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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]These are thoughtful gifts, yet the execution is just so inappropriate!

You should ask her where she gets her ideas and you should point out how each of them went wrong. [/quote]

Oh, this will go over well.

When have you ever sat someone down and gone over where each of their gifts have gone wrong. [/quote]

Because this goes beyond strange gift-giving and into mental illness territory. The ideas were fine, the execution points to problems with cognition. Having a conversation about them will inform OP on what the next step should be: either, MIL is borderline but essentially harmless and OP should just gently say that they would prefer more traditional presents (or not say anything at all and continue receiving similar gifts), or OP will have to get MIL to a doctor.

For example, if MIL has Asperger's, she will likely not be offended if OP says something. My relatives with Asperger's aren't sensitive to perceived judgement as much as you or I, PP.

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"Borderline"? "Mental illness territory?" Classic DCUM take from this PP: Any behavior that's not what you deem "normal" can be pathologized and interpreted as a diagnosable illness....

Look, the gifts are odd but not necessarily red flags unless there are other behaviors OP's not mentioning.

If the gifts were a real departure from what MIL had been doing for years previously, maybe they'd indicate something was going on with MIL. But OP gives zero indication that the gifts she describes are deviations from some more conventional norm for her MIL.

The MIL to me seems quirky and frankly pretty creative in her way. OP, accept graciously and tell her you'll take her up on the Harry Potter reading in about 10 years. Be kind because honestly, she's trying to be thoughtful. Or maybe your sense of humor doesn't mesh with hers and she's actually pranking you in her way while keeping her face straight--? (My mom would have found the s'mores plus fire extinguisher idea hilarious. I could see her doing that for laughs.) )

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