Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why won't she buy clothes that fit??!!!

209 replies

BabyLlama · 28/11/2017 19:55

This is NOT a MIL bashing thread. My MIL is an extremely generous lady and has helped us no end - however she keeps buying my DD too-small clothes. My DD is almost 3 and is very tall for her age and has been wearing 3-4 year clothing for the last 3 months. My DH and I have both told MIL this and she she does see our DD regularly and is always buying her a new outfit (which we are both grateful for), but it's always 2-3 years. I don't like her wasting her money on something that our DD will never even wear, and we have tried over and over again to tell her that 2-3 years is too small.
I don't want to come across as grabby or ungrateful, but also feel bad that my DD simply doesn't fit into the clothes that MIL has so generously bought for her.

OP posts:
UniqueAsAUnicorn · 28/11/2017 19:58

What if you dressed DD straight in them, to show MIL they are too small?

wowfudge · 28/11/2017 19:59

Can you get DD to try on something MIL has bought her whilst MIL is there and ask does she have the receipt so you can change it for the next size up?

Rotorevolution · 28/11/2017 19:59

Just keep saying, oh that’s lovely thank you so much. Such a shame it’s too small as that would have looked so cute on her, and hand it back.

Or you could ask where it’s from and say you’ll exchange it, I hope they have it in 3-4.

FoxesSitOnBoxes · 28/11/2017 20:02

Surely you just say “oh dear, it’s too small, I don’t suppose you could get a bigger size?” Can’t see how this would become an issue

BrawneLamia · 28/11/2017 20:03

Just exchanged it for a bigger size, lots of shops will exchange stuff without a receipt.

Frederickvonhefferneffer · 28/11/2017 20:03

hand it straight back to her, say its beautiful but it the wrong size so she should take it back and exchange it or get a refund. is it possible that she just doesn't understand kids sizing and thinks that she is getting the right one? seems strange that she is repeating the behaviour if she has been made aware of her mistake.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 28/11/2017 20:06

Woman buys just turned 3yo 2-3 clothes - not seeing the issue Confused

Just tell her or exchange them.

Navegante · 28/11/2017 20:09
Original poster
BabyLlama · 28/11/2017 20:12

My DH and I have both told her many, many times that the clothes don't fit. I've even tried them on her and shown MIL a photo of how small they are, but to no avail. I'll have to try and find out where MIL has bought them from and see if I can exchange for a bigger size. I have done this before, but as they're from various shops, it seems a bit much to make special trips to a few different shops every couple of weeks. It would cost more in petrol than the actual price of the clothes. We don't live very close to any major supermarket.

OP posts:
RavingRoo · 28/11/2017 20:13

Your daughter is almost 3, your mil is buying 2-3. I don’t see a problem here. Tbh I find it hard to believe a 2 yo is as tall as a 3 or 4 yo - especially considering most child sizes are quite big nowadays.

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 28/11/2017 20:13

My exMIL did this all the time. Always got the children clothes that were too small for them. I did remind her over and over as nicely as I could. I always ended up exchanging them where possible (m&s will do this without a receipt if you have the tags on). When MIL realised I was doing this (instead of squeezing my children into clothes and shoes that were too small) she began cutting the labels out of things so I couldn’t exchange them Hmm . I just donated them after that. Her money wasted not mine after all. Idiot.

mamahanji · 28/11/2017 20:15

*Raving
*
It's not hard. The clothes don't fit. What can't you grasp about that? My daughter is 3.5. She wears 2-3 trousers and 4-5 tops.

ptumbi · 28/11/2017 20:15

Yes roo - the OP clearly doesn't know her own child. Hmm

OP - why are you taking them back? Your MIL should be taking them back - esp if they are paid for by a credit card. If she is put out by all the faff, she might think twice.

underneaththeash · 28/11/2017 20:15

My MIL used to do that, DS1 wore several sizes up from his actual age and again and again she would buy things that were the wrong size. after me saying it several (hundred) times, she finally got the message.

Unfortunately she now buys DS2 and DD (normal sized) massive clothes that I hope one day they will grow into!

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 28/11/2017 20:15

ravingroo my daughter has always been in bigger sizes. At 3 she was in either 4-5 or 5-6. She’s now 10 and in 12-13 and 13-14. She’s not never has been but she’s always been tall and I don’t like clothes to look like skin on a sausage. Lots of children I know wear clothes are bigger than the age they are. I really don’t think it’s unusual Confused

Orangebird69 · 28/11/2017 20:17

Raving, my ds was 2 last month and is now in 3-4yo in most brands. He's tall. Both dh and I are over 6ft so it's not a surprise our ds is tall. He also has size 7.5 feet... Some people are tall. Some people are small. Why is it hard to believe?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 28/11/2017 20:18

Child sizes are strange and vary hugely from place to place. It's not surprising if a tall nearly-3-year-old needs 3-4 clothes, surely?

I'd exchange minus receipt but I would find this really peculiar. But then my mum is a bit similar and I have no idea why.

WiddlinDiddling · 28/11/2017 20:18

I can't see how it could possibly seem 'grabby' to ask that she takes note of the correct size, perhaps checks sizing every few months as children grow quickly.

Grabby would be for example saying 'ooh no we don't like Tesco, only Boden clothing please'... or 'oh, only ONE tshirt, you didn't buy her 37 new tops...'

YABS (silly) - just tell her she's got the wrong sizing and what the right size is!

Pumperthepumper · 28/11/2017 20:19

Your daughter is almost 3, your mil is buying 2-3. I don’t see a problem here. Tbh I find it hard to believe a 2 yo is as tall as a 3 or 4 yo - especially considering most child sizes are quite big nowadays.

AIBU is really weird just now isn’t it? What a weird thing to take against, pretty sure the OP knows what size her kid is.

RavingRoo · 28/11/2017 20:20

They wear such huge sizes because of their ‘heights’ right Hmm

Marnie182 · 28/11/2017 20:20

RavingRoo

I have a 2.5 year old who has been in age 3-4 clothes since the summer. I also have a 10 month old who is age 12-18 months clothes. Every child is different. One of my friends has a 1yr old who is in age 9-12 months clothes.

Anyway OP I would repeat what size she is and if she carries on, I just wouldn't accept them.

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 28/11/2017 20:21

Hmm Right back at you

Pumperthepumper · 28/11/2017 20:21

Ohhhhh you think the kids are fat? Is that it?

Aeroflotgirl · 28/11/2017 20:21

raving some kids are bigger, they don't all come in the same size, she is nearly 3, so should be wearing 3-4 years, not 2-3, unless she is small. If the clothes don't fit, they don't fit.

Urubu · 28/11/2017 20:22

Could it be that MIL finds that tou dress your DC in clothes that are too big for them?
But strange behaviour anyway.