Present dilemma. I *know* IABU but that's not what I'm asking.

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

We are moving in January, and will be living in a static caravan after that. So we are having to get rid of a fair amount of stuff that simply will not fit in our new home, and are keeping Christmas presents fairly small, or aren't physical (ie my mum is taking her to the ballet)

ExMIL asked what DD wanted, and I explained very carefully the situation and suggested some Sylvanians (on the basis that they are small). I said at least three times No Houses Or Large Toys.

So exMIL came to visit DD yesterday and brought a 4ft high stack of presents. One huge parcel, several smaller ones, and a ginormous stocking filled with sweets and tat. I have peeked and the large parcel is a Sylvanian bloody bakery, the smaller ones include four animal families.

I am half tempted to phone exMIL and point out that we cannot give this thing house room and she will have to return it, but I won't as I know thats unreasonable. But I am thinking of letting DD open it today on the basis that
a) a lot of our stuff is going on ahead of us 10 days after Christmas so she won't get to play with it for long otherwise
b) it gives DD longer to deal with the fact she will have to give something else away to make room for it
c) it will completely overshadow the small things we are giving her on Christmas day
d) it is St Nicholas' day...

WWYD?

Difficult one. Is it possible that the big toys can stay at your MIL's house so that your dd can play with them there?

I go with D

I was going to say the same can it be kept somewhere else for her to play with it?

Not really, they live over 100 miles away. Plus DD isn't really able to visit their house atm because her father is living there and he isn't allowed unsupervised contact with her, and they refuse to guarantee that.

Could you take it back to the shop where it come from as exMIL lives so far away, she may never know sounds abit sneaky doesnt it

id give it to charity

Dunno where it came from, no reciept.

Thing is exMIL will ask her if she liked it so I can't dispose of it sneakily.

I don't get on with her at all - I was v proud of myself for having a cordial chat about what to get DD in the first place. I really thought she'd got the point [grrrrr]

If you can exchange it, that would be a good idea.

If not, let her have the presents now, and when you move, keep the small bits.

That's a lot of Sylvanian families, they are not cheap.

Is it possible she feels bad about the fact that you will be living in a caravan and is trying to make it up to her granddaughter by going over board with presents?

Belgo I think it is something like that, yes. She doesn't get to see DD as much as she would like because she refuses to stand up to her own son and so DD can't visit anymore.

I do have some sympathy with her but there are things she could do to change the situation, and buying presents that I have expressly requested she doesn't is not one of them!

Surely you must be letting dd keep some toys. If so, I would relegate something else and let her keep the Sylvanian Bakery because it is something she will play with for years.

Both of my dd's love them and we get hours of peace and quiet when they're out.

Oh, and as someone else said, they are pretty expensive it would be a shame if she didnt get the use out of them.

Of course I am letting her keep some toys! We have been going through them very carefully and she is keeping a sensible amount of the mountains she has already got. Things she is keeping include a wooden doll's house, and large horse stable set from exMIL last year. We are sorting out a big basket of small toys, and one of dolls.

Its just that we have made a decision not to get any more big toys this Christmas, and this was clearly communicated to exMIL, and now I have to somehow make room for it.

Really, its not that I am making her throw out all her stuff. But we have to downsize somewhat, and have worked out how much we can keep and decided what favourite things that will be. And she knew this and still decided to send this big toy that we can only keep if something else goes instead.

I'd probably let her play with the bakery for now, and when you move, move the animals into their new house (the wooden doll's house that you are keeping already), and get rid of the bakery.

And let her open the presents today, I want to know what's in them!