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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask DM to stop buying my DC kinder eggs?

109 replies

pipnchops · 02/08/2019 16:59

We see my DM every week and she always gives my DC age 2 and 4 a kinder egg. They love getting them and have come to expect them when they see her. They scoff the chocolate but really couldn't care less about the toy. I don't mind her giving them a treat when she sees them but it's the plastic tat I can't cope with. I have made comments about them not seeming fussed about the toy and they'd be just as happy with chocolate buttons and she replied that they're not special enough. Can I outright ask her to stop buying kinder eggs or is that ungrateful and mean?

OP posts:
Paperyfish · 02/08/2019 18:00

Save them all up in the little eggs ( unpopped in the plastic big- eat the chocolate obs) and put a pretty bow on it and hand them in for the preschool/ nursery/ reception Christmas fair lucky dip thing. My little’s school always want lucky dip bags and some kid would love popping all them open.

AcrossthePond55 · 02/08/2019 18:13

Whisk them away and put them on a shelf. Use them for Xmas stocking stuffers as chances are the DC won't remember getting them.

GabsAlot · 02/08/2019 18:29

Just say youngest isnt old enough to have the small toys yet so can she switch to something else-she'll have to then get them both something new

londonrach · 02/08/2019 18:33

I dont know any child who doesnt love kinder eggs. Ive still got some of special toys from 30 years.. yabu

AgnesNutterWitch · 02/08/2019 18:37

@progestermoan that's so batshit, your poor DC!

Catypillar · 02/08/2019 18:55

My (partial) solution to in laws buying my kids excessive amounts of plastic toys with even more excessive packaging was to engineer a viewing of the relevant episode of Blue Planet 2 "oh yes I think they need to calm down a bit, come on kids and watch a lovely nature programme with gran" made all of them think about the plastic, although your kids are a bit younger so it might be more difficult to get them on board. My four year old can't reliably identify what is plastic but (taught by his 11 year old brother) will say that packaging or things that go in the recycle bin "go in the sea with the lobsters and the crabs" (these are his favourite sea creatures) so you might be able to explain a wee bit to your older one if they are bothered by replacement of kinder eggs with something else.

Also helps that my husband is very direct with his mum about it- I've heard a few phone conversations involving stuff like "no more tat. I mean it. If you want to bring them something then one thing each, how about one really nice thing instead of a bag of things? Caty is going to get you recycled if you bring more plastic. It's great that you love them and want to bring them stuff but the facts that we're both bigger than you and Caty does martial arts is going to be very relevant if you bring another bag of tat." (fortunately she thinks this is funny and does reduce the tat for a while after such discussions)

BlackCatSleeping · 02/08/2019 19:06

I totally understand about the plastic waste.

I think if it’s an issue with you, I’d just try to live as ethically as possible to rest of the time and maybe offer bags of the toys on Gumtree or a Facebook selling site for free. I bet someone will snap them up.

blueluce85 · 02/08/2019 19:24

Can't believe the number of people saying to just throw it in the bin, that makes me incredibly sad. Clearly people have missed the memo that we are sinking in plastic

Maybe suggest she buys the kinder bueno choc bars instead (or maybe buy them and provide them to her as an example)

I would kill my mum if she did that.

Howdidido · 02/08/2019 20:37

White lie: kids prefer *buttons/other chocolate but they don't want to upset nana by saying so?

Howdidido · 02/08/2019 20:37

One every week is a lot of tat to throw away!

RubbingHimSourly · 02/08/2019 20:41

I wouldn't be giving a 2 year old kinder eggs as they're a.choking risk. So for.that reason I'd ask her to.stop.

Original poster
pipnchops · 03/08/2019 07:02

My 2 year old is 3 next month and has only recently got in on the kinder egg action, she was getting a little pack of buttons until she recently started to get upset about not getting an egg like her big sister. She is well past the stage of putting random things in her mouth so I'm not sure I can use that excuse.

OP posts:
Original poster
pipnchops · 03/08/2019 07:06

Thanks for all your opinions, quite mixed but on balance I am inclined to let this one go a bit longer, keep saving up the toys because I can't bear to add to plastic waste, in the hope one day they are collectable!

OP posts:
WaitingForAGovernment · 03/08/2019 07:07

Keep saving them up and use them for the jam jar tombola when your eldest starts school. You can get rid of much tiny plastic tat that way - it’s where 90% of party bag stuff goes, ime.

mogtheexcellent · 03/08/2019 07:09

Could she switch to something else? My DM always bakes a cake for the grandkids.

I agree about the tat. I give DD the kinder bars which she loves.

Ilnome · 03/08/2019 07:10

I must confess when work has been rough I buy a kinder egg on the way home Grin I swear I am not three kids in a trench coat (in regards to the plastic tat if its something like a marker or a stamp or even little paints I keep it because I am somewhat Intrigued by then Blush

NCpreggo · 03/08/2019 07:33

This would annoy me -why not say that you're trying to teach the kids about waste/the environment (and actually do bring it up in conversations with the kids so perhaps they start to realise/say something to your mum themselves over time) and the plastic every week is not helping and is going against what you're trying to do as a family. Tell her there are loads of other options!

Or as someone else has said, perhaps they could bake a cake/make a treat together.

OtraCosaMariposa · 03/08/2019 07:33

I agree, the waste with these things is ridiculous.

Ask her to get something else "special" which doesn't have plastic tat for landfill in it.

Yeahnahmum · 03/08/2019 07:39

@NannyKasey you must be great. Not

Op. Just tell her not to do it anymore and if she continues you will just throw them out in front of your kids eyes. Tantrums gallore
Haha

SallyWD · 03/08/2019 07:41

I stopped buying them because of the single use plastic. These toys will be around forever yet amuse the kids for about 5 seconds only.

Pinkout · 03/08/2019 07:42

Kinder chocolate is lovely, huge shame about the plastic waste. Just ask her to stop.

MumofTinies · 03/08/2019 07:52

I'm so surprised at the responses on here! No wonder we have such a massive problem with plastic waste when people think nothing of throwing brand new toys that the kids aren't bothered about once a week!
They can't be recycled.
As an former charity shop volunteer McDonalds and kinder egg toys rarely sold, if you don't want them when they're free, why would someone pay for them? You would just be passing the buck of disposing of them to someone else.

OP YANBU or controlling, it's perfectly reasonable for you to request a different treat.

OtraCosaMariposa · 03/08/2019 07:54

I'm a charity shop volunteer too and we wouldn't sell happy meal or kinder egg toys. It really is just landfill waste.

Ineedtoknowit · 03/08/2019 08:00

I’m surprised about the responses saying chuck the tat or recycle it. It won’t be recycled and chucking is so wasteful. Has no one heard of single use plastic and the problems with it??

1stmonkey · 03/08/2019 08:00

Yes it's ungrateful.
If you don't like the plastic tat give it to a charity shop, keep for school fair donations or something else.
It's a sweet thing, let them all enjoy it!