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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My kids have received gifts from 2 sets of grandparents, and they’ve already been donated. My boys are 4 and almost 3, and they didn’t even blink an eye at the gifts or pay them any attention.

[b]The grandparents insist on toys, not experiences. [/b]They asked for an Amazon list which I provided with LOTS of options and price points.

I set the gifts aside for a couple days to see if they’d notice them or play with them or ask for them. It’s been a few days and they haven’t.

I’ve donated them on Buy Nothing and the recipients are thrilled.

Anyone else already frustrated with gifts?[/quote]

What experience did you want them to buy instead?
[/quote]

???[/quote]

This is what is bizarre.  OP gave grandparents and Amazon gift list.  OP provided the gifts she wanted for the kids.  OP let the kids open them early and then trashed them.  Why not say no and not offer a list or give a list of &quot;experiences.&quot;[/quote]

NP. Grandparents asked for but did not shop from the OP's amazon wish list. Gifts were opened early because grandparents were visiting and wanted to see the kids open the presents because they would be elsewhere for Christmas. Gifts turned out to be baby toys (I'm assuming since the kids are little and OP said they are several years below their age level) and the kids weren't that interested in them. Then OP donated them to others and expressed frustration at, after having offered lots of ideas, an uninteresting toy that was taking up space.

Having a MIL who means well but does something similar, I kind of get the frustration but also agree that it just needs to be accepted and handled. My MIL is darling and generous beyond belief, and shows love through presents. Lots and lots of presents, and we have a &gt;900 sf home. She will repeatedly ask for ideas, I'll ask my child and pass the ideas along, MIL will be skeptical that she &quot;really&quot; wants what she said she wants, and will instead buy a huge amount of lovingly chosen but wildly off the mark presents. Yes they were gifts of love and we love her so much. And yes I'm certain from years of hanging on to things just in case dd gets interested in them at some point... that she's not going to get interested. Even when I've tried to engage her on rainy days to get down some of the many craft kits or puzzles to choose from, she always asks if we can do something else instead.

So we share them with families who will put them to good use and are glad to be able to do it. No hard feelings though - people mean well with presents and we can't let our happiness depend on whether people gift us with something that will be valuable to us beyond the sentiment expressed in sharing it with us in the first place. We are lucky and we have enough.

It can be hard not to be heard by the people you care about. Hoping the OP can see beyond the frustration to enjoy the holiday.[/quote]

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