I would have a conversation with her and ask if she wants to make the Easter baskets next year. (Not in a rude way but very sincere) My guess is that she would be super excited and would send great baskets. Then your problem is solved. Only 1 basket, no gifts. I understand that you might want to do nice things for your children, but it would give her way more joy than it gives you. You also get the pleasure of actually seeing them dye eggs, find them, etc. If she wants to buy things, let her have some fun.

My mom is you MIL. I send her my kids Christmas list as ever year. I don't buy a thing. She wraps the gifts, and even puts from mom/dad on a few. LOL Doesn't bother me one bit. I send her sizes for every season and she mails us clothes. When I see something in particular I want for my girls, I send her the link and she buys it. When we get it, I say look what grandma got you! It works for us. Good Luck.


Also forgot to say that I once asked my mom about not buying and instead saving for their college fund etc. She replied " I do the shopping so that you can save. That's your job"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP she probably assumes you're going to put the gifts in the basket and she's sending them to save you money perhaps. Just put turn in the basket or set them aside. No harm done.

+1

I would have a conversation with her and ask if she wants to make the Easter baskets next year. (Not in a rude way but very sincere) My guess is that she would be super excited and would send great baskets. Then your problem is solved. Only 1 basket, no gifts. I understand that you might want to do nice things for your children, but it would give her way more joy than it gives you. You also get the pleasure of actually seeing them dye eggs, find them, etc. If she wants to buy things, let her have some fun.

My mom is you MIL. I send her my kids Christmas list as ever year. I don't buy a thing. She wraps the gifts, and even puts from mom/dad on a few. LOL Doesn't bother me one bit. I send her sizes for every season and she mails us clothes. When I see something in particular I want for my girls, I send her the link and she buys it. When we get it, I say look what grandma got you! It works for us. Good Luck.

Anonymous wrote:OP she probably assumes you're going to put the gifts in the basket and she's sending them to save you money perhaps. Just put turn in the basket or set them aside. No harm done.

Anonymous wrote:"Hi, MIL, we just got a big box of gifts from you that you picked out, wrapped and sent to your grandkids. I am hoping to only give them one, and put the rest into the Easter baskets I put together from the Easter bunny. Who is not their grandmother who lives a distance away and is left just sending gifts to her grandchildren on holiday. Who is actually a made up animal with a curious relation to the actual death of Jesus on a cross. You don't mind the switcher oo right?"

Anonymous wrote:Hi, OP. I am in your corner, and it's my own mother we're talking about. My parents are wonderful, involved grandparents but can be over the top in the gift-giving department. I have to dial them back every Christmas otherwise DC would have twice as many gifts from my parents as from us. I don't want an arms race for who can give the most and best gifts.

It's strange, because they didn't raise me with Easter as a gift-giving holiday but they've told me they have two gifts for DC, neither one of which is Easter or religious-focused, both simply toys. I've convinced them to hold off on one. It sounds like you have a good relationship with your MIL. If so, I don't think it's wrong to have a kind conversation letting her know how awesome she is as a grandma but you don't want your kids growing up expecting a stack of loot at every holiday. Putting those items in the Easter basket sounds like a great compromise, maybe keeping one separate to officially be from her.

I get it.