AIBU unwanted presents

[mumof2exhausted]

Every year my parents and my parents in law ask what kids would like for Christmas, and every year I give a few ideas of varying costs. My boys are only little and thrilled by smallest things so every year I ask people not to go mad buying loads of stuff. My 4 year olds fave present is still a hula hoop which was £2. So my parents always buy off the list and as requested don't go mad, boys love the gifts. Parents in law get nothing off list (even though they did ask for ideas) and we end up with 15/20 toys they never play with! All my son has asked for it a superman costume and a batman costume. Couldn't remember which one I advised MIL to get so text to check and she says oh no we've not bothered getting a costume! Arghh it's the only things he's actually asked for. I love that he's only asked for couple of things and he'd genuinely expect nothing else and would be thrilled with them and wear them constantly. Just hate people wasting their money on stuff that's never played with and basically sits in a box. Just such a wasteful culture we seem to live in now with piles and piles of plastic crap!

Get your DH to have a word. Or next time they ask, tell them there's no one point in telling them as they never get what you say. I agree, piles of plastic crap is so pointless.

Sounds like the ideal opportunity to pass off to her some out of date jelly babies op!!
And tell dh to tell her to give her head a shake!!

I used to re-gift or give to the school for tombolas, lucky dip, etc.

If that's how they choose to spend their money then so be it. It gets harder when the kids are older!

My MiL does this.

Pesters the life out of me for lists but then refuses to buy anything I've suggested. She then buys loads of stuff that neither of my kids are interested in and will just sit unused in their bedrooms.

I give a range of suggestions from a couple of quid, both kids have hobbies that are a gold mine for present ideas but she always insists on buying stuff like sets of glittery nail varnish for DD2 who never wears any form of makeup.

I think she has her own ideas of what teenage girls should like and my DDs don't measure up.

DH tried to have a gentle word with her but she just got in a huge huff

It mystifies me

You never delegate the important presents. Because this happens.

In about July you need to have a conversation about how the DC were generally overwhelmed with presents at Christmas and how much Blue Planet has given you a horror for new plastic.

Casual conversation, that is, not a state of the nation!

Glad I'm not alone! Ha ha I was reading that jelly baby thread before, so funny. Yep plastics on blue planet is frightening isn't it. 4 year old watched it with me and even he got it! Very true about important gifts, lesson learnt there. He would have been genuinely gutted not to get costume as keeps saying "if he is a good boy he will get them"

MIL does this too. Asks me what to buy then buys something else entirely. I do wonder why she bothers asking.

I have a similar problem. Nothing I said would make any difference. Every year we end up with crates (yes crates) of presents that were doubles, or no space, or not their thing. Some get regifted. I've just taken a bag of 10 brand new toys and books from previous years down to the local domestic violence charity for xmas presents for the children there. They were very very pleased.

If those are the only two things he has asked for then those are the main presents that you should be buying.

Sorry cross post. I see that you have realised this now.

My ILs did this kind of shit too

I started suggested that any "toys" they purchased should be left at their house for when DS was with them so that he had something to play with.

The buying piles of shit soon stopped

My lovely in-laws would buy age 10+ when my dc's were under 3 and dd (14) at the time goth Frozen bag, umbrella, pencil case and anything else ever made - The lot got re-gifted!

It's a particular kind of frustration, isn't it?

I've been asking relatives for years to stop giving my kids piles of plastic. I keep saying "Please just DON'T. Give him a small voucher or give him nothing. He needs nothing. He wants for nothing. There is nno room to put anything"

It doesn't work, they don't care. They enjoy giving and never feel the sad consequences of filling a binbag with unwanted cheap plastic that was age/developmentally inappropriate and is now broken

Totally understand this, tbh, I find the whole thing a bit exhausting, it's fun for a little bit, but the endless present shopping, wrapping etc and guessing, I wish my family wrote lists but they just say 'get what you see fit'. And they guess for us too because I don't want to stipulate if they don't so we end up with bags of crap, in your case though they knew what you wanted so should have gone with it!!!

Why does it always seem to be in laws? Mine do this. We still have random crap from last year that’s never been touched.