To hate some of DS gifts?

[Mamaofaboy]

I know.

I feel awful even typing this but DS was gifted some god awful clothes for Christmas. Mixture of shops - M&S, Next etc but really garish, character heavy items that I’d never put him in.

For some reason the gift givers in many cases haven’t included gift receipts - so can I return and switch for items I’ll actually put him in at these shops? All unworn obviously, with tags.

I know he’s just little and I shouldn’t be ungrateful but it seems so wasteful to have these clothes that just won’t be worn?

I just exchange any clothes I don't like/need for something else. Both Marks and Next have a decent selection, especially Next online, so you should be able to find something more to your taste. If not then a few basics in a larger size for nursery is a great idea, so you don't have to worry about sending in the really nice stuff. The older they get, the more playwear comes in handy, especially when they are sliding round in mud and falling in puddles.

Use them as play clothes, send him to nursery in them. Put them up on your local freecyle. Donate to a refuge or charity.

I saw a woman trying to do this in John Lewis today. But their policy is that anything that is bought online is refunded back to the original card used for purchase (several other shops also do this), you can't just swap it for something else. She was having a loud discussion with her friend about how mortifying it would be for the person who'd bought the things to find out they'd been returned.

Save them for DC2. I remember wanting DC1 to dress just so, with DC2 not so much.

We got loads at Christmas for my 3m old and most are a combination of her current size (newborn) and 0-3 but loads are fancy dresses and tights. Tights don’t fit her tiny legs and the dresses just bunch up round her back and are uncomfortable. We have no plans where she’d be in a dress so I’m going to try and return/swap them for a few rompers or something we’ll use

The shops will almost certainly exchange if you do it soon (just had to do it this morning as DC had been given clothes a size too small). You may lose out value wise if those items are in the sale as you'll only get current ticket price.

But very amused by the PFB dress code! Especially as I look at my 6 month old DC3 in her 3rd hand Asda onsie! I try to dress my kids in things I like/that suit them but they only ever look nice for about the first 10 minutes! Presume you aren't doing baby led weaning!

Oh and you won't get a refund, but should be able to get a gift card for the shop.

My recollections of that age was 3 outfit changes a day thanks to weaning and nappy leaks

Id save the clothes for days hes not feeling great or his messy play, when he's trying new foods.
. I was obsessed with DD looking nice as a baby and it made it stressful to be fair because babies are messy and if be worried about her nice clothes. By the time DS came along i knew better and kept clothes i wasnt keen on for messy activities

Like others have said I would take a picture of him in them and send to buyer saying thanks.

@Westerman

You sound very ungrateful. Keep the clothes for him to wear when you see the person who chose them for him. It will make them very happy.

Why is it ungrateful to not want to be given stuff you don't like?

You can exchange anything with tags, I'd do that.

Are you a first time mother? I think I understand your feeling. I remember finding my son so radiantly beautiful that dressing him in little outfits was a joy. I would kiss his little socks. And he outgrew each outfit so quickly. Even now, I have one of his adorable baby outfits in my top nightstand drawer, and he is in his 30s. I take the tiny shirt out and tears fill my eyes. But I was much more utilitarian for child number 2 when I had two kids to dress and we had to rush off to school etc. Loved both of them madly, but didn't have the same amount of time to linger. So I ended up being grateful for less attractive clothes on days I hadn't gotten to all the laundry...

It reminds me of years ago when I bought an outfit for a friend's baby.
It was a Disney Tigger set that I thought looked really cute.

Several weeks later we were chatting about baby clothes, when she suddenly came out with, "I can't stand Disney clothes, with Tigger or anything like that!"

That was one way of telling me!
Since then I have always checked with whoever I am buying for before buying it.

I know Next clothes all have individual codes because I was able to return a coat I'd bought online in store without showing my account details. Apparently it cuts theft. I'm not sure if it's the same for store purchases though. You always used to be able to exchange things in M&S and Next but not to get a cash refund.

I'm very fussy as recently returned some baby outfits gifted to me from H&M without receipt. I hate character heavy items etc. definitely switch to something you like!

I hate it when people buy DC clothes so I feel your pain. Most of it tends to be garish and horrible, I’ve had to take a lot of clothes to charity shops over the years.

I’ve had two smalls. DS now 6, and DD nearly 2. They are dressed in an array of charity shop and eBay random bundles and gifts and I cannot remember either myself or spouse spending 1 min thinking on their attires, and they both look adorable! Nursery and activities results in their clothes being mucky all the time anyway but even without that factor - as someone who’s had two in the last 6 years - nope - Not recognising the OP mindset at all and just asked spouse and him neither!

Please give them to charity.

He's a baby, I'd just let him wear them, at this age they have frequent changes and grow out of things so fast. They can't look immaculate and stylish all the time.

I think you should be a bit more grateful. Your baby doesn't know any different and you don't want to hurt people's feelings.
By all means pass them on discretely but it is nice that baby has people who want to buy for them.
It's also a good lesson in not being vain ( or so I used to tell myself when mil bought the more from-from of garments. )

I found that clothes not to my taste came in very useful when we were at the messy stage of baby/toddler - when you're going through two or three complete changes a day, the more clothes handy, the better.
Also, babies need a complete new wardrobe about every 10 weeks, so it's not like you will have to look at clothes you dislike forever. If no opportunity arises to wear them (anything that's too 'fancy' for instance) you can pass them on and tell the giver that the kid never got the chance to wear them before growing out of them.

Do people really not exchange gifts they don’t like? Seems a terrible waste of money to keep something that won’t get used. I always just say that we loved it but different size to they often giver.

The M&S app has a barcode scanner so you can scan then and see what value you’d get in exchange.

What is so 'god awful' about these clothes?

Put them on him, take a photo and send it to them with a thank you auntie x and then either regift, give to charity or see if you can exchange.

I dunno. It's winter. Sometimes you just need a top/babygrow/trousers for in the pram/under the snowsuit, and it really doesn't matter if it has Mickey Mouse on it.

If you have the time and mental energy to go round Next, M&S etc, queue, try to return things, get a voucher with the amount (if you're lucky), then buy something else, and it's that important to you, do it. I'm not sure I'd have it in me.

He's be out of them in a few months

Definitely put the clothes on him for a picture first. Then try for exchanges in shops.