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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that the motive on gift wrapping paper does not matter?

343 replies

Luxplus · 12/01/2020 15:38

Dd, 3 years old, was invited to a birthday party by a girl from nusery. All fine, responded she would like to come, asked for wishes and went with dd to get a gift from list. Thought I had frozen gift wrapping paper at home. Wanted to wrap this morning before party at 10am to realise that the only wrapping paper we had was Christmas inspired green with gold trees on so ofc wrapped the gift in that paper and took dd to party..
All went fine at the party, the birthday gift liked the gift and party was nice.
But just received a txt from the birthday girls mom where she is moaning about the paper and accusing me of regifting a Christmas gift that I clearly didn't even bother to rewrap.
I'm a bit gobsmacked by the txt.. I have a recipe that proves I bought it last weekend, but I really didnt anybody would care that much about the look of the wrapping paper?
AIBU?

OP posts:
MarshallPNutt · 13/01/2020 09:39

Has anyone on the thread claimed to be offended?

Eh? Isn't the whole OP about the fact that this other mother was offended by it?

HolesinTheSoles · 13/01/2020 09:42

Bloody hell, unless you gave my child a vodka gift set and Ann Summer's kit I can't imagine being offended by any normal gift and to moan about the wrapping is odd in the extreme.

Fizzbuzzaveabanana · 13/01/2020 09:46

If I forgot to buy birthday paper you could easily be given a gift in Christmas wrap in June not just January!
This is exactly what I was going to say. I'm astonished thay so many posters think using xmas paper is such a big deal. I use whatever paper I have to hand - it wouldn't cross my mind to buy more paper just because the paper I had was xmas themed.

Oysterbabe · 13/01/2020 09:48

This makes no sense. You happened to be gifted something from the birthday child's gift list but you didn't open it, you just knew what it was and passed it on still wrapped.
I can't imagine anyone ever being as rude as the other mum and I am unconvinced that this happened as alleged if at all.

hiphiphoorayback · 13/01/2020 09:48

I wouldn't wrap a birthday gift in Christmas paper but if for Eco reasons maybe turn the paper other way and put a ribbon on instead?

Just seems rude TBH if every present the DC got was wrapped the same it would be ridiculous! Grin

hiphiphoorayback · 13/01/2020 09:49

A text is a bit OTT though

Mulledwineinajug · 13/01/2020 09:51

I wrapped a birthday present in Christmas paper in August as it was all we had in the house last Summer. I can’t believe anyone would be bothered.

keepingbees · 13/01/2020 09:53

Really really rude of the mum.

If the paper situation happened to me I probably would have said sorry I ran out of birthday paper... BUT what the hell does it matter? It's ripped off in seconds and goes straight in the bin!
I wouldn't care less if someone gifted my child a present in the 'wrong' paper. How ungrateful and petty.

Forcryingoutloudwtf · 13/01/2020 09:55

I would ask for it back. Just say 'I'll come round and get it back this evening or get your DD to bring it to school tomorrow and I'll get it back at pick up."

bobstersmum · 13/01/2020 10:02

ANYONE offended by the wrapping paper of a GIFT is an ungrateful entitled twat.

recrudescence · 13/01/2020 10:07

I don’t want to go to Denmark anymore.

theoriginalmadambee · 13/01/2020 10:34

I don’t want to go to Denmark anymore. 🤣🤣

Granted we are big on wish lists, and we are also known to be much less drama and more frank. If this is a danish mum, my response would be 'I know the Christmassy paper is not ideal for someone having a birthday so close to the holidays, but it was the only available. If you are that dissatisfied please return the gift'.

If she is an expat it's another story Smile.

Curling mum 🙄.

Mabelface · 13/01/2020 11:01

I'd just text back "seriously?"

WeeSleekitTimerousMoosey · 13/01/2020 11:05

I'm too busy being flabbergasted at the idea of a gift list for a nursery age child's birthday party to even consider the wrapping paper.

How freaking entitled can you be?

Readordead · 13/01/2020 11:12

To all the adults on here saying they wouldn’t like their gifts wrapped in Christmas paper get a bloody grip.
It’s a bit of paper, which you are going to rip off and throw in the bin. If I thought anyone was moaning about my wrapping paper it would be the last gift they got from me.

theoriginalmadambee · 13/01/2020 11:16

I think this is a cultural difference.

Providing a wish/gift list is seen as being polite by a lot of us, instead of being high-maintenance with the 'oh surprise me/you will think of something'. It is also quite normal to return gifts (to shops) if dublicate or wrong size or not to your liking.

You will find this odd, I know, but if you take a look at the number of dissatisfied recipients of gifts on MN, it's actually quite liberating Smile.

FramingDevice · 13/01/2020 11:42

Providing a wish/gift list is seen as being polite by a lot of us

And can also we file messaging to bitch about the type of wrapping paper used under 'different cultural ideas about politeness'?

theoriginalmadambee · 13/01/2020 11:51

@FramingDevice i have already commented on that Smile. This may be a really busy-body mum, you just don't do that.

Cultural differences don't mean you are doing things correct and everybody in your cultural sphere are nice, polite, well raised people... or visa versa.

FramingDevice · 13/01/2020 11:54

I saw your earlier post, @madambee, but while you gave the response you would have sent if it were a Danish woman, you didn't say whether ungracious, entitled nit-picking about wrapping paper somehow counted as normal or even polite by Danish standards. (I don't imagine it does, but your suggested response makes it sound as if you'd actually take the gripe seriously.)

NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 13/01/2020 12:00

I would have assumed you'd just handed over an unopened Christmas present too. I wouldn't have taken you to task on it but I'd have secretly thought you were being a CF.

theoriginalmadambee · 13/01/2020 12:02

@FramingDevice

Actually when I read this was in DK, I wondered if it was a Dane or an expat Blush. The, thinking it was an unopened Christmas present, is more of a brit thing. But sadly there are rude people everywhere and the selabsorbed, entitled, mememe people are to be found here too.

Urkiddingright · 13/01/2020 12:06

My Mum’s birthday is three days before Christmas and she hates receiving presents wrapped in Christmas wrapping, finds it almost disrespectful and lazy. It’s because people would only give her one present for both her birthday and Christmas when she was a child so now anything like that makes her seethe.

CoraPirbright · 13/01/2020 12:16

Controversially, I quite like the idea of a gift list (although I have never come across one) as I would like to know that the recipient actually wants what I have given. It should have a range of prices on it though - appallingly grasping if there are only expensive items.

That being said, I am flabbergasted by the rudeness of this woman. To text you to moan about paper and to contact another mother to question the value of the gift.......Shock.

I would send her a photo of the receipt via text and say “please see attached in response to your rude message”.

smallsausagedog · 13/01/2020 12:29

The mum is unbelievably rude! Ok using Xmas paper isn't ideal but really makes no difference, and I'm sure the child would not care a jot. I've done it myself, said sorry then thought nothing else of it. How can she complain that a present was too cheap?! I hope you've sent a curt reply advising her of her rudeness and ridiculousness.

Skyejuly · 13/01/2020 12:36

Oh wow I always wrap in whatever paper I have does it matter.