To not be happy MIL bought DS gift?

[LetMeBe]

Ive had my ups and downs with my MIL but nothing too serious and overall our relationship is pleasant. Her intentions are always meant well, even though she always gets carried away with them which most of the time is where we have our conflict.

i'll try and keep it brief, my DS is 4 and recently spent a couple of days with MIL and whilst with her he saw some boys on their bikes and said that he does not have one.
My MIL and DS have an amazing relationship he's the first grandchild and the connection they have to be honest is nowhere near how it is with other GC.
Other day MIL told my DS she had a surprise gift for him and after much guessing she told him it was a bike. She would give him the bike next time she visits us and then would keep it at hers for when he visits.
MIL then explained she had heard him say he didn't have one and couldn't resist buying him one. DS is over the moon and has mentioned many times he's waiting to see the bike.
Now this is where I would like to know AIBU...myself and DH had planned to buy my DS a bike for his 5th Birthday in a few months, we have been looking so forward to seeing DS's face when we give it him and DH being able to teach him. Ive been looking online at best ones to get in preparation for his big day. DH and I both feel like MIL has taken this away from us and gone off and bought this bike without even consulting us first. if she had, our suggestion would have been to still buy one for his birthday and go halves. We feel for any expensive presents it not acceptable to buy with out speaking to us first as this has now ruined us getting him one for his birthday.
I totally understand she meant well, but feel she's got excited and carried away. Now trying to think of best way forward, I feel like saying please just return it as my DH doesn't even like the type of bike she has purchased and not one we would have chosen at all. And then to say heres your gift but you can only use it at MIL house, where he visits probably every 5-6 months.
It was the perfect idea for his birthday present and now stuck as to what to get him, DH said to still buy one anyway.

AIBU? WWYD?

Because she didn't know the op was going to buy one, obviously!

This is another thing I have only seen on MN and never in real life....DGP's buying their DGC presents as a way to manipulate and control everyone

If she's keeping the bike at her house to only be used when ds is there with her then either it's a present to herself: she wants the enjoyment of seeing him ride and be happy about it which is different to her seeing it as being about him having a bike to own and enjoy 24/7. Or she's intending for it to be a GCs bike to be played with by any GC visiting her, which is a bit different to it being 'his' bike.

It's a bit thoughtless and I get why you're disappointed, it will take the shine off what would have been a special present you got to give him. But the bike you give him will come with no strings attached.

I don't think yabu OP. It's a kick in the guts when you have been planning a lovely surprise for your child only to have someone swoop in and spoil it. Weirdly enough my husband has a tendency to do this. He works away, so always brings some little present home for DS when he is here for weekends. But I've noticed a pattern of whenever I've told him I've put something away for DS' birthday or Christmas stocking, he rocks up on the next visit with something similar. Last year I bought a set of Batman books, next visit, he has a set of Batman books. A few months ago I told him I found a bunch of secondhand Rescue Bots and they were so nice I thought we should save them as a surprise from Santa. He agreed enthusiastically and then came home that weekend with a bunch of Transformers. A few weeks back DS was entranced by some Groot and Rocket Racoon teddies inside a grabber machine in a shopping centre. I looked the teddies up online and found them for a few quid each, so bought them and told DH they'd be great in DS' stocking. Next visit he came in the door and handed DS a pair of Groot and Rocket Racoon action figures. It's so weird. I can't decide if it's a lack of imagination on his part or some need he has to upstage Santa/me.

YANBU but if it helps, I've never known a child who didn't like having two of something!
Oh and of course a bike can be 'boyish' if it is decorated with characters that mostly appeal to boys, I've been quite taken aback with how quickly my dd gravitated to 'girly' stuff and she frequently rejects ds's outgrown things as too boyish, at 5!

You can never have too many bikes....

Would you be so prickly and defensive if it was your own DM who had bought him a bike or some other lovely present?
I'm certainly glad my own DIL is so lovely.

curly. Grandparents/parents can be incredibly manipulative. My mother is absolutely awfully horrible to me. I know it comes from insecurity and a lack of self esteem. The way she treats me is truly abysmal. I've had years of therapy. And it's ongoing. Another layer peeled away. She's a full blown narcissist.

I absolutely see how controlling this situation is. Ds absolutely gets to decide where the bike is kept. I would buy him the next size up as I said earlier (probably 4 or 6 inch bigger wheels). If it's a first bike, he's only little. Dds 8. She's on her 3rd bike now. The next one will probably be adult sized.

She had 12" wheels at 3, 16" around 5.5 and 24" now at 8. She's almost 140cm tall.

I think some people are really projecting on this thread.
Sure, some GPs can be weird and manipulative. But OP has said herself that her MIL means well and just gets excited and carried away.
To describe a grandma buying a bike for her eldest grandchild, to keep at her house (presumably for her other GC to use too) as controlling, is quite frankly making a mountain out of a molehill. There is no reason OP can't still buy the bike they wanted to, if they don't their son still won't have a bike at home because the one MIL has bought is being kept at her house. So I just don't see the issue.

I think the issue is... the OP doesn't actually like her MIL so anything she does won't be right.

I'll leave you to it OP. It's clear you don't really get along with your MIl very well and find her well meaning input annoying.

You are making a mountain out of a molehill I'm afraid agree with PP.
If a present is unsafe or inappropriate I would agree with you, but other than that I think you are being very precious and controlling.

Good luck ! Is she coming to you for Christmas btw ?

Chill out. Be grateful. He has someone else in his life who wants to love him and spend time with him. That is worth a lot. I speak as someone who has parents that did this. We were just grateful.