MIL keeps buying kids crap

[Anonymous]

Stop trying to control her behavior, but at the same time, she can't control YOUR choices.

Let the kids play with the junk. The moment they lose interest, it goes in the trash or in the Goodwill donation pile. Every. Time.

If she asks where the junky toy is the next time it's at your house, "We donated it, because we keep toys and things like that to a minimum." Same answer, every time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop trying to control her behavior, but at the same time, she can't control YOUR choices.

Let the kids play with the junk. The moment they lose interest, it goes in the trash or in the Goodwill donation pile. Every. Time.

If she asks where the junky toy is the next time it's at your house, "We donated it, because we keep toys and things like that to a minimum." Same answer, every time.

+1 spot on! We bring it to Goodwill after kuds are done with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep! ITA.

With all the expense my mil has spent on dollar toys, she could have bought a nice set of a quality toy.

Here's my solution for those toys now: DD and I have had good talks about 'dollar toys' -- I explained to her it's the type you get that are small, from chick fila, just little breakable toys..... I told her she can have a treasure box of those things in her room. We decorated a shoe box. Whenever she brings a new toy home, DD's job is to decide what she wants to keep, my job is to decide where it goes. : treasure box or another box of toys. (If it's a doll, fine it can go with dolls. If it's a ball, it can go in the ball bucket). Otherwise... It belongs in treasure box! The last rule is if the treasure box gets too full, she will have to decide what to toss out.

We established those rules, so now I decide where they belong at nighttime. DD has been doing great with this.

This is a great idea. I love the treasure box concept.

We do this too - it's also great for birthday party goody bag crap!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine brings cakes, cookies, candy, etc. every single time. Told her we needed to limit that sweets for health reasons. Next time she showed up with oranges and apples. Just can't come empty handed so I give up.

LOL - you are complaining about oranges and apples? Get some help.

I guess I should have explained better -- massive quantities (big Costco boxes) all cut up -- I have don't have the space to store them in my fridge and we can't possible eat that much before they go bad.

She cuts of big boxes of fruit!? LOL. Well, if it were me I'd be making applesauce (SUPER easy), muffins, tossing them in salads, sharing with the neighbors or coworkers etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep! ITA.

With all the expense my mil has spent on dollar toys, she could have bought a nice set of a quality toy.

Yup, my mom gives us a bag of crap to bring home every time she sees DS, and will buy the entire clearance rack of clothes in DS's projected size for the following season (which we never ask her to do and actually asked her to stop buying so much stuff), but she apparently draws the line at buying him a pair of sneakers he'll wear for months. She always asks us to reimburse her if she takes him to buy shoes. That's fine, I don't expect her to pay for his shoes, but she spends a ton more than that every month on crap that he doesn't end up playing with or wearing.

[Anonymous]

I am not above the junk disappearing. If we kept every single thing they (or we) were given our house would be riddled with crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not above the junk disappearing. If we kept every single thing they (or we) were given our house would be riddled with crap.

I wanted to add that sometimes I save those things for road trips or traveling because I couldn't care less if they get lost during the trip. Like, I am hoping that thing falls underneath the plane seats and rolls to the back of the plane never to be seen again or shoved in a hotel drawer that gets left behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine brings cakes, cookies, candy, etc. every single time. Told her we needed to limit that sweets for health reasons. Next time she showed up with oranges and apples. Just can't come empty handed so I give up.

LOL - you are complaining about oranges and apples? Get some help.

Plus 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not above the junk disappearing. If we kept every single thing they (or we) were given our house would be riddled with crap.

I wanted to add that sometimes I save those things for road trips or traveling because I couldn't care less if they get lost during the trip. Like, I am hoping that thing falls underneath the plane seats and rolls to the back of the plane never to be seen again or shoved in a hotel drawer that gets left behind.

This is smart. There's novelty because they haven't seen/played with the toys much, and if the toys get lost, it's a GOOD thing. Love this.

[Anonymous]

as a new piece of junk enters....and old piece of junk leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Throw it out and don't worry about it.

+1 Those toys keep the attention of my kids for about 48 hours. Then they go in the trash.

+1

PP is generous. I only give cheap crap 24 hours before it goes into the trash.

[Anonymous]

My mom does this, not only with junky toys but also tons of clothes most of which my kids would never wear. Interestingly as my kids get older (10 and 12), they are starting to politely decline the gifts and so she ends up taking them back with her. As a result, the gifts are definitely slowing down but we still have a problem with her showing up with desserts even though I've told her over and over we are trying to make sweets only a once in awhile treat.

[Anonymous]

I tried to negotiate, especially about food, for about ten years. MIL's cooking sucks but she thinks it's great and her baby boy is missing out...he never touches the food she sends over and I end up eating everything because I hate wasting food. (Don't get me started on cheap dessert like Entemann's.) I've just given up and throw it away because I'm not living the rest of my life eating food I don't like or filling my clean home with crap I don't need or ask for.

[Anonymous]

I have family members who do that. I take it as their way to show love to my children. I recommend the big bin strategy of putting everything there. And then letting the kids friends have a go at it during playdates and birthday parties.

Candy, cookies and packaged stuff gets donated to my school front office. I make kids try on the clothes, take a snap, send it to the family member....and donate to Goodwill.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's much you can do, but I feel you, OP. The disgusting consumerism in this country makes me ill. People are obsessed with material things and we're all getting dumber by the minute because of it. Not to mention how it destroys the environment. I always feel that people who buy loads of crap have the emptiest lives.