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Bloody IL’s telling dc they’ll get their ‘proper’ presents at home

60 replies

GoneAndNameChangedAgain · 25/12/2021 22:41

On holiday with dh, dc and IL’s. Dc opened their stockings when they woke up and we’re pretty pleased with what they got. They never really ask for much and we don’t go overboard - 6yo got a wooden sword and shield, some t shirts and bag with his favourite YouTuber on and a switch game. 9yo got a switch game, some books and a Nintendo voucher. Plus they both got the usual pens, chocolates, little stocking filler bits and were perfectly happy. They know they’ll also get little bits from family when we get home. IL’s saw what they’d got and said “well Santa can’t bring much on holiday, you’ll get your proper present when you get home”. I said that they’d get they’re presents from aunts and uncles and my mum when they get home but that we don’t really do presents from just us. IL’s shocked and asked what do we do about their “big” present and I said again that we don’t really do that. They both got a switch for their most recent birthday, don’t need a bike or other console so there really isn’t a big present they want.

Then an hour later I catch MIL knowingly telling dc1 that I was just joking and that of course they’d get their big present when they get home. They won’t! There is no big present. I’m not spending £200 or whatever on a present that neither of them want or need just so they can say that they’ve got a big present.

Ffs!

OP posts:
Isthatthebestyoucando · 25/12/2021 22:44

Oh, how annoying is she. I’d be pissed off with her.

Storminamu · 25/12/2021 22:45

Just tell them MIL is being silly.

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 25/12/2021 22:45

What a dick she is.

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Theunamedcat · 25/12/2021 22:47

Do they even know how much the switch games cost?

If they say it again say ooh how exciting wonder what "big suprise" mil has got you 🤔

Redshoeblueshoe · 25/12/2021 22:47

I'd get DH to deal with it. If they were toddlers I could understand your Mil not knowing, but after 9 years you think she'd have a clue about what you do at Christmas. 🎄

BurntO · 25/12/2021 22:48

It seems low key to me, present wise, so their assumption doesn’t surprise me. But speaking to your kids after you spoke to them is out of order.

Bimblybomeyelash · 25/12/2021 22:49

A switch game sounds like a main present to me!

GoneAndNameChangedAgain · 25/12/2021 22:51

To be fair it is the first Christmas they’ve spent with us since we’ve had dc. We normally go up to theirs on Boxing Day and they spend the whole time complaining about how many presents SIL’s dc get and saying how obscene it is that they get so much 🙄

OP posts:
ThirdElephant · 25/12/2021 22:52

Wow, that's a new level of interfering! Did you correct her again the second time? I'd have a word with her in private.

NewYorkDiamond · 25/12/2021 23:00

Yep, corner her on her own and just say 'MIL can you stop telling DC they're going to get a big present at home when they are not, you're setting them up for a disappointment and I don't understand why you would do that when I've said that's not how we do things and there is no present?' Back to Boxing Day visits in future I reckon OP!

cauliflowersqueeze · 25/12/2021 23:02

I’d tell MiL that there is no big present unless it’s from her and ask her to tell them that.

Booklover3 · 25/12/2021 23:10

Why on Earth is she going on like that when you’ve already told her?

GoneAndNameChangedAgain · 25/12/2021 23:11

I genuinely think that she thinks I’m pretending there isn’t a present when there really, really isn’t.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 25/12/2021 23:15

id have told MIL that after hearing for years how sister in law spends to much on her dc - you taught shed be pleased you were far more sensible

your mil sounds the type that no one will get it right - to much it wrong and not enough is wrong and their certainly will not be a happy medium, she likes to complain

NellieBertram · 26/12/2021 11:38

My 11 & 7 year olds got a switch game each as their main present! Those things cost £50 each Shock

Arethechildreninbedyet · 26/12/2021 11:41

Surely their main present is the holiday?! She sounds like a nutter. Call her up every time. It’s a good thing your kids don’t believe in Father Christmas!

WinnerofDecember · 26/12/2021 12:00

@Arethechildreninbedyet, where does OP say that the DC don't believe?

FallonCarringtonWannabe · 26/12/2021 12:02

@Theunamedcat

Do they even know how much the switch games cost?

If they say it again say ooh how exciting wonder what "big suprise" mil has got you 🤔

Id have said the same Grin
FallonCarringtonWannabe · 26/12/2021 12:03

If youve a day out planned and paid for, one thing i did with mine was print out a copy of the tickets and out them in their stockings. They were saw shocked when they saw the price of it!

Fetchthevet · 26/12/2021 12:15

Well done for not murdering her already. What a horrible woman.

GoneAndNameChangedAgain · 26/12/2021 12:18

@Arethechildreninbedyet 6yo definitely still believes in FC, I don’t think the 9yo does but he goes along with it anyway.

OP posts:
Arethechildreninbedyet · 26/12/2021 12:36

[quote GoneAndNameChangedAgain]@Arethechildreninbedyet 6yo definitely still believes in FC, I don’t think the 9yo does but he goes along with it anyway.[/quote]
Oh my god that’s even worse!

I assumed it was oh mummy had a big present for you at home, not Santa!

Jesus Christ where’s your husband?! He needs to reign her right in!

Newbabynewhouse · 26/12/2021 12:52

Yep looks like its down to MIL to buy them a "main" £200 present now! Lol

LookItsMeAgain · 26/12/2021 12:56

I'd recommend that when you get home, you go searching for the 'proper' present and when it isn't there, say to the kids that Santa must have left it in MiL's place and DH has to go back to get it. He doesn't come back without it!

Why didn't your DH nip it in the bud on Christmas day though when it was being said? Was it said when he wasn't in the room??

Svara · 26/12/2021 12:57

How on earth is a switch game not a main present?

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