What does the baby want for Christmas? Can you just order that for me?

A relative who had several GC seemed to have got this sorted.
The mum of GC would buy several things for each child from their lists.
Take everything round to grans house and items would be chosen and money handed over.
A lovely afternoon was spent wrapping gifts together.

if you like you could say to her, I havent time,
just buy her/him what you want, you choose.

and forget the wish list

Hate this aspect of Xmas. Each year I have about 6 people who either contact me asking what to get, or asking me to buy it for them. It’s joyless and I feel trapped!

Get it delivered to MiL house. Then she gets to wrap it herself. I think you areaking a really big deal of it.

Not the point of your thread but if it’s the rspb puppets in a tree thing it is totally lovely and my baby is a big fan!

actually purchased by my MIL who ignored all the suggestions I sent and got that instead so I can’t be too miffed.

My MIL and my mother both do this, to be honest it makes it easier for us to just order what we know the kids will like, now that they are bigger they get money from each of them too. Both live far away so it makes sense

I don't see it that way. I'm happy to make it as easy as possible for my parents and PIL because I know how much it stresses me out buying anything so I don't think they deserve that stress. Less so PIL who are better at it and more confident. Hence DH is better at it and more confident than me.

I have the opposite problem. My MIL buys what she wants to buy and never asks whether we have 10 of them already or not. I must be on my 5th pair of slippers in a row now.

Next time she comes round for dinner, order in macdonalds, rather than putting time and care into cooking a meal

I get asked what I want, what my husband wants, what my children want. So I have to think about all of that. Plus I have to think about what I’m actually going to buy everyone.

Winds me up.

I hate being asked what people want, work it out for yourself

No, she’s completely swerving any effort at all. Really annoys me.

She reached out and (sorta) bought a gift and even checked with you to avoid duplicates/ inappropriate stuff.

Compared to many relatives, thats not bad!

Yes, absolutely.

My DM might have had some idea of what our kids might like... if she'd ever bothered paying attention to them as people.

Maybe next time just ask for a gift card which she can order easily online. It's ridiculous the amount of additional labour DIL's are expected to do. So many things not asked for SILs. You need to draw boundaries, i do firmly tell my MIL no, or to ask my husband, when she treats me like his secretary.

I'm afraid this will continue OP possibly until baby is old enough to want money. My friend has 4 kids, 3 with December and early January birthdays so as you can imagine it's incredibly busy. They do godparents only gifts, so her BIL has 1 present to buy for Christmas. Every year he asks his mother for ideas then MIL takes over continuously messages my pal. Often sending screen shots from online or photos from a shop. He is a single child free man, she is a 70 something widow and my friend has to micro manage their gift giving. Providing a list didnt work, saying to buy whatever they want didn't work, now she just tells them to give money cos she is fed up. It's ridiculous bearing in mind children can tell you what they want from 2 or 3.

'MIL, I don't have time to organise everyone's Christmas shopping, I'm afraid. If you don't have time or the inclination, DS will survive without'.

Could you just say back to her. "Don't worry about the Amazon puppets then, I'm stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed myself and haven't got the energy to faff about on Amazon either. He's a baby, he has everything he 'needs' get him whatever you fancy from the toy shop in town, it'll be much nicer you having picked him out a present and it coming direct from yourself anyway".

I do buy when given a vague instruction. I just find the whole process immensely stressful and hate the idea of money wasted on something that won't actually be enjoyed. I always try to make it as easy as possible for anyone buying for my DC as I do see it as my responsibility to remove that stress from anyone else who feels it. So I do think the OP is being fairly unreasonable.

Ocado stock some toys. Is it worth checking to see if there’s anything there that you’d like and then letting her know?

That’s extremely annoying and very self centred . So whatif it’s slightly wrong? Not he endorsed free world and at least you’ve taken responsibility and not made someone else do it.

I would be a bit annoyed at this OP. I understand some people prefer not to use Amazon, but given she is asking your DH to order for her, then it doesn’t sound like she is ideologically opposed to the store. Ordering an item you have already linked to on Amazon and then popping it in a present bag when it arrives will take her around 10 mins, if that. And she can order the present bag from Amazon too, while she’s at it! No excuse. And in terms of using IT, internet orders etc etc, 65 is no different to 45 in that respect. Speaking as someone who is closer to your MIL’s age than yours.

I've done this before and they haven't paid me back (yes, I know I should have put on my big girl pants) 🫠

The lesson I've learnt is to provide generic ideas e.g. cars, colouring books, etc.

Why do people always act like it's perfectly reasonable for the elderly to be technologically inept. My Gran is nearly 90 and manages to use a phone and do all her shopping online, because she saw the world was changing and she got herself used to it. People have been using the internet as standard for well over 15 years now - what excuse does someone in their 60s have for not knowing how to do the basics?