Reply to Xmas overload. Possible to politely convey preference (few quality v many cheap toys)?

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[quote=Anonymous]Op, just let it go. I spent a lot of time stressing about this when my kids were younger, but I learned to relax. My mom and MIL have very different gifting habits. Both are annoying in their own way...

My mom makes Christmas shopping a sport. She works at it for months and runs around town armed with coupons, ads, and receipts (in case she needs a price adjustment). She is ALL about quantity and amount saved. What the recipient wants is not the highest priority. So we all, adults and kids, get boxes full of Kohl's and JCPenney bargains. I have learned to just roll with it. Sometimes the kids end up liking the plastic crap, and that's fine. Otherwise I donate it and it ends up going to a needy kid who needs it more than mine ever did.

MIL has a different approach. She just wants me to give her a specific item directly from the kids' wish list. His whole family does this. This seems impersonal to me. We are just sending each other out with a shopping list and we don't get to put any real thought into the gifts we buy. It's also annoying to divide up the wish lists and make sure there aren't duplicates. Sometimes I just want to tell everyone to come up with their own ideas. I would be happy to come up with my own ideas for the kids on that side but that's not what's expected.

Anyway, like others have pointed out, those plastic toy years will be gone before you know it. You will appreciate ANY help with gifting when the wish lust gets more expensive so dont burn bridges. ;) 
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