To not want a bloody see-saw?

[Chairmaker]

DM has apparently bought DS a see-saw for his third birthday next month, without thinking to ask if we actually wanted one.

It's very generous, I guess, but my main objections are:

1. Our garden is not huge and we've already bought a big slide/climbing frame thing for his birthday that takes up most of the free space. We want to keep some bits free for general running around.
   

1. DS is an only child and will be remaining that way He doesn't have any friends of a similar age yet he could play on it with. Apparently me or DH 'can just push the other end' I have back problems and anyway that sounds like my idea of hell
   

I made both of these points to DM (after thanking her for the generous thought) but then got the 'fine, I won't do that again' guilt trip.

So, would I be out of line to ask her to return it? Or tell her that if she doesn't it's just going to live in the garage? She doesn't have a garden of her own it could go in, sadly...

[CruCru]

Ahhhh - the having people buy enormous presents problem! YANBU. Yes, ask her to return it. You will have people on here who call you ungrateful but it is quite thoughtless to buy large things for someone else's house without checking whether they can accommodate it.

[SavoyCabbage]

Is it an actual see saw and not just one of those rocker toys? We've one of those plastic rockers at our nursery (full of three year olds) and it's very popular. It's a three seater one so you can use it on your own.

If it's a real see saw then I completely agree with you.

[SavoyCabbage]

http://www.littletikes.co.uk/infant-preschool/rockers/whale-teeter-totter-blue.html

[Chairmaker]

Proper metal see-saw that also spins apparently. DH 'will have to assemble it' apparently. She just gets carried away I think...

[Chairmaker]

I might see if I can persuade her to swap it for a rocker one!

[crayfish]

I think those types of presents should be consulted on first. My MIL got into a huff because I got DS a swing for his birthday, because she was 'thinking of getting him one'. Note that she didn't know I had bought it until his actual birthday, so she clearly wasn't going to buy one! The point of that is that grandmothers can be a bit odd about this kind of thing. I would just tell her you don't have room but that it's a lovely thought and maybe she could return it and get X Instead because DC would love that.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Oh no! What's the point if he can't play on his own? Maybe you and DH can have a go when he's in bed?

How long until his birthday? I would maybe look at other options that she could maybe exchange it for if there is time.

[SavoyCabbage]

Tell her he went on a little tikes rocker at playgroup or soft play and he absolutely loved it and you couldn't get him off.

It's madness to get him something he can only use when he had a friend of the same weight over to play!

[CoffeeCoffeeAndLotsOfIt]

Haha - reminds me of my childhood. I'm an only child and my parents bought me a see-saw (which also spun). I had cousins and next door neighbours my age, but I still remember my poor dad pushing the other side up and down some of the time, and having to swop arms when one got tired. They were sensible, loving parents but the see-saw was not their best plan ever.

[Chairmaker]

I'm definitely going to have to suggest something else. It's bad enough he can't push himself on the swing yet, he wants pushing for hours... I can't face having more stuff out there he needs parental involvement in! We had one of the spinning see-saws when we were kids and I loved it, but I had a sister!

She dotes on him, but not always in a practical manner...

[Chairmaker]

Coffee That's my fear...bless your dad!

I hope it isn't a comment on the Only Child issue

[Liiinoo]

Tell her that you know DS would love xxxxx and would she mind returning the see-saw and getting xxxxx instead?

[Anonymouses]

If you loved it as a kid she is probably thinking you loved it it will be great without thinking that on your own it's useless!

They aren't mega expensive btw as I've seen them in tesco for about £20 but they are an absolute bitch to assemble.

My eldest two are a couple of years apart and see saw sounded great but was horrific. They aren't the same weight so couldn't make it work properly. The big one spun the small one round and made her cry. I couldn't hold and push it with one kid on it without hurting myself. They went round in circles really fast and fell off. They spun it into each other...

It lasted one summer before it "broke"

[Aeroflotgirl]

Yabvu, he is 3 and could have friends round to play that would use it. MIL bought dd a mental one years ago, she is now 9, its really not very big, and the kids have had such a good time on it. We now have a ds who is 4.6 years, and they both have such a good time on it. When ds has friends round, they play on it too. He will get more use out of it, than a rocker which will only be good for a year or so.

[Chairmaker]

Yeah, I do remember going very fast...! But I was about 10. Plus he won't be able to stay on himself probably either, he's still pretty little! So would need one parent holding him on and the other pushing the other end

I'll text her later so I can blame DH

[Heatherplant]

YANBU was recently in a very similar situation with another massive impractical MIL gift that was duly returned.

[Chairmaker]

He's not likely to have any friends come round till he's at school, to be honest, and I don't see the point of it clogging up the garden for several years unused!

[hotdiggedy]

You and Dad can go on it instead. Think of the fun!

[ParadiseCity]

It seems incredibly tactless to buy an only child a two person toy. There are billions of other toys she could have chosen. That's what would piss me off the most. I'd be so cross I'd put it straight out for the scrap man.

[Scaredycat3000]

Don't blame your DH, that's a horrible thing to do to him.

[Cantusethatname]

I broke my brother's arm on a see saw. I was much heavier and crashed down and sent him flying off. I don't think they work unless both sides are about the same weight.

[goshthatseemsalot]

As an only child I have to say a seesaw is a thoughtless gift. Can I also add please don't buy only children multiplayer board games. Mine sat immaculate in their boxes as my parents would have a go and rapidly loose interest.

[Chairmaker]

Sigh I think I've upset her about something else now too, so will give it a couple of days before I broach the see-saw subject. We normally get on really well...but then again I normally don't say anything when she buys him other unsuitable stuff, just quietly remove it.

Yes, bit tactless Paradise. I like to think she wouldn't have bought it if he was an Only due to fertility issues rather than choice...

hotdiggedy I'm not sure it's big enough, sadly

[Chairmaker]

Scardeycat Don't worry, I wouldn't be that mean...although DH will definitely not be impressed when I tell him...

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

at the thought of Chairmaker and MrChairmaker seesawing after a few...