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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I had the same issue.  Tried forever to stop the flow of gifts but my ILs would not listen.  What I ended up doing was taking the piles of gifts and putting 90% of them in the attic, unopened.  then I donated them to our church giving tree the next Christmas.  In Laws never noticed the gifts were not in the house, because they didn't care about the gift, it was the volume.  Interestingly, my kids barely noticed either.  They(kids and parents) were so overwhelmed by the volume they didn't remember the details, so I just moved them out before anyone noticed. [/quote]

This seems like it would only work in ideal situations. My kids aren't going to not notice a pile of unopened gifts by the tree if everyone is together for the holiday. And giving trees often ask for specific gifts, random wrapped gifts may not cut it. Are grandparents mailing all these wrapped gifts? My MIL mails me gifts but then demands I mail them and she'll send each kid like one $15 item so I can't exactly not wrap it and then give the kids nothing. I guess its good if it works for you but, I can't see how this works for many.[/quote]

This is the PP.  I let my kids unwrap them (ILs are there to see it) and then they just kind of.... disappear.  Once or twice a kid will ask about something specific, and I will bring that down, or if it's something they truly seem to love and will use, I of course leave that for them.  The rest just go to Church; not once have I been told I didn't bring the "right" gifts to donate.  They will find a better home than mine.[/quote]

Ok, that makes a little more sense. My kids have much better memories about this than I do and will remember exactly who gave what or who got what long after I've forgotten. Wish/angel trees usually say something for a boy or girl around a specific age or specific wants so I was imagining mystery wrapped packages that may not be what was requested. If I participate in one of those I try to get what's asked for rather than any old thing from my house so that those kids get something they actually want.[/quote]

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