To think you wrap presents?

[EdithGrantham]

It has come to light that MIL doesn't wrap birthday presents, Christmas presents are always wrapped up but birthday presents never are. When I mentioned to DH that I found it unusual he said that even as a child his birthday presents weren't wrapped up, and on Christmas a few that were from Father Christmas would be but the majority; that were from his parents, weren't wrapped.

So I'm just wondering how common this is;
YABU- presents don't usually need wrapping up
YANBU- more often than not, presents should be wrapped

I stopped wrapping years ago, presents go in reusable bags or cotton shopping bags. I appreciate if people do the same for me, wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows etc are just a massive waste.

Hmm mixed responses then. To clarify, she's not an eco warrior, Christmas presents are in very non-recyclable paper and gift bags are never used, occasionally presents are in a carrier bag. Gifts from her generally are not that thoughtful, usually she gets us to order what we want then gives us the money. Which I do appreciate to be fair because when she has bought presents they haven't quite hit the mark.

I usually do wrap presents, but I don't think it's a big deal, one way or another.

For Christmas I use brown paper and, if my daughter is involved in the packing, no tape, only string.

For birthdays it depends who it is for and it is more about the person who receives it than me. For my uncle I will use a shopping bag because he is as grateful for the bag as he is for the gift! For a child I will usually wrap the present in a generic wrapping. But with most of the family not at home I order online and don't generally pay for the gift wrap option.

I usually stick a bit of tissue over the top of the bag

I personally would either wrap or use a gift bag for most Christmas and birthday gifts. The only things my family didn’t wrap at Christmas were boxes of chocolates - as kids we all used to get a box of chocs on top of our little Christmas pile.

If I was taking a gift for someone as a thank you for hosting, like a candle or a bottle of something, I wouldn’t wrap that.

I'm with you, OP. I think not wrapping is very weird and doesn't feel like a gift. It feels like the person couldn't even be bothered to wrap it.

I was very surprised on Christmas threads here to discover there were people who just put the gifts under the tree for Christmas morning, no wrapping or bags, just things laid out.

It's just not what I'm used to, and I can understand others do things differently.

I would have thought it was the thought that counts in the present buying rather than the wrapping. I really couldn’t get bothered about it.

Well of course we should all just be grateful for the present. But then wrapping shows thought and care too. I'd appreciate a beautifully wrapped bar of chocolate as much as an expensive unwrapped gift.

Sounds like you want her to wrap them because that would involve effort in deciding what the present looks like because she doesn't put effort into choosing it (she asks for suggestions).

People often say that food isn't love. Gift wrapping also isn't love.

She shows her affection for you by buying something off a list rather than buying you crap that you don't like. People are different.

I always wrap all gifts but I wish I felt comfortable not doing so, it's such a waste of paper.

Yes that's why I said I appreciate her buying something we've suggested. I just wondered how "normal" it is not to wrap presents.

@EdithGrantham I don't think it's widespread, but it should be... As some other posters have said, they feel obliged to wrap out of tradition/habit, but know it's a waste of paper.

Reusable bags are the way forward.

Gift bags - easy and reusable. Everyone wins.

So bizarre not to wrap, I don't get it at all. The only exception might be a traditional wooden toy at Christmas for a young child, a large trampoline/garden toy etc, or maybe something that takes a lot of putting together - but again only for young children.
Who ever went to a kids birthday party and give an unwrapped gift? I've never seen that in my life.

I would find unwrapped presents in that situation very weird indeed. I don’t really care what the wrapping is: newspaper, fabric, paper saved and reused from last year, whatever. I just think it shows thought, makes it feel special, and is part of the experience. I love a beautifully wrapped present, no matter what is inside.

I either use a gift bag with tissue paper(usually for adults) in it or I wrap (for all the kids)

at Christmas I wrap all my kids presents from selection boxes and stationery to the big gifts that have been asked for.