatever. Since I've had an income for like 9 years now, I basically will just buy myself something if I really want it, so there aren't that many gifts that I get really excited about. So instead I just kind of feel guilty that someone felt like they had to spend money on me or something... not sure exactly how to describe it.

I do like to just randomly see something I think FH would like and give it to him though... it's just when there is a specific date/event to buy for that I find it really difficult.

I don't feel awkward receiving them from my parents or other family members but I feel awkward with gifts from other people especially my in laws for some reason. I just don't like opening them in front of everyone and feeling like I have to put on a show so I don't accidentally offend anyone with my reaction. I love any gift I receive but I guess since I have resting bitch face you can't always tell.