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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be cheesed of about wrapping paper?

152 replies

LuckyLopez · 07/12/2014 22:09

Yes yes I'm very ungrateful blah blah blah....

Relative has given a birthday present (via someone else) to ds1 fir tomorrow.

It's wrapped in Christmas paper. I think that's so rude and lazy.

Of course I won't say anything but I'm sure it wouldn't happen to anyone's birthday in another month of the year so I'm peeved on behalf of ds.

OP posts:
Fallingovercliffs · 08/12/2014 15:27

My sister's birthday is a few days before Christmas and when we were kids my parents were always careful to make sure it was treated as an important occasion in itself.
But I really don't think they'd have cared in the slightest if someone gave her a present wrapped in Christmas paper. I agree with some other posters; a bit of perspective.

liquidstateisonthemulled · 08/12/2014 15:28

YANBU

Not only do shops sell birthday paper all year round but there is usually plenty of non christmassy paper around the christmas papers at this time of the year as well. I usually pick up some in the january sales (currently on red dots I got last time).

If money is an object then surely it would be more prudent to buy plain patterned paper and use for both christmas and non christmas gifts (as I always do...).

squoosh · 08/12/2014 15:28

I wouldn't ever have occurred to me that this is something a person could be annoyed by.

MN truly is an education.

goodtimesinbontemps · 08/12/2014 15:53

My ds1s birthday is 2 days before Christmas and I can guarantee you that he doesn't give a crap what paper his present is wrapped in Grin . He always says he is lucky having a Christmas birthday because he gets double presents. Honestly some people just look for things to take offence over.

BiddyPop · 08/12/2014 15:55

I had to do this to DNiece at the weekend (aged 3). It's been a manic few weeks, I had to work unexpectedly on Friday as DD was sick earlier in the week, and DH was in charge of packing up at home.

He DID take a birthday card from my drawer, but a cheap horrible one that I have for emergencies. I have quite a few "age" ones in there, including pretty much at least 1 for each age for a girl, and plenty of ages of boys too. He also took a not so nice card for his DSis, but then didn't even write that to leave at MILs, as DSis stayed in her own house for a change (she's been coming home most weekends to help MIL as UncleIL is in hospital - so stayed in her own house for her birthday with her DFiance).

He also completely forgot to bet out birthday wrap, and didn't tell me until after we'd been out on Saturday morning. But we needed to give the present before we went out again (to buy a phone sim card for Uncle, visit hospital, and get home to grab DD before heading to see my parents and have my DF criticize (with much love and caring - but still pull my efforts to ribbons) my promotion application form, have dinner, drive home and fall into bed before heading back home in time to get to school fair).

I had Christmas wrap with me to finish wrapping the last of the presents we needed to leave in my parents and PILs houses as we won't be down again before Christmas.

I know it wasn't nice of me, and SIL will definitely lay it at my feet, but I also know that DNiece was darn lucky to get a present given the manic time I am having.

DD's birthday is on Boxing Day - and she gets quite a variety of presents and wrappings. Some joint presents for both, some individual for each (and occasionally even on the right days!), and some give nothing at all. And there is a variety of wrappings too - some joint are Christmas wrapped, some joint are birthday wrapped, some individual are Christmas wrapped regardless of Xmas/birthday, and some are actually wrapped in the correct type. She doesn't give a fiddlers about any distinction - she's delighted to get any gift from any person. TG.

BiddyPop · 08/12/2014 15:57

(All Dec birthdays in the family DO have a proper birthday cake. Even DD - we buy hers in M&S most Christmas Eve's as it is too manic a time of year for me to bake a wonderful creation that I might attempt at another time).

Floggingmolly · 08/12/2014 16:03

He's 11 Hmm Dear God.

hectoronthehill · 08/12/2014 16:05

I'm the type of person who would totally do this.

When I left a place I had worked for 2 years, one of the girls gave me a Christmas card as a leaving card in May. Just endeared me towards her!

HappyAgainOneDay · 08/12/2014 16:09

I would not wrap a birthday present in Christmas paper or vice versa. If no birthday paper is available, what's the matter with plain brown paper or a sheet of A4 or two taped together? Don't people have any wits any more?

Either my parents could not afford birthday paper or it was just not available then, but I remember having a birthday present wrapped in a brown paper bag.

Boomtownsurprise · 08/12/2014 16:11

This is where "December babies" and "rest of world" show. Things like this only happen in December. Very rare in July.

Would annoy me too but would nt say anything to anyone but DP /here...

squoosh · 08/12/2014 16:17

'Don't people have any wits any more?'

Don't people have anything worthwhile to get annoyed over any more?

funkyfoam · 08/12/2014 16:21

December birthdays nearly always take second place to everybody elses Christmas and whilst Christmas wrapping paper is not the end of the world it just shows a lack of thought. I'll just add that my two January daughters used to get a small bag of sweets from some relatives because they had had good Christmas presents. That would be fine, except their cousins born in exactly the same years but in June and July ( and given equal Christmas presents)were treated to large garden toys such as slides. It wasn't the monetary value I minded it was the lack of thought. It's as though people with Christmas birthdays are less valued and to some people are actually rather a nuisance.

ohgodwhattodo · 08/12/2014 16:21

get a raw deal where others think they can just 'make do' and tough shit if it's not ok ]]he got a present I would hardly call it a raw deal Shock

306235388 · 08/12/2014 16:29

Ds turns 8 on 23/12 and I don't think anyone's ever given him a gift in Xmas paper. I'm not sure it'd annoy him tbh.

One great thing about his birthday is if he wants to put his Xmas and birthday budget together to get something big then it's easy to do eg last year got a hudl but also got other stuff whereas if he'd got a hudl in July it'd have been a long wait until his next lot of pressies.

KitCat26 · 08/12/2014 16:31

Oh I don't know, I sometimes wrap my brother's present in Christmas paper if that's what I can find, his birthday is in June. Sometimes he wraps my present in a newspaper or plastic bag. I too have had Christmas paper for my November birthday. But we're a very slap dash laid back family and don't care.

December birthdays get the plain wrapping out of the Christmas sets of four they sell.

Sallystyle · 08/12/2014 16:31

What is so hard to understand that when a child with a sibling has a non Dec birthday the child with the Xmas birthday might find it annoying to have their birthday sidelined due to Xmas? It is very common for them to get less due to people being skint, a lot of people are over buying presents at that point and very often their birthday becomes less important to others because they are all about Xmas instead. Receiving books about Santa is very common, because you know, it is nearly Xmas so lets get the kid santa related presents.

It isn't really the wrapping paper that is the biggest problem, but the fact that their birthday's are often sidelines due to Xmas and the wrapping paper just signifies that.

I can also get annoyed about a variety of issues. Some big, some petty.

Is it a huge issue? well no. But I am sure we all have little things that annoy us.

Sallystyle · 08/12/2014 16:33

Exactly FunkyFoam.

squoosh · 08/12/2014 16:35

But this isn't about a December child's birthday being sidelined, it's about a mother being miffed that her child received a birthday present wrapped in Christmas paper.

I'm sure the child didn't give two hoots.

Sallystyle · 08/12/2014 16:36

I am pretty sure she was miffed about the paper used due to the way Dec birthdays are often treated.

squoosh · 08/12/2014 16:39

I really pity this person who was nice enough to give her child a gift but committed the terrible sin of giving it wrapped in Santa paper. If only they knew the offence they caused!

Crazy.

mamapants · 08/12/2014 16:43

I sometimes wrap summer presents in Xmas paper. Or grown ups presents in kids paper. Presents get wrapped in whatever I find first basically.

financialwizard · 08/12/2014 16:47

My nieces birthday Christmas Eve. She has two separate presents and birthday and Christmas paper respectively.

funkyfoam · 08/12/2014 16:49

We all know this is not a major catastrophe and I don't think it's caused real offence, it just grates a bit. I'm sure many people saying this is a non issue have birthdays far away from Christmas and really don't get it.

Honeydragon · 08/12/2014 16:52

One relative of mine sulked and went on for months when dd was given her birthday present wrapped in Xmas paper and put it under the Xmas tree like a good girl.

Actually told her that she wouldn't get a Xmas present for being so ungrateful. She was 3 ffs. She saw Xmas paper and put it with the presents.

I personally don't give gifts with any expectations.

So as a mother I was pretty pissed off, yes.

mausmaus · 08/12/2014 16:52

yab (sort of) nu

I hate this and therefor only buy non-seasoned paper that can be used for all occassions all year round.

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