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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my MIL should wrap her own gifts....

34 replies

Smallstuff · 06/12/2011 14:59

AIBU to think that if you are my MIL and you are staying at my house throughout the Christmas period, and incidentally doing nothing to help in anyway, and you insist on having all the DCs christmas presents delivered here direct from tatforsale.co.uk rather than bringing them down your self in the car then you should have the decency to pay the extra couple of quid for gift wrapping that the website offers so I DON'T have to wrap all your gifts up as well the ones I have bought..... And breathe....

OP posts:
DesperatelySeekingPomBears · 06/12/2011 15:01

Why do you have to wrap them? Surely you have somewhere you could stash them, then present them to her when she arrives, ready for her to wrap?

Maryz · 06/12/2011 15:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

picnicbasketcase · 06/12/2011 15:04

Has she told you to wrap them? Or are you just assuming she will, due to the aforementioned bloody lazy attitude? Because 'you are far too busy doing everything ready for Christmas to do that as well. And if she won't wrap them, they will be given out just as they are'. Tell her that.

Original poster
Smallstuff · 06/12/2011 15:05

You have obviously not met my MIL!!!!! Could try it I suppose.... But she will just play the long journey, too tired, have you got any wrap, Sellotape, tags etc spare, line.... It's easier just to do it.... Just wanted a rant really....!!!

OP posts:
SarahBumBarer · 06/12/2011 15:06

If it is easier "just to do it" and you are taking the easy option of your own free will what is to rant about Smile

starfishmummy · 06/12/2011 15:07

YANBU!!!

DesperatelySeekingPomBears · 06/12/2011 15:08

"Have you got any wrap/sellotape/tags?, smallstuff?"

"Why no, MIL, I finished my wrapping ages ago and there's none left! However, there's a big supermarket just down the road/in the next town, and I'm sure they've got plenty left in stock!"

picnicbasketcase · 06/12/2011 15:09

You are just giving her permission to expect you to do this every time, you know. Next year it'll be, 'I'm having the gifts delivered to you again, you did such a nice job of wrapping them last time.'

Are you wrapping your own present?

NotJustForClassic · 06/12/2011 15:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElderberrySyrup · 06/12/2011 15:12

I had to buy them for my MIL one year!
And it was when I was still working so was horribly busy.

NatashaBee · 06/12/2011 15:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WinterWonderlandIsComing · 06/12/2011 15:15

Have some "spare" sticky tape from Poundland or similar. It is the worst thing EVER. It tears and rips and because it is so thin it is impossible to find the end if you let go of it.

GoEasyPudding · 06/12/2011 15:17

I would give her some cellotape thats got just a little bit left and a roll of paper thats got a really thin strip left, slightly too small to wrap even a cd in. I would - I actually would.
I witness my FIL every xmas eve (the ones we are there) flapping around making a fuss about the things he needs to wrap. To be so unorganised and to make it someones elses problem is simply being attention seeking.

grovel · 06/12/2011 15:22

My (wonderful) MiL once said to me that she had phoned me at least 5 times in a dither about presents for my DH and DS. She wondered if it would be a good idea for her to send me £xx and let me buy the presents (giftwrapped) on the internet. She would bring labels for the presents on Christmas Day..
She was spared the worry
I was spared the dither phone calls
Buying the presents took me 5 minutes
DS and DH got what they wanted

MabelLucyAttwell · 06/12/2011 15:27

How old is your MiL? I finished up wrapping my mother's (around 80 yo) presents for other people beause her arthritic fingers could not cope with the fiddly bits of wrapping.

Knackeredmother · 06/12/2011 15:31

My dad transfers £40 into my bank and I have to buy, wrap, forge his writing and then tell him what he bought so he understands when he received his thankyou letters from the dc!!
YANBU!

grovel · 06/12/2011 15:35

My MiL at the time could have wrapped but found shopping pretty hard. What prompted her to suggest (not demand) this arrangement was that she thought it a bit daft to take up my time with phone calls when I could do the whole job on the internet in 5 minutes (and pay extra for gift-wrapping). She was sensitive enough to know that I was probably frustrated by repeat calls about sizes, colours, authors etc.
She was certainly neither manipulative nor lazy.

DeliaSucksStollen · 06/12/2011 15:35

YANBU. No way Jose. She sounds a PITA. Lazy old trout face.
Uninvite her.
Or just ban her from visiting.
Ever.
The world would be a better place if there was an outright ban on some ILs, particular lazy ones visiting.
Ever.
The end.

QuintessentiallyFestive · 06/12/2011 15:36

Yabu.

You are playing the martyr.
You dont have to do it for her.
So dont rant about doing something you dont have to but chose to do of your own free will.

If you cant sponsor her some cellotape, wrap and tags, just say you are out!

HoHoOpotomus · 06/12/2011 15:47

Yes she should Wrap her own gifts but how can she if you have already done so? Leave parcels in her room and leave her to it.

valiumredhead · 06/12/2011 15:48

What quint says!

ViviPrudolf · 06/12/2011 15:52

What Valium says!

pranma · 06/12/2011 15:53

I used to love doing my mum's wrapping with her-I used to do my aunty's too and we'd sit and talk about Christmas while we did it-how I wish they were still here.I remember one year my auntie wanted stockings for her 4 grandchildren[teens and twenties then] and she gave me the money and I bought all the stuff then we filled the stockings together and wrapped each one to leave out for them on Christmas Eve.Death is a great remover of grudges-they are replaced by regrets.

MrsTerryPratchett · 06/12/2011 15:53

FIL tried this nonsense. Sent a cheque and said that we should buy his presents for everyone out of it (and I would have to wrap them etc. with a one year old to deal with). DH agreed (he wouldn't be doing it) and I said, "lovely, money for Christmas" and that was that. Just don't do it.

ElizabethDarcy · 06/12/2011 15:53

She expects you to do it because she knows you will do it. Just don't do it. Pile the on her bed for her arrival. Her presents, her problem. Pure laziness on her part (unless she has arthritis etc.).