To moan about presents

[LLOE7]

I appreciate this is a complete first world problem, but it's driving me mad! I have a ds aged 4, and a dd about to turn 1. My sisters every year for Christmas and birthdays have been buying more and more and I just don't have anywhere to put it all, I usually spend a day or two in tears after the occasion trying to de clutter and fit everything in. It is so over the top. I keep asking my sisters, one in particular is worse than the other, to not buy so much and to limit themselves to 3-4 presents because I don't have the space but they just laugh me off. I just don't know how to deal with it and how to get them to understand that I literally have NO SPACE?! Photo of the presents my ds got for his 4th birthday, 90% were from my two sisters. I love them both and we all have a wonderful relationship, but they just can't understand the issue and I don't want to come across as rude, or ungrateful. WWYD?

I would say you really appreciate their generosity but you simply don’t have space for any more toys and can they possibly get something more useful like an experience ie day out/ membership/ or even clothing item etc.

@PhilomenaButterfly this is my parents exactly. “Oh he has so much stuff, you shouldn’t buy anymore” Next visit they’re laden with stuff they just couldn’t resist! 😏

He's 4, just four
yes, so what? He can still benefit from the money made from his gifts.
He's still a person.

Warn them in advance that one toy is sufficient and you will donate anything after that, and mean it. A day out would be a great gift if you could persuade them to go for something like that. Doesnt help with all the stuff you already have but tbh I would pass a lot of that on as gifts when your DC go to a birthday party.

You probably need to get a grip if it makes you cry

Just dont take any of it home, they will soon stop doing it when its their homes full of plastic crap

He has an early birthday so regift at parties over the next year and use the money for days out instead

I understand that you dont want to seem rude but they are the rude ones by completely ignoring your request for fewer gifts.
I would not take all the presents out of their packaging. If in 2 werks there re toys he hasn't even removed from the packaging he obviously isn't that interested and I think it would be OK to put them in a box for regifting.

I understand feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff. Me and my DP have large families and my dd receives around 20 presents each year because so many people want to buy for her. It's just too much stuff. We now have dd2 so are looking at having around 40 things to make space for this Xmas.

I'm now in this stupid situation where I have a box of good condition toys which I'm (hopefully) selling next week at a nearly new sale. These would be fine for dd2 to play with but instead they need to be sold to make space for the next lot that the dcs will receive and the profit (if any) will be used to buy niece and nephew presents. It's just makes me really grinchy as it seems so pointless. DP and I have suggested to our siblings that we all stop buying presents but that's gone down like a lead balloon even though all our siblings complain the kids all have too much stuff

(I know this is a huge first world problem)

I think that you have to be really firm with people,who keep buying all this stuff for small children. All these presents are quite overwhelming for a child, and not necessary, and obviously clutter up your home.

I would have to donate so many things,if I was in that position. You will probably get another load of stuff for a birthday or Christmas,if you don't request a stopping,or limiting of all things.

I’d just not buy any presents for him myself. Let them fund his birthday presents if they like. Put the money you would have spent on toys yourself into a savings account for him

When GPS kept doing this, I asked them on Christmas Day to pick which 3 gifts they wanted to give and bagged up the others to take to charity unopened. My local hospital loved the excess for their children’s ward, and GPS now stick to a decent number of gifts x

Your ds is getting older and may have outgrown some of last year's/older toys.
I have a clear out before Birthdays to make way for new stuff. Once mil insisted on buying something huge we didn't have room for so we insisted she kept it at her house. She was not happy

It has got a lot better for us since we started sending really detailed Christmas lists to family. I hate doing it as it feels like I'm demanding gifts of my child's behalf but it seems to curb the desire to run off and buy crap if you tell relatives exactly what the little ones want. It means you can also have a mix of age ranges in the toy requests (I.e. half stuff you know they will enjoy now and the other half stuff you think they will grow into soon) so you can put half of it away for the summer.

DSs birthday is end of November so our house is full of toys post-Christmas. I put anything he isn't quite old enough for away to get out in the summer.

“You need to get a grip if it moved you to tears..”

Aren’t such people that say these things lovely.. 🙄.

I’ve been in your position especially when my oldest was born. I also don’t like the idea of trying to store clothes and toys for years hoping my sons will fit them or play with them. I sold some things on eBay and my local Facebook Marketplace, recycled the clothes that should never have been given to anyone (outdated/impractical, stained and/or still smelled even after washing), donated some to charity and a lot to my local baby bank (gives to babies and kids whose families can’t afford it or are in situations like dv).