We want to get rid of this present

[EwwNo]

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.

Oh dear. You have spilled a drink over it and the electronics sparked and then caused a smell of burning. It was rather frightening. Good job there was no one sitting on it at the time!

Because of this you don't want anything electronic for your child until they are at least 12.

Well, obviously baby used it, slipped and hurt themselves so it had to be removed. Any grandparent moaning about that would be utterly unreasonable.

Wanted to play it outside on a nice day and you accidentally reversed over it?

Leave it at ILs' house so there's a matching set with the cousin's one there because it's the most gorgeous gift ever it would be sooooo cuuuuute if the cousins could play together with them next Easter/Christmas/GP birthday?

Tbh it doesn't sound as bad as you made out ... at least it isn't outright offensive just a bit irritating. You'll find your child likes the most irritating presents and toys the best. Be warned!

Pour water into the part that plays the music. Whoops kids and their drink spills!

My fear is that they would buy a replacement if it had the misfortune of being broken...

Remove its batteries then shove it in the loft and just bring it out every time the inlaws come.

Just say one of the legs came loose and you couldn't fix it. Leave it at that. Even blame one of you saying you sat on it and it happened. Give it to charity.

You said yourself that your child would love it but you want to get rid of it because it's "tacky"... Bate people like this. Get over yourself.

Just don't keep it. Simple. Sell it on; dump it; charity shop....whatever. Don't get into any debate or tall stories about why or what happened. Sidestep oblique questions about whether baby has used the thing but if cornered directly, just be terribly nice and say how very kind ILS have been but baby hasn't used it, no.
If you don't you will have a lifetime of dreadful presents that you feel obliged to accept just because they've bought them. Life is too short to be tying oneself in knots about such stuff.

A metal, musical stool?
Sounds really weird

I'd keep it and just let the child play on it when I was desperate for 10 minutes without a toddler attached to me, and you do get to the stage where 10 minutes peace includes tinny nursery rhymes playing in the background.

Tell them that your baby is terrified of it. My first baby had an irrational fear of toys he found unpredictable (balls.. All balls. And a few loud moving toys). What can you do if they're terrified? Get rid of it, that's what. (metal! Gah)

It sounds like a mediaeval instrument of torture!

& to buy all the grandchildren one - was she hop you'd all get together & have caterwauling concerts?

Such a shame the clumsy babysitter sat on it / rag & bone man took it while it was in the front garden / it was dropped & smashed to pieces

No, no, we think DC has outgrown it already - such a clever little thing pity about the PTSD associated with certain nursery rhymes

• hoping not hop

Don’t break it - they might buy you another one! I’d go with attic. And take out the batteries!

Put it in the garden. One good rain shower will stuff up the electrics. Put a plant pot on top of it for now.

Don’t be too enthusiastic about it to them or they’ll think you like it and get you the matching table too 😂

Oh- does not sound so bad.
Can you hide it under something for a while and just bring out when relatives come over.

Loft! Bring it down wen they visit

I honestly can’t picture a metal stool. Would you pretty please post a pic, OP? It sounds mental!

So I have read the thread and get that it’s a metal stool thing but really what is MN obsession with “tacky” children’s toys? How is a rocking horse tacky? And whether you like it or not children love ride on toys.

The Jumperoo was the best invention ever for my two - kept them amused for an hour or so while I got on with other things.

Say dh thought it was a bath toy. She won't go mad with her precious ds will she?

Is this it OP?

Dd was given a Fisher price musical chair when she was tiny, it was annoying but she loved the bloody thing. Sat on it all the time. I taped over the speaker to quiet it. Sadly lots of kids love this kind of thing.

Honestly all this drama for a chair your child would love but isn't good enough for you? Unless you demand only goats for African villages or cash you're going to get a lot m ore noisy toys over the next decade. Just let your child play with the toy you know they would like given its not going to harm anyone

I was thinking it was the fisher price chair, but that’s plastic. Intrigued what children’s musical chair is made out of metal now.