MIL gave the children gold-plated spoons. What on earth am I supposed to do with them?!

[NotLactoseFree]

The heading says it all. MIL has purchased "24 karat gold plated" spoons for the DC. They're extremely ugly. I thought, when she gave them "gold spoons" they were just gold coloured and a bit of fun. Then I read they are gold plated. Does that mean anything or is it so little gold it only adds £2 to the price and I can continue to treat them as every day spoons and if the DC think its funny to use gold spoons, great.

Should they be using them? Not using them? packed away!?

I mean WHY!?

Could you nicely ask Grandma's in a roundabout way? Say something like, "Oh dc love the spoons but I think they're too posh to use daily?"

But if she bought them she would know they were cheap surely

I don't think the spoons you've linked are plated in gold. It says gold coloured and doesn't state a karat

But if they life in the back of the drawer they will never be of any sentimental value. Houses are full of this stuff that people with good intentions gave

Oh yeah. Cheeky description!

Honestly, no. If it was pretty much anyone else on the planet, absolutely. But asking her would lead to one of two things happening most likely 1. it is some big sentimental thing that she now wants ME to enable/make happen (and I will just be annoyed, again) or 2. she'll say it's no big deal, but then I'll find out weeks or months later that actually it IS a big deal and somehow I will be the baddy.

I know, it's now sounding like I have a more complicated relationship with MIL than I originally said! We do get on fine broadly, and I do like her. But there are some passive aggressive tendencies and a few things in his family generally that drive me mad! Usually when they impact me negatively!

I hate things like this. My PIL gave our kids silver bracelets engraved with their name when they were born, and made a huge thing of presenting them. I sound awful but they're such a waste of time and money! Babies don't wear bracelets and I think things like that are traditional christening gifts/keepsakes but our kids aren't christened. Now what, I have to keep them in their special boxes for the next 20 years until my kids have their own houses and decide to chuck them or keep them? Ridiculous. They have no special meaning or memory attached for my DC.

Me too!

Construct a tradition around them. eg these are the spoons we use for the first warm mince pie of the season (or such).

Or these are the spoons we use to compete in the bi-annual family 'who can eat the most jelly babies with a teaspoon in 60 seconds' competion.

In this house, they'd end up being special breakfast cereal spoons or something. Which would be fine.

If she wanted a fuss made somehow, she should have done it. Just give them the spoons and let them use them or not, don't put yourself under pressure trying to interpret it. Whatever's going on in her head is not your problem.

You're supposed to buy little stands and proudly display them in a cabinet with all the expensive china, knick knacks, gew gaws and folderol gifts

A framed spoon that your grandmother handed to your father and said 'I've got these spoons for the children' is not a lovely memento.

There is no story or happy memory attached to it. She didn't even even give them to the OP's children herself. They didn't get them on a nice day out or anything.

You could frame them which would be a nice keepsake. I framed the dc early shoes which are very sweet - used frames from ikea mind you. https://5280customframing.com/blog/tag/framed-spoon/

You're over thinking this OP. Your MIL gave them to your husband and said they were for your kids, so give them to your kids - end of story. What they do with them is up to them.

My inlaws were prolific golfers who over the years won loads of sterling silver teaspoons that have little silver golf balls on the top of the handle. Years ago both of our DC were given 6 of these spoons each in presentation boxes. They couldn't have been less interested. The kids are adults now with their own homes and those spoons are still in the back of our kitchen cupboard, despite me trying to get the DC to take them. They'll just have to dispose of them when we pop our clogs!

Shoes that were actually your child's shoes are not the same as a spoon.

I'd just put them in the drawer but turn them into a ridiculous household joke - is this an occasion that requires The Gold Spoons? Posh icecream - this calls for The Gold Spoons! You can't use a Gold Spoon to stir your tea, gadzooks, what would Grandma say! Etc.

I'm totally working class, but for some reason we had 4 Victorian silver - actual solid silver - spoons which DBro and I used for our cereal, every day until we left home! I have them now, and don't even use them.

Sorry, I'm no help.
But, as she's your MIL, shouldn't your DH be asking her?

I need to know what happened with the bike @NotLactoseFree ! Please tell me you didn't let her give it.

Haha Colleen.... of course I didn't. I was heavily pregnant and not even slightly interested. DH wavered for about 4 seconds and gave me the "can we just help her out" pleading look... but I didn't even get angry or upset or turn it into a big thing. I said no. She pushed back and started getting a tiny bit upset. I said, "No, I bought this bike and I'm not finding a new gift at this point. If you'd asked weeks ago, maybe." then I walked out of the room. And left about 3 minutes later to collect said bike!

I have given the spoons to DD who is suitably excited and was outraged when I suggested that I use it to stir my tea. I suspect it will be her morning cereal spoon going forward! DS... well, at best we might get a grunt out of him!

Although the spoons might look nice framed

Reverse images searched for you

£40 each - probably more per spoon if sold as a set

www.etsy.com/ie/listing/952953313/antique-german-cast-silver-spoon-with

Thanks, @Shannith. I really must get around to having them valued.