Received a terrible, stressful gift from MIL

[Anonymous]

You don’t have to do it immediately. Tell her your saving it for when your kid is a little older. Who knows, maybe 5, 10, 15 years down the road you’ll be inclined to do it.

[Anonymous]

Can you ask her to do it?

Say, you'd love for your child to have stories from their Dad's childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it true the gifted sees the responses? I gave this to my mom and I'm not sure that's true.

I received updates from Storyworth with my parents' answers. It may be possible for the recipient to change the setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a new mom. DD was born in Feb. I received my gift tonight from my MIL. She purchased a subscription for me from a company called Storybooks. I’ve never heard of this before, so if you’re in the dark like I was, basically it’s this company that emails you a writing prompt every week and you are to fill it out. After the year is up, these responses are compiled into a book for you. My MIL thought it would be a wonderful idea for me to do for my daughter because I am a new mom, so when she’s older, she can read all about mom.

While I appreciate the thought behind this, this gift is so not me. I do not like to write, let alone journal. Never have, never will. To me, this is a huge commitment for an entire year that I just don’t have time for. Again, I’m a new mom, I’m now back at work - I don’t have the time nor desire to write a short story on my life each week for a YEAR. A YEAR!!

I suppose if you’re a really sentimental person and you enjoy writing in your spare time, this would be a great gift. But to me, she gifted me WORK.

Also, the company emails MIL my weekly responses to the writing prompt so she will know if I complete the assignment each week.

Ugh. Thanks for letting me vent.

What's your problem,? She isn't holding a gun to your head so you just don't participate.

[Anonymous]

OP, come join us on the petty holiday vent thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeez. Such MIL haters. Why can’t we assume she means well and was trying to help you document this time in your life. Of course it’s too much, but you don’t have to be so angry.

I had a friend who “sent” his baby an email every week and I was always envious that he had taken the time to capture those sweet early memories. My kids were born before smart phones so we didn’t have the incessant documentation.

Good luck.

I assume MIL means well! Her "present" to OP is a bunch of weekly graded homework. Which is ridiculous. I can say good intent and terrible execution.

[Anonymous]

Just tell her you won't do it and she should ask the company for a refund. I gave my dad StoryWorth for his birthday one year, and he didn't like the format. He told me he'd rather just type out his life story than answer the questions. I contacted the company and asked for a refund and they gave it to me, no questions asked.

[Anonymous]

We did this for our parents and they liked it but it involved a lot of work on their end and at later stages from the family as a whole to locate photos, edit, and fact check.

You can change the questions, by the way, or decline to answer. You can pick simple things like "how did you get to school when you were a child?" Or have DH share it with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. Would not do it, based on her getting weekly copies of what I write alone.

Ditto. WTF kind of company suggests giver gets a copy of what you wrote. That would 100 percent convince me not to participate. Stupid selfish boomers at it again.

[Anonymous]

Yea, OP doesn’t have time to write anything but a lengthy complaint about her MIL on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got Storyworth for our retired parents--I think that's more the target demographic!

I think you have lots of options, including telling MIL that it's not for you--you'll "have lots of time to share those stories with your daughter in person when time is in not in such short supply."

Maybe you could ask your MIL if she would be kind enough to do the entries about HER life, so her grandchild will be able to read the stories?

Oh good that’s a horrible gift! But I like this poster’s idea. Ask MIL to complete it.

[Anonymous]

the company emails MIL my weekly responses to the writing prompt so she will know if I complete the assignment each week.

This is surprising. And very odd. I would see if you can "opt out" of this by getting in touch w/the company. Op, you have no obligation to use this gift. Don't if you don't want to. First time your MIL asks about it, though, come clean.

[Anonymous]

MIL probably thought you'd enjoy recording motherhood for your kids, without thinking it through. It's not a hostile gift at all. So it would be unfair to go nuclear on her.

[Anonymous]

Op, no need an not useful to be so dramatic .. "terrible", "stressful". Just don't do it. Your intensity is probably adding to you and your MIL's ability to be comfortable with each other , accept each other, and choose more personality-appropriate gifts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just tell her you won't do it and she should ask the company for a refund. I gave my dad StoryWorth for his birthday one year, and he didn't like the format. He told me he'd rather just type out his life story than answer the questions. I contacted the company and asked for a refund and they gave it to me, no questions asked.

No refund. She's not entitled to it. Just don't do it. Chances are MIL won't ask. If she does, just say "don't have time but thanks, etc."