This is the most random, possibly passive-aggressive birthday gift I’ve ever received…

[MonicaFaloolaGeller]

It was my birthday yesterday. I’m 36 and not particularly hairy of face.

This arrived in the post today from my Mother.

I mean I hate to sound ungrateful, I know it’s the thought that counts and all but… WTF?!

I wouldn't have minded it but I'd have been a bit paranoid. Have I got whiskers I dont know about!!!!

@Ionlydomassiveones I meant for OP to gift it back to her mother...I’m not some kind of utter twat.

Irritated now that someone might think I’m the type of person to actually seriously re-gift shit like that. Ugh.

Is that you, Gimli?

I had a size 38 Tshirt (I was a size 20 at the time) with the Oxfam label still on from my Mother for my 30th.
I also had a significant other 'not realise' it was my 50th 2 years in a row then gave me a book on 'Understanding Autism' (my teens are ASD, so I've some experience) with 'Happy New Decade' on gift tag.

I don't spend a lot of mental effort on them any more!

OP, I think she knew what the gift was. Is it a one off or has she form?

If she is fuzzy of face, perhaps she thinks you will be?

My exMIL once gifted me the 50 Shades of Grey book. She knew I don’t read novels, and if I am feeling generous, I will assume it was because she was at the checkout and picked it up as it was popular, but if I am thinking about it rationally, it was some bizarre dig.

femfresh, odoreaters and tenalady is funny. Would she see the funny side though? My Mother & Ex were very particular about their gifts.

I bought one for my daughter last Christmas. I got one for me too. She's 19 and was using some other plastic device to get rid of fuzz. I feel awful now as she didn't actually ask for one 😳

You know your DM but if it was from my mum I know she'd think "useful" rather than being passive-aggressive. She gave me a calculator for my present once, when I use one at work every day.

She has form for buying stuff that’s not at all to my taste but she’s upped her game recently… I’m six months pregnant and last time I saw her she gave me two dresses she picked up in a charity shop. One was a size 22 (I’m an 8-10) and the other was this massive white floral lace thing with huge shoulder pads that I would only wear to a Halloween party dressed as a pregnant 80’s corpse bride.

It would be a useful gift if I had a hairy face… but I really don’t. This is not a problem I need to solve. And being preggo I can barely be arsed to shave the parts of me that are hairy!

Mariell "my eyebrows are now as smooth as an egg!"

So hairless?

Oh OP that's rubbish, not the sort of thing to give anyone unless they'd requested it.

@santabetterwashhishands that's terrifying, what was she thinking?!

A friend of mine was given bathroom scales for Christmas by her MIL. But we already have some, said my friend unthinking and disappointed. Her MIL apparently looked her up and down slowly before saying sweetly "I assumed they weren't working".

YANBU! What a horrible present.

My sister once gave me an electric device for getting rid of jowls/tightening your jawline. I didn't need it (then anyway)! It went unopened into the bag for charity.

An ex of mine once gave me a box of VERY expensive anti ageing serums in little vials, from the MLM he was touting. End of relationship.

Defo regift it to her. Cheeky cah!

@CustardySergeant

Mariell "my eyebrows are now as smooth as an egg!"

So hairless?

Gah! Typing error! I didn’t shave my eyebrows! Or my hair! Just everything else!

I’m not very hirsute so it was fine hair I removed from all over.

Trying to be nice could it be something she uses and thought might be useful as a result?

Ok ok I just read that back...🙈

My ex husband and I have been doing PA presents for a couple of years now. He keeps buying me fucking Willow Tree figurines and has told all his family that I collect them. I’ve now got what looks like a Terracotta Army of the faceless fuckers up in my loft. I buy him vouchers for activities for him to do with dc when he’s absolutely terrified of heights. Most recently I got him a zip lining voucher which said on the cover “someone wants you to jump off a cliff”. It’s good fun and I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone who hates their ex but has to keep things civil for the dc

This is where I view being autistic as a positive as I would just give it back and say 'I have no use for this'. I might add on along the lines of 'it's a pity to waste it so perhaps you will want to make use instead'.

I certainly wouldn't keep it or worse still, re-gift it.

Gifts like that are so nasty OP so I get why you're upset/pissed off.

Some people are shit at gift buying. They either buy for themselves or put zero thought into what the recipient actually likes and would want to receive.

Years ago When I was nearly 8mth pregnant, my DH bought me a lady shave for Xmas, when asked why he thought I'd want one he replied, well for the past few weeks you've been complaining how you can't shave your legs properly due to bump without a a river of blood and how you just won't wear that dress on Xmas day !! He thought if nothing else it would save me cutting myself and that I may trust him more to do my legs if it wasn't a open blade razor 😂😂...and he really wanted to see me in a dress......

I actually loved it and it came in so handy over the years, ....could your mum have been thinking the same ???.

When peri hits you may really come to appreciate it.

I was going to a wedding with my in laws and MIL turned up the day before with a Ted Baker coat, and a hobbs dress for me!! I'm fairly sure I was supposed to wear them to the wedding!! Passive aggressive me didn't though!!! I do love the coat/dress but I wasn't being told what to wear!!!

A 'thank-you' reciprocal gift of a beautifully-wrapped old trout...?

@CoastalMum101 Brilliant