I haven't got many friends left since dc. My older friends had kids earlier so they are at a different stage of life, I guess.
There's one friend, who I have also felt I supported when she had children more than ten years ago - I was there for her daily rants, offering babysitting, and just being there when she struggled.
Anyway, I moved further away a few years ago so she doesn't really see my dc (who was born since I moved). We are not too far but she's not keen on meeting up. Our phone calls are much more infrequent than when her dc were young. She does send presents to him however, which I appreciate.
And it will sound ridiculous, because she's pretty much the only one of my old friends who remembers my dc on his birthday/ Christmas but I'm really surprised by her choice of presents for him.
Every single toy was a Temu/ Ali express item, hardly English translation on the box, and not always CE certified. I am being a toy snob, but I just don't want my child playing with things that are not properly certified/ are not robust enough for young children.
The worst things is I do remember her often ranting about people buying crap presents for her children and how she spends £30 for a present to take to a birthday party but gets cheap things in return and her kids don't play with poor quality presents... I probably did advice at the time to stick to a smaller budget, and I do think it's not about spending a lot of money. She can get a little orchard tree game for about £3-5 if or a story book from Asda? Knowing her tastes (she does most of her shopping at M&S), it's a bit hard not to take her choice for my dc personally, to be honest.
Would you say anything or just accept that it's the thought that counts?
It's just such a waste imo... Is there a tactful way of bringing this up with her?