Stars, I'll be honest and say he could have waited for you.

I don't know what I would have done ... I've never been in this situation.

He might have just been so excited when he saw them though and thought you'd left them there as a surprise that he was meant to open. I don't think it was intentional.

And I think it's understandable you're upset by this. You put a lot of thought, effort and energy into this. He must know that he is loved and cherished by you or else you wouldn't have gone to such great lengths. I think that your gift giving of 30 small gifts is an absolutely awesome idea - if - it was something within your budget.

Here's my personal responses:

Question 1: Do you like to be present to see the gift receiver's reaction to your gift? Assume this is a gift you have spent a lot of time on making or put a lot of thought into.

Yes for sure! I love being present when people open gifts and seeing their expressions.

Question 2: If you prefer to be present, do you think you gain happiness from seeing the receiver happy? Do you believe this is the sole reason why you give gifts? (To spread happiness to the other person).

I do gain happiness from seeing the other person open their gifts. But this isn't really my main motivation. What matters to me most is that they know that I took the time and effort to remember them and choose a gift carefully.

Question 3: If you did not know whether the receiver liked your gift or not, would this make you sad or feel like your effort was not appreciated?

Yes. I put love and care into my choices.

Question 4: If you don't care to be present, is this because you are satisfied with knowing that you gave a great gift? Therefore, it would not matter to be present to witness their reaction because you know the receiver will be happy regardless.

NA - I'd want to be present.

Question 5: If the only reason people give big gifts is so that they can feel a little bit better about themselves, then would that make gifting a large/meaningful present a selfish act?

No. Not selfish. It comes from insecurities, and that's a sad situation for anyone to be in. Not selfish.