My in laws just gifted me scales for my birthday

[Lsquiggles]

It's my birthday and I feel absolutely shit after opening a present from my in laws... Fucking scales.

No matter how hard I've tried with them they've always made it clear they don't like me that much, this is just the lowest blow.

They're meant to come over on Saturday and I don't know how I'm meant to bite my tongue.

My husband bought me scales for my birthday. Fancy ones that sends my weight to an app. I didn’t realise he hated me.

Are they just bog standard weighing scales or an expensive/fancy item? For example you can get wireless “smart” scales, body composition scales, higher end luxury scales etc which could cost £50-100+

I genuinely wouldn’t mind if someone bought me an expensive set of scales I wanted (as I would have bought them anyway).

But if that isn’t the case I would probably take offence too. Just leave the scales in the packaging and regift the scales back on one of their birthdays.

Buy her Spanx for Christmas.

Rude cow.

I’d say very sweetly and politely, in front of as many people as possible that it was a very thoughtful present and clearly expensive but you don’t think you will use them very much - would they mind if you exchanged it for X or Y that the baby/whole family/you will use and enjoy?

That's so mean. Such a horrible present. I wouldn't acknowledge the present and if they ask I'd say, yes, a very unusual present. Are you making the point that you think I'm over weight? I find hitting the issue head on forces them to feel uncomfortable in front of others and less likely to do it in future. I'd also dial back on the welcome mat. Preferably even be out. With DD.

I was given a pot of heel balm from a 'friend' once. I hadn't noticed my cracked heels, but I sure felt shit after that.

I would give them back to them when they arrive and say you already have scales and 'no one needs 2 pairs of scales' and insist on putting them in their car/handing them to them as they leave.

@WonderWebbs

Your ILS are really mean. No one would ever buy a female this gift unless you had mentioned it, ie techy scales that you would love but can't afford.

Either your DH has to say something to his DP's or you do if they come over at the weekend. If you don't make a stand now you will have years of this shit.

Agree about possibly being OK if they were special scales. I'm very overweight (genuinely) but love my Fitbit so a gift of the wireless Fitbit scales would be well received. Actually, that might piss them off even more......can you fake delight in them? Mention them in every conversation for at least a year and enjoy watching them squirm?

@Helpimfalling

Am I the only one who would love some techy scales?

They're great!

What a horrible thing to do .

OP you MUST say something!

A friend of mine gave me a book/app thingy on weight loss one year, but it came from a place of caring, as it had worked for her so she thought it might help me. And I still felt upset!

Scales for a present are only appropriate in my view if they’re asked for specifically or if they’re for the kitchen.

My options are:

• Ask for the reciept saying you’ve already got some;
• re gift for next birthday - but say you loved them so so much that you thought mil/Fil would enjoy them.
• have them round at the weekend but because of your new weight loss regime no one is eating anything but raw carrots - other ridiculous suggestions available
• tell mil and Fil that the gift was offensive
• ask them whether they gave you the wrong thing by mistake as surely no one would be that rude?

Regift them back at Christmas.

If your partner allows them to visit on Saturday after such rudeness OP, it means he finds their treatment of you acceptable.

You will then have to decide is this a man you want to be with.

We teach people how to treat us.

Life is too short to spend it with awful people. Cancel saturday. Stay away from them as much as possible. If they start this shit with your daughter, try not to murder them.

That’s a bit rubbish...but are they the scales that tell you your water content and muscle mass e.t.c?

I’m sorry they did this to you, it’s unacceptable and not sure why your husband thought it wasn’t malicious, it totally was.
Please make sure you say something to them, even if it’s just commenting how odd a present it is. I would give them something equally offensive for Christmas if it were me.

@amusedbush

Buy her Spanx for Christmas.

Rude cow.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Whilst some of these responses are hilarious, now is not the time to gloss over this with jokes.
Ask outright - 'what was the thinking behind giving me scales for my birthday?'
Make them squirm, ask the question, be silent and await their answer.
Challenge this.

Ask them both to demonstrate the use of them and record the results. Failing that I'm in favour of saving them for their Christmas present.

@loobylou10

Whilst some of these responses are hilarious, now is not the time to gloss over this with jokes. Ask outright - 'what was the thinking behind giving me scales for my birthday?' Make them squirm, ask the question, be silent and await their answer. Challenge this.

More straightforward ‘are you calling me fat?’

I would start plotting my revenge gift and make sure it tops the scales. It is a really shitty present but I had to actually laugh. you must be a pretty low life to come up with that. I would get jolly and think about ways to return the love when it is their b'day or Xmas.

How rude. I agree with the throwing them out of the window idea.

Wait until they've knocked on the front door, then calmly drop them out of the window from an upstairs room. Come down as if nothing's happened. If they ask what the hell you're doing, just say they were clearly trying to say something with the scales, and you were giving them a reply.

But then these things are very easy to suggest from behind a screen...

So what are you going to do???

Happy birthday OP Unless they're trying to say you are a bore about your weight, always banging on about how "I really must go on a diet" while stuffing your face with cakes and sweets, there is no excuse - this was meant as an insult, or a hint.

And maybe you do need to lose weight, but it's not for them to tell you, even "kindly." I weigh 19st and my family wouldn't dream of giving me a gift like that!

I have difficult in laws to say the least, so I feel for you. Have they got form of being so nasty? I'm very sensitive about my weight, nevermind so soon after when I had my babies! So I would be very upset like you. You or your DH need to make it known to them that this was insensitive and has upset you. In the unlikely event they genuinely thought it was something you would like (such as,you being into health and fitness and they are top of the range scales!) Then I would understand it. However, if they are usually nasty then they need to be pulled up on this.