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

[GoneAndNameChangedAgain]

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!

I’m not hugely confrontational and let IL stuff wash over for the most part but I’d have to address this directly with her. Be really clear - “MIL, you’ve promised them there’s a ‘big’ present waiting for them at home and there absolutely isn’t. Now they’re going to be disappointed. Have you sent something to our house I don’t know about?”

Christ! I love my nintendo switch, and to me a switch game is a massive present. They're so bloody expensive.

I'd defo do what pp said and say yes I wonder what MIL has got you at home.

That’s what I thought about Switch games! They easily got £100 worth of presents each in their stocking, to me that is a shit load of stuff! I know most people do presents from themselves to dc and we have some years but this year as we’re on holiday I just wrapped everything before we left and put it in their sacks so I didn’t have to sort any of it out while I’m here.

DH is completely oblivious. He has no idea what the dc were getting for Xmas, hasn’t asked if there’s anything he needs to do to help, wouldn’t have a clue whether there’s another present from us at hone or not. As far as he’s concerned he sorted the holiday so that was his Christmas contribution. That’s a whole other thread though.

I’ve spent about £120-£180 on each of my children but it’s been lots of smaller presents including switch games, books and clothes. They haven’t had a “big” gift like a bike this year.

I’d also tell your MIL that she has now promised them a “big present” so she better get on Amazon and sent something gift wrapped to your house for the kids to open when they get home!

We’re now at the airport and she said it again. I repeated to dc that there won’t be anymore presents from dh and I but there will be the little things to open from relatives. MIL now saying that the big thing is from her. I asked what it was and she said it’s a surprise. She never normally spends more than £20 on each of them so I dread to think what it is. It’s normally the physically biggest thing that she can find to buy which I always beg her not to do. She gave dc a pack of Top Trumps and £20 yesterday so I assumed that was their present from her. It will be some God awful, enormous plastic dinosaur or something that neither dc want and I will have to get rid of. Bloody IL’s!

She did at least stick to form and buy me yet another faceless Willow Tree figurine. She buys me one every Christmas and birthday and has done for the last decade. I’ve lined them all up in my loft like a little Terracotta Army. I’m hoping one day when I’m long dead someone else will own my house and stumble on them and it will terrify them.

Oh god please tell us what she has sent.

What did your DH say while this was going on?

She did at least stick to form and buy me yet another faceless Willow Tree figurine. She buys me one every Christmas and birthday and has done for the last decade. I’ve lined them all up in my loft like a little Terracotta Army. I’m hoping one day when I’m long dead someone else will own my house and stumble on them and it will terrify them.

Love this!

Report back on the huge hideous present!

Omg I did know what a willow tree figurine was OP so just googled it.
That's terrible but also hilarious
They are actually faceless! 😱

Omg! Have you posted about those figurines before?.... there can't be two of you, surely....?!

Just place marking to see what she gets them.

Willow tree figurines have to be the ultimate in MiL presents. My ex MiL used to buy them for me too, with perhaps a fridge magnet if she was pushing the boat out.

Wish I'd kept them now, so I could have done something concerning with them.

Grr, so are the dcs at least not expecting bells and whistles from you?! Small mercies.

Laughing at the willow tree figure army
I think she knows exactly what she is doing with the children, she is implying you haven't got them enough. You need to be firm with her.

Omg the willow tree figurines

Ooh. Please post and let us know what MIL has bought your DC.

I have also just Googled the Willow tree figurines. Far worse than i thought. They'd have been in the charity shop or sold on Ebay years ago.

I’m also desperate to know what the big presents are as I saw a very red faced neighbour put a wrapped present in her wheelie bin this morning and slam the lid repeatedly.

I’d also like to know what big present your mil has got them

Because I am nosey 😂

I'd love to know what MiL got them too. I'm terribly nosey like that

I Want to know too. 😂I scrawled down so fast, thinking there was an update.

This is why so many parents fall out with in-laws, usually MILs - it’s the taking it upon herself to try to ‘smooth it all out’ behind your back that would annoy me, when actually it’s her understanding of the situation that is wrong.

(Wanders in whistling and just incase op updates)

We got home earlier after nearly 36 hours of travel 😭. Arrived to find two enormous boxes had been delivered containing 2 ride on quad bike things that when fully charged go about 2 miles an hour on the flat for about 15 minutes then die and weigh too much to lift up, they look like they’re designed for kids about 3yo (mine are 6 and 9) and we live on one of the steepest residential streets in the country. Thanks MIL for yet another thoughtful gift.

I think all MN’ers should pool their MIL gifted Willow Tree figurines. We could create a whole Antony Gormley style exhibition of the faceless bastards.