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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to baulk at MIL's shopping habits for my children?

51 replies

parakeet · 23/01/2012 23:09

Yes, it's another MIL one, sorry.

We have two young children, MIL's only grandchildren, and she sees them every couple of months. She has always gone mad at Christmas but this year was crazy - she probably bought about 30-40 presents between them, including eight separate multi-packs of bobbles and hair-clips, each with about 20-50 items in. The rest was a mixture of bits and bobs, nothing too expensive, it's just the sheer quantity.

We were loading it into plastic bags and we could barely fit it all in the car. As well as all the stuff that was given to them at the time, there was another massive bin-bag of unwrapped presents we were supposed to give to them "later on in the year" because "she just couldn't help herself"

My husband and I have never really believed in going mad on the presents front at Christmas so the children don't come to think it's all about how much stuff you get. We also don't have a massive house - the two children share a bedroom - and we literally have no room for it. I know there are worse problems in life to have but I'm starting to wonder if there is an obsessive-compulsive element to her shopping?

OP posts:
MeconiumHappens · 29/01/2012 18:45

Gah, i dread this! My mum and mil have a tendency towards buying stuff for the as yet unborn first grandchild. I also think they will veer towards the plastic/character type stuff that makes me cringe. Its just so hard to say anything without seeming rude. My mil is very sensitive but a bit passive aggressive about it, would slate me to others (like my mum) but not actually say anything to me other than little unsubtle remarks which i cant pull her up on or compound the stroppiness.
Its really tricky, but if you find a solution i would love to know. I guess i would charity shop it once its been forgotton about, then perhaps claim it was broken/left at the park etc.

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