How to deal with unwanted birthday gifts

[Eskimoexpress33]

I know this is a very insignificant problem, I just want some advice from others as to how to deal with the following situation.
For our toddler's birthday my partners mum got our son an absolutely massive easel. We are limited on space in our house and there is essentially nowhere to put it as it doesn't fold away and we have no storage like garage/shed etc. Every room is already filled with storage boxes and toys. I have explained this to my partner and he doesnt understand it and doesnt want to ask his mum to change it/tell her this as it might upset her. So now I feel bad/ungrateful, but ultimately is it a space issue . How would you deal with the situation?

I have never had an unwanted gift so I am not sure how to answer. But an easel is really useful and will become more useful as your DC gets older, especially for painting, drawing etc. Why have you got so much stuff in boxes? May a declutter is needed, really?
I wouldn't give a present from a DC's grandparent to a charity shop - that's monstrously ungrateful.

Can you store under a bed? It's a wonderful gift and it will be great.

😆😆

Keep it in the garden?
When I was little I remember only being allowed to paint in the garden on my easel 😅

My late xmil, bought the biggest polar bear plush thing i have ever seen in my life, it was up the loft the next day. Next she bought a drum kit more suited to a 10yr old, my boy was 2, loft. 25yrs later I think they're still up there now 😂
What goes through people's minds

I agree with putting it in your partner's way or the garden. It's his issue to fix.

It’s a good present at least, I would store under a bed if possible.

When DD was a few months old MIL bought her this huge wooden pram. It looked nice but was totally unusable. DD would try and climb in it and it would flip over. She once wanted to take it out, lost interest and it weighed a ton because it was made from wood and took ages to get home.
I spent years hiding it before finally getting rid of it.

Exactly this. Tell her the truth that it’s lovely but you have no space so can it be at hers.

I’d be replying to you DP “ok, so where shall we store it?” And what’s his solution?

where you said it doesn’t fold away, are you saying it’s in its A position all the time? Can you add hinges to the top so it can be folded?

Does she visit? That's when your DP can say, thanks for the lovely present but you can see how we don't have space for it. Could it stay at your house for when they visit you? I'll just put it in the car.

Then you could think ahead and say " for Christmas we would love to get them (small thing), shall we send you details nearer the time. Sorry we just don't have any more room for large toys , we are saying the same to everyone. Don't want to have to donate half the presents to charity shop! (MN tinkly laugh).

It's useful to decide early on to collect something small and expensive like Brio trains so you can steer them in the right direction for presents.

Brilliant
my mil learnt very early on that unwanted presents went straight down the charity shop.
the other grandchildren still got bags of tat - quantity over quality.
but the thing was my kids didn’t care about the hover fodder. …,,And me and mil always got on well.
I had very strong boundaries but was kind and fair.

Yep

Some stuff goes straight to charity shop.

Kther stuff gets a courtesy "turn about the room" for 8-12 weeks then goes To charity shop or sold on a WA group for 80% of retail.

I find it INSANELY wasteful amd got worked up about it but i gave it up to jesus when my oldest was about 18m and realised no matter how often I said "Please just get something small and put £20 in their ISA "family members were going to buy expensive random shite 🤷🏻‍♀️🥴

Yes I don’t have kids but when buying for my nephew always would consider space, if something was foldable etc. Amazing how many people don’t exercise common sense at all in these situations.

Where does he want it to be kept?

My MIL bought my dd a throne when she was two. A throne.

Last year DF gave my DD aged 8 a weird indoor fountain thing. It was one of those pieces of absolute tat you find in garden centres... lurid painted resin, in the shape of 3 dogs, with changing colour LEDs. DD hates dogs. This thing resides on my kitchen floor (it has to be near a power socket) and every time someone trips over it, water tips out over the floor.

Sadly, despite the dogs, DD looked horrified when I recently suggested getting rid of it...

Put it right in your hubby's way on purpose so he gets the point 🤣

My DS was gifted a massive easel, and we have a two bed apartment, so I feel your pain. However, when folded I found it slotted into the space at the side of our fridge in the kitchen.

He used it for years, but I admit I was bloody thrilled the day I finally deposited it at the local charity shop!

The world would be a better place with more people like you. Striking the middle ground without being rude/aggressive/dismissive.

such a sensible suggestion

What are in the storage boxes in every room in your house? Can you store them in the loft?

I think it would be a shame to get rid of the easel. Like a pp suggested, maybe put it in the garden and put plastic over it during the colder months.

I had similar so it fell over onto the computer keyboard when my DH got up to make a coffee and deleted all his work. He put his foot through it (accidentally).

They are great especially as they get older for maths etc. can you take back off/legs and put on back of door or a wall ?

I’d ask her if it can be changed for one that folds for storage. It’s a really good present as they can use it for art and learning to write. Just speak to her.

If you have a shed can you store it in there and get out when your child wants to play.