Family filling house with gifts

[engineersthumb]

OK so dc's grandparents are great but they have the tendency to buy the most pita gifts ever. For starters: a ride on car and track that is 5m long, a play tent that takes up half the living room (not one that could be used outside at all just in the house), a vehicle park that takes up almost as much space as the tent, large floor puzzles (OK I like these actually!), books containing hundreds of puzzle pieces (2 year old dc, puzzle confetti!), indoor activity station with play doe and other concoctions, easels, not to mention various chalks and pens all designed to indelibly mark in some industrial process or other...or so it seems!
All with the slogan "but you've got such a big house" .... no it's a boxy three bed terraced house and if we put anymore stuff inside it I will have to sell one of the children!
Does anyone else share this pain or am I being eternally ungrateful?

Oh I must stress with taking a hard line, it wasn't toys at Christmas or anything, it was the constant stream of toys, food, clothes I get when we visit. We don't need or want it but I have to accept or have my son punished for having a mum brought up so very differently from his dad.

My mum turned up with a massive pink rocking sit on unicorn, I said it could stay the week then it was living at grandmas. And I meant it, it's still there now, she's not done it since
So I would go with that approach, or probably more effective, when you know they are coming round get everything out, like literally everything they have ever bought. Put up the train and track and the tent and all the other shite and sit there straight faced as if this is how you live all the time, go to make tea by climbing over the back of the sofa and crawling through a play tunnel and do it without cracking a single facial expression, see what they do. Bring the tea back a cup at a time like the milk tray man, make them sit jn the tent to drink it and stand up every 12 seconds for the train to pass, they will get the message.

State trooper 😂😂 perfect! Absolutely perfect!

statetrooper and this is why my family don't do it. When my nephew was little, my mum and dad went overboard, so everything ended up at ours! My mum now lives in a tiny one bed flat and my sister and aforementioned nephew live in a 2 bed terrace. They know not to do it or I will leave it at theirs like the awful musical sheep thing dsis got us for Christmas, snuck it back to hers and she still hasn't noticed

Statetrooper, thank you! I shall try this and see how it pans out. Though if someone ends up needing a plastic hip as a result of tripping over do I let on it was an educational experiment or keep it going forever?

What an awful problem to live with

Rotate the toys. Put some away, bring others out. Repeat.

Honestly, the 'toy and games' stage lasts for such a relatively short time I wouldn't get too stressed about it. Let MIL do what she likes in this area too, because she no doubt knows how short the stage is too.

After Christmas I told the grandparents we will no longer be accepting any toys in any way shape or form. They will either be handed straight back or straight to the charity shop. They will not be crossing our front door.

If you really said that Elizabeth then I think that was very cruel and upsetting. It's just nasty towards grandparents who have committed the crime of loving their grandchildren, albeit a little too generously.

No solutions but my sympathies. Our flat was tiny when dd was little and someone decided to give her a huge stuffed toy (not as mad as in the video). That was thirty years ago and I still remember the waste of space.

Regifting/keeping at Grandparents' houses (though they'll probably buy you duplicates ;) /charity shop/Ebay or alternatively be happy you have a lovely big house and generous (if slightly over enthusiastically so) DP/PIL. Most first world problem of the month?

Claws, whilst this thread is quite light hearted we're out of storage space:)

Barefoot, it's not a big house it's one that is easily filled.... but I think you would get on with the grandparents:)
Definitely first world but it is a lighthearted thread really!

DaughterDrowningInJunk how are you getting on? I followed your threads for a while

statetrooper that is hilarious thanks for that.

I'm sorry to hear that. Do you still have a thread? I remember you were doing well over the summer.

Is there no warning that rellies are thinking of getting each (large) toy? Because then you can pre empt them by saying you just can't fit any more large toys in unless you move somewhere bigger.
I get so tempted when I see things I'm sure gdg would love but for anything on the big side I ask if I should get it and Dd and DH always say not till they move as their flat is ridiculously packed with toys. I know not to get anything clunky now. And will keep asking when they move. There's just so much gorgeous stuff around it's hard to restrain myself though .

So could you ask them if they could ask you first if they're thinking of any large gifts so you know if you have room for it. Not because you aren't really grateful and appreciative of their kindness but because you are soon going to have to dig tunnels to access the front door.

Marie Kondo said something along the lines of - the giver has had the pleasure of choosing and buying the present, then the pleasure of giving it to you/DCs.
They've had their fun, now it is yours to do with it what you wish.

Sometimes you just have to spell it out. My DD's paternal grandparents bought her massive plastic crap that invaded our home for a while and really depressed me. DP had to spell it out to them in the end.

It's not about control in my case. I see things I know dgd would love. If they are reduced or in the sale I get v tempted. But I do totally realise that stuff takes up space and i always check with DD before buying. When she says something is too big I'm not in the least offended.