Mumsnet Logo
My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

To not want to dress ds in stuff just because it was a gift?

136 replies

sweetjane · 21/06/2007 13:43

Let me be clear: it's very kind of people to give us baby clothes. I do realise that. But why why why do people persist in giving us those T-shirts with stuff like "Tiny Tearaway", "Gremlin", "Menace", & "Here Comes Trouble" on them, and jeans - JEANS!! for a 6 month old baby?????

Dh says we should dress him in them when we see the people who have given them. I say we should donate them to charity and have done with it.

I admit I am a bit strict when it comes to baby clothes and it's only very recently that I have dressed him in anything other than sleepsuits. And I don't really want to offend people. But I am putting my foot down on this. Am I being unreasonable? What do you think?

OP posts:
Report

Sunshine78 · 21/06/2007 13:47

I dont think you are being unreasonable. I have actually taken presents back if they've still got the lables on. If people ask just say he's already out grown it or its still too big. However to be fair to the people buying the clothes I do find it hard to find stuff for my DS which hasn't got things like you have put plastered all over them.

Report

DrNortherner · 21/06/2007 13:49

I think you are being unreasonable and ungrateful. But that's just me.

Report

suzywong · 21/06/2007 13:50

YANBU

they may as well send a tshirt with " I'm a little bastard" on it and be done. And as for jeans for a 6 month old.

I wept when I gave the last of the Fragrant Boys' sleep suits to charity, I used to bloody love feeding their arms and legs in and doing up the poppers.

Report

Kaloo20 · 21/06/2007 13:51

Difficult I know, take them back if possible, otherwize grit your teeth and wear when you know you will see the giver. Them shunt to the back of a cupboard OOSOOM :-)

Report

bozza · 21/06/2007 13:51

What harm would it do to put him in them so the people see him wearing them a couple of times and then donate them to charity? I think there are going to be bigger issues you will need to put your foot down about.

Report

elliott · 21/06/2007 13:51

I think yab a teensy bit u. We call it 'diplomatic dressing'...

Report

goingfor3 · 21/06/2007 13:52

I took stuff back and donated clothes I didn't like. One friend gave me a white tracksuite age 3-6 months and I couldn't bear to put her in it as it was awful. Also my mother in law bought DD1 , her first grandchild, a boys blue baby grow when she was born. She knew she was a girl and I just found it odd that of all the colours she could buy she bought a boys one! I didn't dree DD in it on principle. I realsise that I sound really spoilt and I had enough clothes not to need the things I didn't like.

Report

sweetjane · 21/06/2007 13:52

ROFL at "I'm a little bastard" comment!!! It's not just me then...

OP posts:
Report

Kewcumber · 21/06/2007 13:53

blimey - I could never keep track of who bought what and coordinate it accordingly. Some of you are obviously a damn sight more organised than I am.

Report

TootyFrooty · 21/06/2007 14:00

I don't like those t-shirts either but I agree with DrNorthener that YABU and ungrateful.

It would be a good idea to ask people not to send you any more baby clothes, otherwise they'll continue to waste their money on something that's going straight to a charity shop.

Report

Anna8888 · 21/06/2007 14:00

You do not have to dress your child in clothes other people have given and you don't like.

Take back / exchange anything you don't like and have labels for and donate the rest.

Report

sweetjane · 21/06/2007 14:01

I know I sound ungrateful, but I AM grateful for the thought. I just think babies in jeans is awful and don't get me started on those T shirts.

Realise I am very lucky to have this dilemma btw since plenty of people can't afford to have the choice.

OP posts:
Report

Kewcumber · 21/06/2007 14:05

I don;t think its unreasonable - if you get lots of clothes as presents you would spend a lot of time dressing your baby in things you don;t like. If I bought someone something they didn't like, I'd really rather they took it back.

Report

heifer · 21/06/2007 14:12

I have never dressed DD in anything that I didn't like (she is 3.5)...

I also hated jeans on babies, and have just passed all the non wanted stuff off to someone else.. no harm done.

I think it is far to obvious if you dress them in gifts when you see that person - and they will think you like it and get more!

Like you said, no reason to be ungrateful, thank them , put them away or pass on to someone who does want them.

Sorted...

Report

TootyFrooty · 21/06/2007 14:13

And ask them not to give you any more gifts.

Simple.

Report

SSSandy2 · 21/06/2007 14:19

Ask them to send you books instead. You're collecting a library so you'll have plenty to read when the time comes or something like that.

Take a photo or 2 of ds in the clothes, send them a copy, and then store them away till they're outgrown which is when I would pass them on.

Report

TootyFrooty · 21/06/2007 14:19

But make sure they give you books you approve of.

Report

VoluptuaGoodshag · 21/06/2007 14:23

Best not to get riled about it and then just give what you don't want to charity or pass it on. I am grateful for all clothes I receive but some of them I wouldn't let my kids be seen deid in, a shell suit jacket springs to mind on one occasion. These usually come from my mother but she never bought me any clothes I liked so why should I ever imagine she'll change now, bless er . In my experience no one ever asked if such and such fitted my DCs.

Report

Lakota · 21/06/2007 14:23

I must admit my long-suffering son did spend an afternoon being dressed and photographed in various combinations of a layette that my gran's neighbour knitted him - she had obviously spent ages on it and it was very kind, if vile. There was a hat about an inch wide and a foot long which resembled a squid, a strange witch-finder general bonnet, some cardigans, a bizarre dungaree affair...all in squeaky fake wool.

But if anyone gave me nasty stuff with the labels still on, I wrote them a nice thank you note and then returned it to the shop. There is nothing wrong with that and they'll never know.

Report

jellybeans · 21/06/2007 14:28

pmsl Lakota, I really needed that laugh today

Report

jellybeans · 21/06/2007 14:31

I generally put them in whatever was given and was grateful but I am not fussy at all, I even like baby jeans If there was anything really bad, I just put on in the house or at night time, in the case of t-shirts. But it is up to you, but maybe if you are going to take most back tactfully tell people you have so many clothes if they ask what to buy you.

Report

Kewcumber · 21/06/2007 14:34

Ah Lakota - lovingly made clothes are another story altogether and I think in that case wearing them is indeed obligatory.

Report

Bananaknickers · 21/06/2007 14:36

my DS had to suffer wearing a sailor suit once because m.i.l brought it. I feel very guilty now and hope I haven't ruined his life

Report

Kewcumber · 21/06/2007 14:38

I'm very lucky as my DSis tends to buy DS Ralph Lauren tshirts unfortunately in age 4/5 (he's 18 months!) but they make a nice dress for him.

Report

tassis · 21/06/2007 14:38

sweetjane - i take them back to the shop

change for somethng you like

i'm with you - babygros for as long as possible (ok that's the theory, in reality I get sucked into dressing baby in all these cute outfits, but only the ones i like!!)

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Sign up to continue reading

Mumsnet's better when you're logged in. You can customise your experience and access way more features like messaging, watch and hide threads, voting and much more.

Already signed up?