Grandma present to teenage grandson for his birthday

[wobblywinelover]

My parents have given my son £50, an unwrapped options hot chocolate she got from the supermarket on the way to my place, some mince pies (wrapped as a gift) and some fudge also wrapped. He's 15. She said she didn't want to get him too much food as she knows he struggles with his weight (why buy him food items at all then) I can't help but think that apart from the money this is a strange present for a 15 year old boy. She hasn't even wrapped the hot chocolate and it was shoved in the gift bag at the last minute. I know they weren't sure what to get him but I think just giving him the money or an xbox voucher would have been better. Mince pies?!! The other grandparents have bought him thoughtful gifts they know he will like, which are tailored to his interests. I'm prepared to be flamed for this but I'm just thinking 🧐 how odd. For added context they are not hard up for cash and I know its the thought that counts but I'm not sure what to make of this. What do others think?

I think its odd that you'd rather he had £50, than £50 and a few cheapy treats just for himself.
Or do you wish they'd given him £55 instead rather than spending the couple quid on mince pies and fudge?

Yeah I think that's a bit odd. Maybe if it was hot chocolate or something you couldn't just grab in any old shop I would get it, but they're weird gifts. The £50 quid is fine.

@PieMistee

Hot chocolate is a lovely gift. My teens would be delighted to have their own jar! The money is very generous so nothig more was really needed. The weight thing is down to you and him, and shouldnt exclude him from having the odd treat.

Delighted? Tell them they can buy it in pretty much any shop for like £2. Why do people on mn always have to over egg the pudding!

Sounds like a perfect present! My DS loves to get £50 and a packet of Percy Pigs from his gran for birthdays. He does not want lots of 'tat' that just goes in a drawer or clothes that he has not chosen.

My gran, bless her, always used to give me a hard boiled egg (still in its shell) and two packets of fruit pastels in a little bag every time I went back to university! Fond memories. I asked her once, why the hard boiled egg? She said "then you can make yourself a nice sandwich for your tea when you get back." She used to get the fruit pastels in specially if she knew I was coming. Random, but really kind and thoughtful.

Mince pies sound lovely!

The food items are a bit odd but it's nice they've given him £50. They were probably just trying to buy him a couple extras (albeit really random) last minute. Maybe they just wanted to bring over a little treat. I don't like mince pies so I would be secretly a bit disappointed but it's the thought that counts 😅

Clearly they’ve just got no idea what to buy but just handing over money looks lazy. They have know teenagers like hot chocolate and sugary stuff.
I guess they bought fudge, decided to add mince pies as they had a spare box and threw in a hot chocolate.

We’ve had people give us vouchers that are unusable ; DS doesn’t have consoles only PC so I can see why they didn’t go that route.

My son would love those gifts. 😁

You are totally overthinking this. Unclench and relax. 🙂

I guess mince pies for a birthday are a big random but I love them so I'd quite like it I'd eat them along with the fudge whilst sipping a hot chocolate and planning how to spend my £50.

He's a lucky boy.

She gave him the main gift £50. She just threw in a couple of other bits and pieces on top. You sound very mean spirited I'm afraid to say.

Sounds great £50 plus wrapped Mince pies and fudge. They've picked up some hot chocolate up on the way and chucked it in to complement the gift. Not the most luxurious hot Choc but it Sounds like a lovely thought.

Could you buy an x box voucher with the £50 and just wrap the other bits?

Wish my teenage son had a grandparent to buy presents and cared.

To me, mince pies and options hot chocolate is something I would buy regularly in the standard food shop.

At Christmas I often wrap money with things like Nutella and lotus biscuits. All "standard food shop" items.

Without the 50 quid it would be mean and strange but it looks like she felt the 50 quid didn't look like a big enough gift so threw in some other things.

My parents are the worlds most eccentric gift givers...think xmas lunch items in stockings for all of us
What I have discovered is that the children ( now young adults ) have a relationship with grandparents that is seperate to ours and often disclose to them about stuff they like, that we don't know about. This could be the situation with your son.

He received £50....and you're complaining they got him a couple of other things? Maybe they like those hot chocs and that brand of mince pie and thought he would too?

I think it's quite a thoughtless present. Mince pies?? sounds like they just raided the cupboard

You sound very disappointed OP, what had you expected they would do for their grandsons birthday? They probably haven’t a clue what to get him, my DS’ are 20 & 18, when I ask them what they would like for birthday & Xmas I never get a definite answer! Perhaps they asked him? Teens usually like cash. I am sure your DS will be happy with the gift, don’t worry.

What's the issue with the hot chocolate? Was she actually supposed to have wrapped it?

She sound like a fun Granny. She knows he likes hot chocolate and mince pie, so brought him some. A once a year treat won't send him spiralling into obesity. £50 is really thoughtful and means he can go shopping or put it towards something large. My great grandmother bless her used to do things like this.
What is happening with him health wise, you say he struggles with his weight?

My MiL can beat this for random gifts- she gave my DD a ball of elastic bands dropped by the postmen which she had collected over the year, another time it was last years diary someone had given her - “the days are wrong but you can still use it”, an ashtray and a can of Stellar to my adult Ds( “for his visitors “ - he doesn’t smoke/drink) , occasionally a Sainsbury’s £10:gift card but usually no money - that would have been welcome! We still laugh about it.

Both sets of GPS do this for ours once they’re teens - £50 plus chocolate which they like. Bigger present for 18th.
I’d tell him the mince pies are for a teatime treat to share, and do him the hot chocolate if he likes it. Neither of mine like fudge but they’d just pass it on to us having said thank you to the givers - and we’d eat it!
To be honest, I don’t think there are many teens who wouldn’t be happy with that gift - they’ll focus on the money and not think much about the rest unless it was very special. My stepmum bakes ginger cookies that DS1 loves and occasionally does those as part of his gift and he loves that.

I think if they’d just got him mince pies for his birthday then you’d have a point. But £50 is a decent amount for a teenage boy- could buy a game with that/some clothes/gig ticket etc.

You've been flamed a bit on here, unfairly so as you just sound a bit bewildered by the food. It's time for your 15-yr old to start developing an adult relationship with his Gran where he might even have a chuckle with her over the hot chocolate - 'Oh Gran!'