To throw this out?

[Autumn12]

MIL has bought my as yet unborn baby a hot water bottle with a big teddy bear thing as a cover. It's a very synthetic looking thing ( trying not to say cheap) and clearly states that its unsuitable for under 3 year olds. I would also be surprised if it confirms to any type of safety standard but I haven't checked the label properly.

Would it be bad of me to sling it out as soon as she has gone home? I feel like it probably would be but there's clearly no chance of it being used and it just feels like junk cluttering the place up.

I know she means well but I hate clutter and every time she comes she seems to bring something horrible that we neither want not need and we have to pretend to be grateful.

I'm being miserable aren't I ?:(

Charity shop it.

I will have it to add to my collection I think YABU

Keep it or def. Charity shop it.

The warming the Moses basket/ cot is so you can put down a sleeping baby without the cooler bed waking them up, it doesn't overheat them because you take it out before you put the baby in.

Bizarre.

And can still create a bed that is to warm,

Not that bizarre - it used to be fairly common, of course central heating is more common now though.

And it only makes it too warm if your room is fairly warm anyway or you do the switchover quickly... and if your baby sleeps through a quick switchover it probably would sleep through the temperature change from you to the bed anyway and you'd not need to do it, lol.

People do get so wound up about heat don't they, I've last count of the times I've taken babies to visit relatives or friends and the heating has been put up to make it warm.

Usually results in a red faced cross baby

Put in cupboard - in winter my kids (6 & 9) like and they all synthetic. Not suitable under 3, I wouldn't use until 5 or so.

Very handy if you get an earache.

keep it for the afterpains! Or for putting on your back during labour.

YAB a bit U, I do find it a bit harsh that someone buys something for your baby and it instantly gets chucked away

Then again I'm a bit sensitive about this as my SIL seems to dislike everything I buy my niece and I don't buy crap either!

I have a DS whose taste is very different from mine and buys my DCs -hideous- presents which I then dispose of. I suggest asking your MIL for something very specific as a present when birthdays/Christmases come round, to avoid her spending money on tat you then have to donate to charity. I don't think you ABU to get rid though - you get so many unwanted presents when you have children, and someone in a charity shop/on eBay will love it in a way you never will!

take the cover off it? keep it in the cupboard. might come in handy for all sorts of pains.

Unless you need a hotwater bottle charity shop it immediately and don't feel bad. We were totally unprepared for the sheer amount of tat we were snowed under with when i had DD. We felt obliged to keep it at first and ended up with a house overflowing with junk we didn't want. DC2 is due soon and we've had an epiphany that, no, we don't neec to keep crap just because it was a gift. We've had a massive clearout and have a nice tidy house now. From now on we'll be getting rid of stuff we don't need as soon as we're given it, i no longer fedl guilty.

My mil recently brought a giant purple aubergine cuddly toy she'd seen in the co op for our then two week old DS. Clearly marked 12 months plus.

I'm chucking it. He can't play with it now and is highly unlikely to play with it then. Silly.

Yanbu

You wait until they get older and they start choosing their own tasteless clutter to put in their rooms! Luckily I am laid back about it, but if clutter gets on your nerves then I hope for your sake that your child inherits your genes!

Hi she might have bought it because in.the "olden days"they did put hot water bottles with babies because they didnt do so much health and safety.how scary is that?!i wouldnt bin it,id feel a bit mean cos she thought baby would love it.i get tat too but i keep it a while cos i feel guilty and then donate it

You can't let your home fill up with her taste in junk! I get bags every week from MIL, full of tat. I have a 1 year old and MIL buys her clothes up to age 5-6 because they're "a bargain" or "too cute not to buy". She also buys multiples of everything - she often turns up with 4 party dresses, 5 jumpers or, one one memorable occasion, 15 cardigans. She bought DD1 19 coats in size 12-18months (over the course of several weeks, not all at once). Most of it goes to the charity shop - I don't care if she means well, I am not having my house become a shrine to her uncontrolable shopping habits!

It is obvioulsy no use for a baby but when your lo gets older he/she might like it. My girls have got furry hot water bottles and they love them. All her friends have them too, they are very popular amongst 6-8 year olds

But if you really don't like it give it to a charity shop

I don't mind the baby's room filling up with clutter once he is old enough to actually use it, or want it. I just don't want it full of crap that is not going to be used for years if at all.

The hot water bottle cover is huge! I don't think a small child would even want to take it to bed it's that big. Turns out she hadn't bothered to look at the label and so hadn't noticed that it said suitable for ages 3 and over. She said she bought it cos she liked it, so I don't feel as guilty about getting rid of it since it doesn't seem she really had baby in mind particularly when she bought it. She has bought other presents which I have accepted with good grace so I'm not a complete cow

Unfortunately we don't have much in the way of storage space, so definitely am not about to start hoarding things that won't be of use for years yet. I have enough trouble finding space for the essentials!