Remember your manners and give a gracious thank you to all the generous gift givers!

My aunt is a big facebook sale buyer. She bought a huge swing, highchair, bouncer seat, pack n play, and big stroller for our child, along with boxes and boxes of other stuff. Problem is, she didn't ask whether we already had those things for him (we already did) and we live in a small-ish townhouse.

Anonymous wrote:My MIL likes to give "lots" of things. They are usually really low quality things. We've tried to give her a wish list with just one or two nice things for each kids but she ignores or buys a knock off and then other plastic stuff.

E.g., we said, the kids would love magnetiles but they are expensive so just get those and that will be more than enough. She bought a weird small pack of some other magnet shapes and then 3 plastic music making toys. We just gave up. Sometimes the kids like one or two of the things and play with them until they break a month later.

This is my mother, too. No name brands for her, only cheap knock-offs prone to breakage

Anonymous wrote:OP, read the thread about the grandma who sends huge ugly kid desks as gifts and consider yourself lucky. At least dollar store trinkets are easy to dispose of and won’t cause hurt feelings.

I can't seem to find that thread, link?

My MIL likes to give "lots" of things. They are usually really low quality things. We've tried to give her a wish list with just one or two nice things for each kids but she ignores or buys a knock off and then other plastic stuff.

E.g., we said, the kids would love magnetiles but they are expensive so just get those and that will be more than enough. She bought a weird small pack of some other magnet shapes and then 3 plastic music making toys. We just gave up. Sometimes the kids like one or two of the things and play with them until they break a month later.

So, we just smile and say thanks and the kids do too. There are clothes where my DH draws the line (short shorts for our 3 year old ... I'm a macho man shirt for our 5 year old) but otherwise, it's not worth anyone's time or energy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don’t get to dictate the gifts that people buy. The end. I cannot believe adults have not been taught this.

NP
i am so tired of these threads where people insist that one must be grateful for whatever junk is thrown his way. just because you call your junk 'a gift' doesn't make it so. and yes it is a nuisance to get rid off. not everyone wants to drive miles every weekend to get rid of junk somebody forced into his home.

+1,000,000

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL gifts dolls. Really expensive, real looking, creepy dolls. Our daughter is approaching college age and has zero interest in dolls of any kind. My MIL loves these dolls and thinks everyone else does too.

Mine gifts my infant DOG toys. Purchased at Petco. Because he can use chew toys as teethers.

If my kid grows into a werewolf, we know how it happened.

I would just donate to the local animal shelter. If she continues to do this when he's old enough understand, teach him to make his Christmas donation to support the shelter.

I agree with the sentiment to just be grateful and gracious about receiving gifts and to donate gifts that you can't, won't or don't want to use. There are too many kids who have to do without and anything I can't use I like to give to organizations that redirect to those children. I often give cash donations, but anything I don't want my kids to have, I donate.

This is a great idea. MIL LOVES dogs and donates a lot of money to a local shelter anyway, so maybe she can take him to pick out toys and bring them to the shelter when he's older.

Anonymous wrote:Would you prefer a large plastic desk?

Or a huge fiften-year-old desktop computer coupled with an old monitor? That was a "gift" to my DC from my in-laws last year.

What say you, good-mannered denizens of DCUM? Should I also have thanked them profusely and then proudly displayed the precious gift in the middle of my child's room?

Registered should be regift.

Anonymous wrote:Side note: amazed that so many of us have the same stuff-loving, piles-of-cheap-crap-gifting, borderline-hoarder MILs. Is it generational? Regional? Cultural?

I think it is in part growing up poorer and in part not wanting to give expensive toys to very young children, since they will probably destroy them anyhow and enjoy the cheaper toys just as much. At least that seems to be the thought process of some of my older relatives.

I just registered or put in the donate box. There are plenty of lower income kids who would be happy with new toys.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL gifts dolls. Really expensive, real looking, creepy dolls. Our daughter is approaching college age and has zero interest in dolls of any kind. My MIL loves these dolls and thinks everyone else does too.

Mine gifts my infant DOG toys. Purchased at Petco. Because he can use chew toys as teethers.

If my kid grows into a werewolf, we know how it happened.

I would just donate to the local animal shelter. If she continues to do this when he's old enough understand, teach him to make his Christmas donation to support the shelter.

I agree with the sentiment to just be grateful and gracious about receiving gifts and to donate gifts that you can't, won't or don't want to use. There are too many kids who have to do without and anything I can't use I like to give to organizations that redirect to those children. I often give cash donations, but anything I don't want my kids to have, I donate.

Anonymous wrote:My MIL gifts dolls. Really expensive, real looking, creepy dolls. Our daughter is approaching college age and has zero interest in dolls of any kind. My MIL loves these dolls and thinks everyone else does too.

Mine gifts my infant DOG toys. Purchased at Petco. Because he can use chew toys as teethers.


If my kid grows into a werewolf, we know how it happened.

Everyone is so concerned about hurting the feelings of hoarder in laws and nobody here cares about the destruction of our environment by too much plastic junk?

I am shocked at the rude people on this thread. It is OBVIOUS that you say thank you, accept the gift and then do whatever you want with it (garbage, donate).

I’m so thankful for my 9 yo DD. My great aunt gave her a toy tablet meant for little kids last year, my kid has a real tablet. She was so thankful and opened the package and played with it for a bit until we left. I would have *died* if she said something rude about it.

Side note: amazed that so many of us have the same stuff-loving, piles-of-cheap-crap-gifting, borderline-hoarder MILs. Is it generational? Regional? Cultural?