Gift wrapping other people’s presents

[GordonsAliveAndEatsPies]

Inspired by another thread though only something small but yesterday my husband got a message from his DM basically angling for him to wrap DC’s presents when they arrive. He didn’t reply as we were out so in fairness to DM she then sent curt message to say she would get them gift wrapped by the shop (unlike the thread where ex DH just sent them over to his ex to do the job) but it did make me think, is this a thing now? Expecting others to pick up the tasks people don’t want to do (or pay for?). For context, MIL is just the type of person who will be extremely annoyed she had to pay for gift wrap as opposed to us doing it for free.

Does anyone else have any Christmas cheeky fucker stories?

I always get stuff sent to me, wrap the presents and then post them to the recipient. I hate it when people expect me to wrap their presents to my children, it's not as if I don't have a whole heap of other stuff to do at Christmas. I do think it is cheeky, if you're going to give a present, do it properly. If you aren't willing to put in the effort, don't dump the job on someone else. My dad at least posted wrapping paper and gift tags as well, but that's only just better. I'm glad your MIL has done the decent thing and paid for the gift wrapping.

@hansgrueber Amazon absolutely do offer a gift wrapping service and have done for years.

I've never used a gift-wrapping service but I've always assumed it's really obvious it's been used. That the paper chosen is branded with with company you've used vomit would look really weird and impersonal.

I'd feel more guilty about using a service rather than asking someone else to do it because of this but I may be imagining it completely wrong.

I quite like the amazon sparkly gift bags.
Now we have a collection of them, this year I have used a number for DH's bits and bobs to save paper.

My in-laws generally try to treat me like some kind of secretarial service with regard to Christmas and birthdays.

They are rewarded with zero information or input into their grandchildren’s lives and the kids think their gifts are shit, out of touch and badly wrapped 🤣

They are rewarded with zero information or input into their grandchildren’s lives and the kids think their gifts are shit, out of touch and badly wrapped
So a lose-lose situation then. How sad.

It wouldn’t bother me. I would just wrap their gift at the same time I was wrapping my own.

I would be grateful for my kids to get anything from the MIL who doesn't bother with them. Wrapping a present up yourself isn't that much of a hardship?

A lot of family my side use the Amazon gift wrapping and we reuse those bags for birthday and Christmas which saves loads of waste.

This I have sent several gifts to people online and there has been no gift wrapping choices.

Recently I've realised DF has effectively outsourced the whole present admin to me. In September he asks me for exact links to a present he can get (won't ever try to think of anything his DGS might like). Then he transfers the money to me and asks me to order it, wrap it and then get DS to send a thank you note.

DF is healthy, retired and has his own transport. Why does he not want to spend a little bit of effort on his grandson? I'd be delighted if he just wrapped up a mars bar for him and sent it. It would at least show care and thought. Bunging £10 in my bank account doesn't really have the same effect.

Having to do that a bit this year. If it's from amazon I just also post the person some wrapping paper so their kids don't have everything wrapped in the same paper as their parents are using.

YABU

As a one off for a birthday I dont mind paying extra for gift wrapping for presents I am ordering online to send directly to people I cant see in person - my brother, SiL, nephew and various friends abroad etc - but at Christmas the gift wrap option adds up and I'd rather ask them if they are able/willing to wrap the gifts as it means I can save the gift wrap costs and sometimes that means I can get bigger and/or better gifts within my budget.

I bought my DB, SIL and DNs gifts on Amazon, they wanted £3.99 to wrap each gift ... that's £12 spent to have them wrapped in generic Amazon wrapping vs the £5 I have spent on wrapping 17 other family member's gifts - 2x 10m roll wrap from Wilkos, gift ribbon, tags and bows

If people are having pressies directly sent to us for DC we're always happy to wrap them. If they dropped them round to us themselves it would be weird to not bother wrapping.

I don't mind the odd thing but now that DSIS is coming back for Christmas she's had all her gifts for the family sent to my house.
I've had to wait in on three different days for various items and now she's requested I assemble her DC's FC presents add batteries and wrap as she's not coming back until late Christmas Eve.

[quote TheSmallAssassin]@hansgrueber Amazon absolutely do offer a gift wrapping service and have done for years.[/quote]
Yes I noticed that later from other posts but I don't think I would pay £3-50, I'm very fussy about wrapping presents!

If sending through a courier I don't giftwrap so that the parent can check they arrive in usable condition.

Everything else I gift wrap unless the parents/recipient especially tells me not to.

MIL just used to send everything in a black bin bag. No wrapping and no tags - if it wasn't obvious who it was for, there would be a piece of paper stuck to the item or held on with an elastic band. Never occurred to me that maybe she expected us to wrap them.

Every year I pick a day when the kids are at school, go over to my Nans and pick up presents for my children, me, my mum, my siblings and partners. I take them all home, wrap and label them, and then deliver them/put them under the tree. I’m sure I’ll be doing the same but socially distanced this year. It is annoying in the sense I’ve got so much to do, but I’m grateful she buys for us all, so it’s no bother really.

@Twobrews

I don't mind the odd thing but now that DSIS is coming back for Christmas she's had all her gifts for the family sent to my house. I've had to wait in on three different days for various items and now she's requested I assemble her DC's FC presents add batteries and wrap as she's not coming back until late Christmas Eve.

Ok that's actually a massive faff! Wrapping your own DC's pressies from a GP is one thing doing alll her gifts to her own DC is taking the piss!

@user1493413286

This is how I feel when people send me money for DC to buy a toy and then send them a video or picture of them opening it. Sending money is fine if there isn’t expectation behind it as I’ll put it in their savings or DHs grandparents will say use it for a pair of shoes for them which is very helpful but when I’m expected to think of, buy and wrap a present yet the other person gets the credit I find cheeky. I’m happy to give people ideas and with covid if it’s easier to get it sent to us for me to wrap them fine but not to basically do it all.

Ha I have to do this for one aunt for my children! I would actually rather no money or no present, just a card would be fine - they don’t need another toy. But she sends me money to me buy a toy for them that I also wrap (), not money for them to save etc, and she definitely wants a photo and a thank you card!

I’m happy to wrap but I don’t like the ‘we’ll give you the money and you pick something up’ type of gifts.

I don't think it's unreasonable if she isn't going to see you. My mum sends me money for the kids and I buy and wrap their presents 🤷‍♀️

My mum usually posts my kids birthday gifts and will wrap them and then post them. If there are any large gifts she will get them delivered to mine and ask me to wrap them. I really don't see it as an inconvenience and would happily wrap them all tbh I don't see the sense in paying for the items to get delivered to them and then paying postage so that they can come to us. I think you sound ungrateful to be honest, wrapping doesn't have to take an age and you can get cheap and cheerful wrapping paper easily enough.

This has never bothered me, but no one who sends presents for my kids tries to land me with every bill going. If anything my DP and PiL try to pay for more than I feel is reasonable. So wrapping a few presents they have sent doesn't feel like I'm being taken advantage of. (Also, I enjoy wrapping presents and have a wrapping scheme each Christmas, so like to be able to fit it in. But that's my own personal madness that nobody else is expected to indulge!)

We always get things gift wrapped when we get them sent direct from an online retailer, but we're pretty well off at the moment. I'd resent the money if things were even a little bit tight and would probably see if a relative was willing to wrap for me.