Rude Neighbour

Just drop the gift off in the porch. Stop making this about you coming round for a visit to bathe in the gift glory.

Don't go giving the OP ideas now! 🤣

I can imagine her knocking on the neighbour's door, hiding behind a large plant pot, and then elbowing her way in armed with a pack of baby vests with the days of the week on them 👀😁

What a weird situation. When I had my babies, people I knew very well and people I knew vaguely would just drop in, knock on the door, and come and say hi, all sorts of randoms and their kids popped by (where I live people you know very well literally just walk in the house sometimes without waiting for the door to be answered!).

I imagine she's exhausted, her house might be a tip and the thought of inviting someone over and therefore having to tidy up properly prepare tea and snacks is just something she can't manage. If she's already a friend, you could knock on the door, acknowledge this and offer to pop in and make her a cup of tea, cuddle the baby while she has a nap. But it's quite weird to expect her to give you an official invite for you to present her with a present!

You’re the one being the rude neighbour by trying to force your way into their house.

Well to be honest to be honest if it's next door neighbour and you've got a present for them I'd have gone round by now to give them it. What's the worst they can say? Sorry now's not a good time to come in? In which case you don't go in. I can't see a reason why you wouldn't drop a present round that you've got!

Jeez, this really sounds like overthinking. Are you trying to test their manners in some way? Just take it round!

Exactly!

Some people don't want to be on more than nodding terms with their neighbours. They certainly don't want them traipsing through their house. I suspect yours is one of them.

I said let me know when I can pop round we’ve got a present for you

Ugh I’d hate it if someone left it to me to initiate receiving a gift.

‘ Hi neighbour, we’re ready to receive your gift now ‘ would be way to weird of a text for me to send.

Surely normal neighbourly exchange would be to call to the door, congratulate, hand over gift and wish them a good day.

Yabu

You are the one that's rude inviting yourself over!

Your being weird and intrusive.

....said let me know when I can pop round we’ve got a present for you

If I'd had a newborn I'd be thinking 'Umm, NEVER!'

Were you close beforehand? When our neighbours had their 2nd baby a few months ago, I gave the gift and card to her husband when I saw him. No way would I be trying to 'pop in' and nor would I even want to disturb them by ringing the door bell.

Edited to say that there is only 1 rude neighbour in this scenario OP! 🫵

Maybe you are not the centre of your neighbour’s world? Have you not got anything better to do than keep chasing this poor woman and gossiping about her to your other neighbour? Return the present and leave her alone - you’d be doing her a massive favour by the sounds of it.

You're being weird, just give her the pressie at the door and leave her be, she doesn't want to be hosting visitors.

I completely agree with this! Stop being so intrusive. It sounds like you just want a good look at the inside of their home rather than just congratulating them on their new baby. Normally, people would just hand over the present.

Lol, do you think a present is like some sort of baby viewing currency?

Either give it to them in good faith (which you could've done in December), or don't give it to them at all.

I can't see them being fussed either way.

This! Can you imagine how rude she'd be if she rang you to say she is ready for you to bring her present around.

You are being very odd!

I agree with everyone else.

Those early months are exhausting and the last thing she probably wants to do is feel she needs to entertain the neighbours.

It could also be she is so tired and has a lot on her plate that she hasn't given it a second thought because she has a million other things to think about.

Either way, I think the best thing to do at this point is knock the door and leave the gift without any expectations of her.

Surely the normal thing to do is knock on the door, congratulate them, hand them the present, say 'I won't come in because I'm sure you've got more than enough on your plate with a newborn' and then leave them to it?

I honestly could not be arsed with entertaining the neighbours when I was sleep drived and looking after a newborn. If you bought a gift with good and kind intentions, just leave it on their doorstep and do it without placing obligations on them that they didn't ask for. If you bought it thinking that it granted you some kind of entitlement to access their home and their baby, do them a favour and return it.

Until you can be arsed to come back and tell us if you are some random neighbour or actual friends who socialise together its impossible to say

I agree with the other responses. It's really kind of you to get a gift but it should just be dropped off. I know when I had a newborn it was a nightmare trying to do anything but look after baby - that meant housework was neglected. I didn't want anyone visiting and judging!

There is no gift in the world you could have bought that would make it worth hosting a neighbour in my house. You don't need to go in their house to give them a present.

Leave it on the doorstep or return it.