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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - to think this is too much?

255 replies

Harveyrabbit76 · 15/04/2019 14:58

My MIL has offered to buy my DS (nearly 3) a micro scooter (about £60)for Easter as I don't let him have easter eggs (obviously they are comparable?! :-)). AIBU to have said no as I think its too much money and missing the point of Easter? I grew up going to church on Easter Sunday and maybe having a couple of chocolate eggs.
Easter for me is more about being with family having a meal with maybe an easter egg hunt (plastic ones or something similar), not making it into Christmas part 2.

I know I have probably hurt MIL's feelings but I have said this would be a very generous gift for his birthday in August. What do you think?

OP posts:
dustarr73 · 15/04/2019 18:33

You will be back on here in a few years moaning Mil doesnt buy him presents

Cannyhandleit · 15/04/2019 18:35

As a child I hated chocolate so my gran bought me a punnet of strawberries instead!

Letthemysterybe · 15/04/2019 18:37

I’m not too keen on my kids having loads of chocolate, but my family all love to buy them eggs, so I just eat them!!

tictac86 · 15/04/2019 18:48

You sound like a lot of fun. Just let her get it first him while she can. It's kind of her

Glittertwins · 15/04/2019 19:13

No wonder grandparents can't do right for wrong! The micro-scooters are brilliant, DTs had them at age 3, the second size up at the time so that the handlebars could be raised and they had a wider platform. Eight years on, they still use them. Can't see sticker books retaining that amount of interest over that length of time.

Pinkyyy · 15/04/2019 19:19

The cost is irrelevant as you're not being asked to buy it

This is very true. If it was a £2 scooter from the charity shop, would you still object?

Bluntness100 · 15/04/2019 19:24

Well op. My daughter is 21, and now lives and works in her uni town. I've always bought her a lovely egg, every year, and this year was no different, I sent it gift wrapped and with love. She even posted an image of it on social media. With "when your mum is the best"

What will your kid post at the same age op? Pictures of his plastic eggs and the stickers he was once permitted?

Aprillygirl · 15/04/2019 19:32

Stop being such a virtuous old misery and let his nanny spoil her grandson if she wants to. You did at least get Easter eggs growing up,so why are you so against your child getting something nice?

Drogosnextwife · 15/04/2019 19:39

Here's a thought, just be greatfull for whatever your mil wants to buy your DS and say thanks, that would be lovely, instead of telling her no. Why would a colouring book be a nicer present?

FuckASilverLining · 15/04/2019 19:42

Poor kid. Can't even have an easter egg.

shellysheridan · 15/04/2019 20:03

I think a scooter is a fabulous present. Lucky boy. Perfect for Easter.

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/04/2019 02:21

So you bought him expensive presents but you object to your MIL doing the same?

This has nothing whatsoever to do with Easter or chocolate has it? You would be pissed off no matter what she did.

Chocolate egg? WRONG!!!! How dare she fill my child with sugar!

Scooter? WRONG!!!!!! How dare she spend money on my child when I havent agreed in advance!

That poor woman is probably turning herself inside out because she simply cannot do anything right for the grandchild she loves as far as you are concerned.

You might want to log onto Gransnet and keep an eye out.......not a member myself but I cant help thinking that your MIL may should be.

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/04/2019 02:24

I hope she just buys the damned egg and gives it to him in front of you.

GirlRaisedInTheSouth · 16/04/2019 02:29

God, you sound mean Sad.

MotherofDinosaurs · 16/04/2019 07:24

Anyway, you know that eggs, chocolate or otherwise have bugger all to do with Easter right

Do YOU know that Oestara the Spring Equinox celebrated by pagans far predates the Christian festival of 'Easter' (in the same way that all Christian festivals overlay existing traditions) and that eggs and bunnies are fertility symbols very much in keeping with the spring fertility festival themes built around the earth coming back to life with the spring. This is a much nicer story for children than the weird Christian execution story, which is a much grimmer take on the theme of rebirth.

IceRebel · 16/04/2019 07:25

You would be pissed off no matter what she did.

I suspect you're right. It's not really about what the present is, but who the present is from.

Poor MIL.

Camomila · 16/04/2019 07:41

DS doesn’t like chocolate so I’ve reused a hatchimals egg and put a cuddly dragon inside. Maybe you could get MIL to do similar...still egg shaped and less expensive.

But in your situation I’d say thank you and take the scooter! (And I say that as someone who will be dragging DS to church on Easter Sunday)

PhillipeFellope · 16/04/2019 07:56

Yabu. Let him have the scooter!

EssentialHummus · 16/04/2019 07:56

I think scooter is fine as long as he'll get use out of it (you mention living rurally).

But treat this as a useful exercise in establishing how you want to "do" major holidays, especially the commercial/religion crossover ones.

I’ve reused a hatchimals egg and put a cuddly dragon inside. Maybe you could get MIL to do similar...still egg shaped and less expensive. I think this is a great idea! And PlayMobil also have egg sets I think (or I saw something on MN to that effect).

birdflyinghigh · 16/04/2019 08:11

If you are concerned about sugar I think portion control is the way to go with Easter Eggs. Ask for / get small eggs (size of a chocolate box chocolate) that he can have as desert after meals or break a small piece off a big egg for after meals. Incidentally fruit flavoured yoghurts have far more sugar in them than a small piece of chocolate so chocolate isn't the worst thing they have. If you educate about the correct portions chocolate need not be a problem. It's what we did with our DC and they don't pig out on chocolate the same way we did as children. Even though we've a tin full they only ever take a small bit after a meal.

Angel2702 · 16/04/2019 18:01

My kids often had summer toys for Easter as did we as kids. Far better to have a scooter now and enjoy for the whole summer than wait for a birthday with limited summer left.

winniestone37 · 16/04/2019 18:02

Does he get lots of toys? If not let him have a scooter. If he gets loads let him have an egg. Ps he won't thank you for the denial of eggs.

bmbonanza · 16/04/2019 18:09

Fine. Let her waste her money if she wants - what is the problem?

BertrandRussell · 16/04/2019 18:13

Why is a scooter “wasting” money?

Mammajay · 16/04/2019 18:17

I agree with you