Use it as a back-up comforter or even something to snuggle with in a beanbag chair or for something for kids to sleep on when they come over for a sleepover. I would never turn down having an extra comforter around!

I get how MILs can be annoying, seriously (I have one, and believe me, I know), however....just to throw out another viewpoint for a second.

One year, my DS was really into Angry Birds, and I mean REALLY. He had a birthday party at a bounce place, we all had a blast, and we came home with presents from his friends. There was a little bit of everything, but his best friend and his family got him an Angry Birds sheet set that were flannel (he has a winter birthday). I absolutely loved it, mostly because I just thought it was so thoughtful. My son's room happens to be decorated in a Nintendo theme, but he also has Angry Birds stuffed plushes all over the place, and I didn't think it ruined the theme of his room at all! He now uses the flannel ones in the winter, and he uses his Super Mario sheets in the summer. I thought it was a gift that really stood out.

Chill- she was trying to be nice. Cuddle/TV blanket sounds like a good solution.

Let him have it. Our nanny gave our kids gigantic fleece blankets with Disney characters. I hate them. They love them. I deal.

I'm sorry to have to inform you OP that the universe does not actually revolve around you. Your MIL tried to find a gift that would appeal to her grandson. As you can see from the thread, the majority of the respondents would not attribute maliciousness to a grandparent trying to buy a gift for a grandchild they don't know too much about. Grandparents sometimes miss the mark with gifts, but at least she tried to find something that she thought would interest him. Maybe he talked to her about the movie at some point. Maybe she saw him wearing some clothing with the logo characters on it and thought he would enjoy it. My kids use comforter style bedspreads and we change them about once/month and toss them in the wash, so we rotate out several sets. They kids like to change whats' on their bed. We don't change the decoration of the room around the bedspread. And no, we don't change our bedspread that often, but we do change them for the kids who like to change what's on their bed. A bedspread does not have to be the focal point of the room with everything coordinated around it; especially not in a kid's room. I would never think that someone would have to coordinate the decor of a child's bedroom around their bedspread. Bedspreads are very changeable. Maybe your MIL thought the same and didn't realize that you would make the illogical jump that this was some critique of your style or parenting.

Maybe, she was just trying to give a gift to her grandson that he would be interested in (sometimes a banana is just a banana).

Not everyone decorates their kids' rooms -- my mom didn't decorate our rooms, and I don't decorate my daughter's (which is to say, she has bedding & things on her walls, but there's no coordination around a theme). Because it's not something I do, I forget that other people do it, & it would never occur to me that giving a child a comforter could interfere with an existing theme or seem like I was trying to decorate their room.

She didn't know what to get your kid, she knew he liked a movie and she saw something practical associated with the movie & she got it for him.

She may well be a horrible person, but I think it's a stretch to use a movie-themed comforter as evidence of her horribleness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do people like OP even function. I can't imagine how many times a day she's gravely offended.

Lol, so true. I wish my life was so stress free that I had time to get upset about a blanket!

My siblings and I adopted a family a few years ago. They were from a violent section of an inner city, single dad trying to raise 9 year old triplets after their mom suddenly died, destitute conditions (water and power often shut off, food pantry, etc).

The kids only had a couple of requests on their wish lists. One of the items was that they each requested their own blanket.

It seems like a little much to get into a power struggle over someone giving you a warm blanket that just happens to have a few characters on it.

If it bothers you so much, I am sure there are communities somewhere in this insanely wealthy DC metro region where a new, warm blanket for a kid will be really appreciated.

Anonymous wrote:How do people like OP even function. I can't imagine how many times a day she's gravely offended.

Actually, I"m almost never offended, and I"m actually super easy to get along with. It's mainly because she's an abusive personality (to her kids, less so to me) and I don't know how to maneuver around the screwed up relationship we have with her. I didn't put all that in the initial question because I wanted to see if people thought it was a weird present, or if it was just colored by the extraordinarily difficult relationship we have with her. I guess I have my answer!

The force is strong with that one.

Lighten up OP. He can use his Star Wars comforter from grandma for sleepovers, camp outs and forts. His friends will think it is cool. You can pullnit out when he gets an inevitable stomach bug and pukes on his (banana and monkey-- ) bedding.

It will get good use out of it without it being part of your decor.

You're overthinking it. She saw that he has t shirts with characters, so she bought him the bedspread. I like the movie blanket idea

Wow -- that was quick! The using it for books and forts idea is a good one. I think it will be okay in the playroom. I just don't want to redecorate his room around this.

It's actually a really strained relationship -- she is a really, really difficult person (pretty abusive actually), and my husband can't stand her so won't deal with her at all. So I can't really have a conversation with her about it at all.

Anonymous wrote:How do people like OP even function. I can't imagine how many times a day she's gravely offended.

Lol, so true. I wish my life was so stress free that I had time to get upset about a blanket!

LOl her kid is probably terrified to say he likes it. I wonder if he has any independent thought or if he's just OP's parrot.

How do people like OP even function. I can't imagine how many times a day she's gravely offended.

It's a bedspread. She's not decorating the whole room. You have to stop being so controlling.

OP, I would be a bit irritated, too. She's crossing a bit if a boundary and trying to have a say in decorating your son's room. Why wouldn't she ask you about it before just sending it? Why would she send a small child s blanket as a gift instead of books or toys??

That said, I like PPs idea about using it as an extra blanket for tv or fort building or whatever. Or you could buy a duvet cover for it and use it in his room. ;-D

What character is it?
How is your relationship with her otherwise?