Unwanted gift etiquette and the giant dinosaur

[LavenderSweetPea]

So basically, in the mail yesterday we received a 6ft inflatable, light up Christmas dinosaur from MIL.

DH and I both agree we really really don't like it - it's very much not our style (or the style of the people in our neighbourhood either judging by last years christmas decorations). It's an outdoor thing so the only place it could go would be directly outside the front of the house.

Usually, when getting a gift you don't like, obviously you smile, say thank you, pretend you do like it but then either put it away and dont use it or donate/regift it if appropriate. Unfortunately we aren't going to be able to do that because we've already got a text asking to see a picture of it up (it's not even December so I figure we've got at least a few days to kick that can down the road) and MIL lives locally so comes round to us all the time so will know if we don't have it up throughout December. She's also spending Christmas with us and staying for 5 days so I don't see the normal 'we love it' and then putting it away forever is going to work here.

We don't want to offend, but at the same time I really don't want a 6ft inflatable dinosaur outside my house from now until NY, environmentally it seems incredibly wasteful to accept a giant plastic gift that's ultimately going to landfill. Added to that I'm 7 months pregnant and cba with additional christmas decs to take down right before my due date.

I have said DH needs to politely speak to MIL and explain that it was kind of her to think of us, but unfortuantely it's really not our sort of thing and can we take it back to the store for her and get her her money back for it (she's not awash with cash so I really don't want her to waste her money on this). DH said we should put it up, send her a picture and that claim a few days later that high winds etc damaged it and take it down, but I feel that she might buy us another or insist we return it for a replacement if it's not withstood normal weather conditions, plus I'm a terrible liar!

What do you all think? (ps. Yes I know this is ridiculous)

No I feed the plug through the front window.

I’d maybe say ‘oh we might save it for a few years when our child can enjoy it- might not last that many years if we put it up now’
and you’ll either want to use it by then or hopefully it’ll be forgotten about!

Want to see some REALLY large inflatable Christmas decorations........

I'd tell her you put it up and the neighbours have complained that their dog won't stop barking at it so you had to take it down again. Or you put it up and every dog in the neighbourhood is trying to attack it so down it came. Or both🤣🤣

Just be honest and tell her. Brbr, off to go and buy a 6ft inflatable dinosaur because my kids would love it 🤣🤣

It could be worse 😂

What a brilliant idea!!!! ✊

Put it in her bedroom when she stays over Christmas 🎄

Put it on Facebook marketplace for free and get rid of it. Just don’t land fill it, that’s sad

I’m googling the dinosaur! This is brilliant and will go down so well in our house.

I guarantee in 2-3 yrs time you will be a total dinosaur convert.

No, don't put it on bloody Facebook marketplace. Some CF will ask you to firstly unpack it, assemble and inflate it on your front lawn so they can check if it's good enough for their home, even though it's free. Then they will expect you to take it down, pack it all up and then deliver it to their home and put it back up for them in their front garden.

I really think you need to put it up. It's so funny.
I love the idea of it upsetting the tasteful neighbours.
Hilarious.

I want it!!
I could come an steal it from outside your house if that’s any help?

Get practicing your sad faces!

If they’re on offer, maybe you could buy one for each of your neighbours as a lovely Christmas gift? You could have a Christmas Jurassic Park theme down your street, especially if they have other types of dinosaur.

Need to see it @LavenderSweetPea

Sadly, this is true.

The bigger and more aesthetically offensive, the better.

Put it up, take pictures, take it down and give it to a local school?

Don't be daft - your one year old will absolutely love a giant inflatable illuminated dinosaur next year! You'll get peak usage out of it 2024-2029. It sounds like your MIL is excited about the new arrival. Why not tell her you're putting it away until next year and then put it up in your back garden next Christmas out of sight of the neighbours, then pass it on in a few years when LO is passed the dinosaur stage?

I love him! I need rexy!!! Might just need to purchase me a 6ft dinosaur!!!🦖

Feck!

Why didn't I think of this?

(I'm going for a gynae exam tomorrow, and my letter has warned me in BOLD that the sonographer and chaperone may be the same gender. In fairness they did say that if I wasn't happy with this, I could contact them about it.

I checked with the hospital that there would be at least one person (other than myself) who was "assigned female at birth" in that room. )

Had I had a dinosaur with me, I would have felt totally comforted.

Give it to me, I'll put it up next to my luminous flashing fake christmas tree, tell her it was outside and a passing madwoman stole it, win-win 🎄🎶🦖🎶🎄

This is exactly the sort of thing my mother would buy for us! If you have little ones, be prepared for years of it.

I know, right? How do people think dear old Santa got around before reindeer evolved? 😉🎄

You have to be honest. If you pretend to like it she might give you another inflatable next year and then every year.

I was so tempted to buy this for my grandchild as I thought he would love it!😂😂