and Grinch-like...

[CheerfulYank]

to tell my parents NO BIG TOYS this Christmas?

I am willing to accept it if I am. :o

Here's the background: I have a small house, which I share with a DH, a DS (6) a DD (5 months) and a DGR. (Dear Golden Retriever 8) My parents LOVE my DC; they are their only GC and they live a 5 hour drive away and only see them every other month or so. They are especially close to DS as they don't really know DD as well yet.

Over the years they have given DS a number of large toys (like a teepee, one of those bouncy horses on springs, etc) that we just simply don't have room for. I am NOT a good housekeeper but am working on changing that (flylady and all that :) ). The toys just take up room and gather dust and dog hair and eventually end up in storage.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful because I know I am lucky to have generous parents who obviously love their DGC. I just simply do not have the room and find it hard enough to deal with the stuff we DO have, let alone toys that cannot be tidied away in a basket or whatever.

I think part of it too is that my mother has a history of trying to make me happy in the way that she thinks I should be. One of her hobbies is interior decorating and she is very good at it. However she lives with just my father...so giving me things like all white chair covers and telling me that I can only have them if I promise to iron them is just not practical in my world. :o Recently she mentioned a little night table that would be lovely in DS's room. I said "yes it would, it's very nice but we just don't have room for it". He has a small room and it already looks a bit cluttered!
She said "oh it would fit" and continues to mention it though I have straight out told her no.

This Christmas I have the feeling she is going to go over the top because a) she is constantly worrying for DS and how he is handling not being the center of attention anymore and will want to spoil him and b) it's DD's first Christmas and I'm sure she'll want to get her something impressive.

So WIBU to say NO BIG TOYS several times over the next weeks??

I meant to add that she has given DS some things that are too big to be tidied away like a big castle, etc, but those are not the problem so much as the toys that are virtually another piece of furniture, like the teepee or horse.

YANBU, we have the same rule.

YANBU.

Have you considered guiding her in the direction of something that is still disgustingly expensive and extravagant if she wishes to flash the cash, but small in actual terms? Like an iPad or whatever.

I was thinking of just stressing how very much DS loves Lego now...if she wants to buy him one of those big expensive kits, have at it!

Is there something small that DS would really like; a console game, perhaps?

Maybe you could start talking about that? Start going on about how as they get older the presents seem to get smaller but more expensive. (Either hinting, or directly, whichever will work best with your DM.)

As far as DD is concerned, could you sell her the idea of a charm bracelet, which Grandma adds to every year, making it a really special present just for her?

My parents have given us a yearly membership to local attractions the last few years.

This year we are getting a weekend away for the lot of us for Christmas. Can you try and sell something like this to her so you can create "so many lovely family memories through the year"

I have 4dc so we really have every bit of plastic tat we will ever need and dh and I buy them there gadgets and expensive clothes (this is way out my parents comfort zone) so it's a perfect compromise

YANBU

I screen present choices! haha
just incase.

suggest an "experience" eg zoo ticket, panto etc? or a "small" token gift eg a book and pyjamas, then the main gift something for the garden in the spring/summer(if you have one) eg swing/sandpit/trampoline or again a day out eg ride on a steam train, circus trip

or something like the next size of bike/scooter, for outside

oh, and make sure she understands that NO BIG TOYS does not mean BUY THEM 2O SMALLER THINGS EACH INSTEAD

YANBU.. My DD's have quite a big room each and a playroom but still big toys are an annoyance and have to be planned for...

I would suggest asking for something specific or getting your DS to write a list and showing it to them, and remove all large items

I have a new rule this year that if it doesn't fit in the playroom, it doesn't come home! (Largely ignored though!)

I want a teepee.

But YANBU to say no to big presents.

YANBU, presents don't have to be huge or expensive to be wonderful and cherished

You may have it Sarah. :o

No, it is lovely. But huge. And dust-gathery.

You're in the States? Education fund. Far more useful and takes up no space. That's where I send my overindulgent DGD of DD.