Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Would your grandparents really say ok to a 529? Mine might not be pleased and would view it as a cash grab probably. Im guessing they want the satisfaction of giving something physical and tangible, not fund something they think mom and dad should pay for.

No way - they would look at it as more of a gift to me bc they know I will pay for all that.

Anonymous wrote:Nugget couch.

Anonymous wrote:what about one of those personalized pottery barn kids chairs if you have the space?

Anonymous wrote:Insist that instead of wasting their money on junk that will eventually break or be trashed, they contribute the amount they'd use on those gifts to a 529 or another account for future education expenses.

We did this with my parents and ILs. They still bought the kid a present, but something much smaller and with a restricted price, like $20 or under for kids and $50 or under for tweens & teens.

Anonymous wrote:Ar people seriously giving 3 year olds iPads/tablets ?

Anonymous wrote:I'd remind them that the 3 year old is easily wowed. When my oldest was that age she was thrilled to get Frozen branded PJs that cost maybe $9 from Kohls. Honestly, it was the hit of the year.

At age 3 my youngest kid also really loved getting their own little backpack.

I also like to recommend consumable things like washable paint, play doh, big bubbles, outdoor balls etc. All things that wear out.

A fuzzy blanket or giant squishmallow will also be a hit.

Anonymous wrote:Ideas? Both sides of grandparents want to get something big. So far we have woom bike, toddler bed on our lists of things we were planning to buy that might be helpful. Anything else we should be thinking about? We have no outdoor space/backyard so no playset or other large outdoor toys.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Insist that instead of wasting their money on junk that will eventually break or be trashed, they contribute the amount they'd use on those gifts to a 529 or another account for future education expenses.

We did this with my parents and ILs. They still bought the kid a present, but something much smaller and with a restricted price, like $20 or under for kids and $50 or under for tweens & teens.

The grandparents that want to wow their grandchildren with exciting gifts are the exact same grandparents who will balk at being ask to write a check to a 529 instead. Ask me how I know.

My kid's favorite grandparent does not get them big huge gifts on Christmas. In fact, she often gets them nothing! But the rest of the year she is engaged and loving and will treat them to things at other times (like Target impulse buys!). It's really do much better. They don't remember who got them what, but they do remember being made to feel special *any* other time of year too.