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

We want to get rid of this present

122 replies

EwwNo · 07/01/2018 00:22

ILS have bought the baby the most hideous, presently unusable gift for Christmas. We smiled and thanked them but it's horrible. My DH never says a bad word about any of their presents but he actually said as soon as we left their house "it's tacky and I hate it." It's more of a novelty item in my eyes but bulky. The thing is, they also bought the 3 other grandkids the same thing so they all have an equal present that they know is from them.

We won't be seeing them for a while but FIL will want to see the baby use it at some point when we do but we want it gone and I don't know if taking it back to theirs will work in a couple of months, their SonIL has already left one at theirs 'for use there'. Are we being unreasonable? We're stumped at how to get rid of this thing without offending them.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
ThePinkPanter · 07/01/2018 00:23

Is it a rocking horse?

blaaake · 07/01/2018 00:24

Set fire to your house and tell them it perished in the fire.

SeaToSki · 07/01/2018 00:27

Do you have an attic? If you do, put it up there and bring it down when they come to visit. If they catch you, tell them that you rotate the toys, so that they all get played with properly

TroubledTribble28 · 07/01/2018 00:27

Maybe it's defective in some way? Ooh is it a dummy with diamente??

Schlimbesserung · 07/01/2018 00:28

What is it? My brood have vast experience of the breakage and general destruction of almost anything, so if you could be a bit more specific I'm sure to be able to come up with a plan!

ReinettePompadour · 07/01/2018 00:30

Drop it out the window down the stairs?

I can imagine you carrying it up the stairs along with all the other stuff you need to put away and it just slips off the top and tumbles down the stairs.

Because you really didn't want to upset them you cleared it up and put it in the bin/kept it as evidence that its beyond repair, and you didn't mention it to them because you were devastated it was damaged and knew how upset they would be.

Ive tried being honest in the past and it just caused huge upset so now I throw things down the stairs if theyre hideous/unsuitable as I'm very clumsy. I have a bit of a reputation now that I must not be given anything breakable. I cant even drink out of a glass at my IL house in case I drop it Blush

Babyiwantabump · 07/01/2018 00:32

What is it?

frasier · 07/01/2018 00:32

Can you tell us what it is made from?

tumpymummy · 07/01/2018 00:32

Ooh, what is it?! SiL obviously didn't like it either if he has already left theirs at grandparents house!

Eltonjohnssyrup · 07/01/2018 00:35

You have to tell us what it is?

SleepingStandingUp · 07/01/2018 00:35

Its hard to offer advice without knowing if its a diamonte encustred rubix cube or a real hair rocking horse

paxillin · 07/01/2018 00:36

I'll come and visit with my nephew. If he can't destroy it in an hour it will survive a nuclear war and you will have to keep it.

ReanimatedSGB · 07/01/2018 00:37

Are they superstitious enough for you to be able to convince them it was haunted, so you got rid of it to keep the ghosts away?

gamerchick · 07/01/2018 00:38

What is it? Maybe one of us could make a suggestion of what to do with it.

AHintOfStyle · 07/01/2018 00:39

There's no way to tell you what to do unless you give details.
From my experience: depending on age appropriateness either photograph it and then put it in the loft OR put it in the loft and then photograph it years later.

frasier · 07/01/2018 00:40

Fabric: Baby sick on it, got washed and wrecked it
China: Whoops, dropped
Metal: Put away, too dangerous for baby
Wood: Baby started chewing it, put away until teething is over

As it's unsuitable now, can't you store it in the garage or shed and have it disappear?!

KC225 · 07/01/2018 00:41

We need details.

Draw it. AIBU loves a diagram

frasier · 07/01/2018 00:42

Lend it to someone who moves away with no forwarding address?

condepetie · 07/01/2018 00:43

You can google any reason for any toy to be bad for a baby, scientific or not. Could you use some weird hippy blog post as "evidence" that baby will suffer if you use it??

Twillow · 07/01/2018 00:46

Is it a gruesome noisy plastic thing? We received one and actually asked to swap it for something else. I still feel a bit guilty about that. The baby would probably have loved it...
Also received a stuffed toy the approximate size of an armchair. The child adored it. For years...

tombstoneteeth · 07/01/2018 00:58

My DIL made a point of selling absolutely everything I gave the children. They were really lovely things, nothing tacky or unsuitable. I was pretty upset.

IfYouDontImagineNothingHappens · 07/01/2018 00:59

Pretend its a garden toy. Leave it out in the garden?

frasier · 07/01/2018 01:02

I like IfYouDont's garden toy idea. Is that a possibility? Would make you look like a plonker but at least you'd be rid of the thing.

Greensleeves · 07/01/2018 01:06

It's got to be some sort of revolting ride-on. Like a rocking horse or an octopull or one of those plastic firetruck things

SpringSnowdrop · 07/01/2018 01:09

Can you turn it into a positive eg take photos of it literally everywhere with you and start its own Instagram account ? Or Loan it to a toddler group and reclaim it when they visit ?