I wrap your presents, you wrap mine? (Note: Lighthearted!)

[drspouse]

Or to be more strictly accurate my DCs'?

Am I being a bit petty to want presents for my DCs to arrive wrapped?

If we're sending things to friends/relatives by post we always order them to our house and wrap them, or get them gift wrapped.

I've just had yet another email from a relative to say "oh a present is arriving, it won't be wrapped, there's X for DS and Y for DD".

In the past these have been addressed to me (so I opened them and was a bit puzzled having not got an email before hand, maybe I had ordered these for the DCs without remembering?), only luck that the DCs didn't see them opened (I am usually a bit careful opening things I've ordered in Nov or Dec). Sometimes they now order them with the DCs' names on so when they can read their names it will be a free for all.

I am seeing these relatives tomorrow. WIBU to take the presents along (if they arrive today) and some wrapping paper?

They are generally very lovely but seem to have the idea that I have unlimited time to do this sort of thing.

I have finally trained my mum out of this by saying "something wrapped!" when she asks what I want.

It's complicated by the fact that it's DS' birthday in early Jan so I have no idea if his present is supposed to be split across the two!

We often as a family send unwrapped gifts for each others dc, which we then wrap. This is because we live a couple of hundred miles apart, don't see each other and Amazon don't always gift wrap.

We also now always address to an adult as last year we missed a delivery and had to collect it from the sorting office. Unfortunately you need Id to collect, the parcel was addressed to do who was 18months at the time. It was a pain having to have their birth certificate and my id to collect even then it took an argument before they handed over the parcel

I think it would be a bit petty (although quite funny) to turn up with wrapping paper. If they don't wrap your DC presents yourself, don't worry about wrapping their presents - less wrapping for you so it will even out.

Oh yes, I've had that bizarrely before I had DCs.

I have a longer birth name and a shortened nickname I go by. I can't remember which one the parcel was in, but they asked for my name, I told them one of them, and they then asked "do you have a daughter"?

I was completely stumped (said no, but if I did she'd be under 5, so wouldn't be receiving a parcel of women's tights or whatever it was). Turns out they couldn't work out that Jenny is short for Jennifer (not those names, but equally bloody obvious).

I had to tell off these relatives for addressing things to Jenny DHlastname before - as I don't have any ID in that name as it's not my name. They are my age, too, so should have worked out the concept of people not always having the same name as their spouse.

But I always wrap everyone else's presents. Maybe I just shouldn't wrap anyone's?

HaveNo they have grown up children so whether we buy for adults, children, or both (it varies) they will mind less than my DCs.

Are we allowed to do this?! I always have presents sent to me, wrap them and then send them to the recipient. I have 8 nieces and nephews, this could be a time saver!! Can we do it? Please?!

Well, I personally think it says "your time is less valuable than mine" or actually what I REALLY think it says is "you are a mum, you obviously can't have anything better to do with your time than wrap presents".

Going completely off the lighthearted end of the deep end - I think it's a feminist issue, and expecting other people to wrap your presents is expecting them to do your family's wife work.

But if you want to risk annoying your DNs' parents, then go ahead!

maybe they don't want to pay the extra money charged by amazon or similar for gift wrapping

Sometimes I think it would be a lot easier if aunts/uncles etc just didn't bother buying for nieces and nephews. We can't do anything right, it seems from the plethora of Mumsnet threads.

Ask for ideas - wrong. No imagination, and don't you know I'm too busy to be thinking of ideas for you?
Don't ask for ideas - very very wrong. You're imposing your taste! They may already have it!
Choose something from The List - not generous enough. Wrong.
Don't choose from The List - wronger than a wrong thing. See 'don't ask for ideas', above.
Find enough time to choose something from the (late) list and organise delivery so that it arrives before Christmas - wrong, you didn't wrap it.
Expect a thank you - yeah right, that'll happen...

Fuck it.

Oops. Not hugely 'lighthearted' there...

Feeling a bit frustrated.

maybe they don't want to pay the extra money charged by amazon or similar for gift wrapping
I'd rather have a cheaper gift, but wrapped.
I give ideas if asked but we're generally happy with anything we don't have to choose and wrap. If not happy, we're experienced at smiling and regifting subtly.

I've done this recently. I panicked and thought my friend's ds birthday was the next day so ordered a load of books from Amazon prime.
.I then text to say I was rubbish and it was his birthday gift but unwrapped as it's over 3 pounds a book!!

He opened the parcels when they arrived (4 days early as I got the date mixed up) and was delighted to get stuff from the postman.

I'd think you were pretty rude to bring me the present to wrap. It's not saying my time is more valuable but surely I don't want half your gift to be wrapping paper or postage to get it sent to me to the wrap and send to you!

Maybe I just wouldn't bother next year

My sister and I always do this - it's £3 a pressie on Amazon!

iveabig Of course I didn't take the present to wrap because it hasn't arrived yet. I'm only rude in my head.

Anyway they realised themselves that it was a bit ambiguous sending two presents just before Christmas when his birthday is so soon and told me "oh silly us, of course we're sending another present" and I sympathised and said that I tend to give him whatever's arrived, for Christmas, and everything else, for his birthday.

Crowd I do tend to think that children mind more if something is wrapped, as it's not "proper" if it isn't.

We wrap the presents for each other I meant.