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)

Dear lord now I feel even worse about insulting the inflatable dinosaur. I had no idea he was a child 😨

Properly LOLing at this

By contrast, my mum just seems to assume by default that we won't like the (perfectly nice) things she buys us and we cannot open a single gift without ten minutes of anxious caveats first and then a lengthy explanation of how the receipt is inside and we can return it if we don't like it.

She herself is a very enthusiastic returner of gifts. If you buy her something from M&S she basically just treats it like a gift voucher.

if you don’t want to be honest tell her your neighbours rogue cat keeps attacking it so you’ve had to take it down, perhaps she’d like to try taking it back to try and get her money back or put it outside her own house rather than it going to waste? 😂

I saw one in the wild today! 😂

Is it this? Could you perhaps gift it to a local school/nursery/hospital children’s ward and be honest, say you weren’t keen/neighbours would disapprove / wind might take it or break it and you thought it would be much better appreciated at your choice of regift venue…

My mother bought us a piece of delightful Christmas tat (based on DH's job) for a 'joke' gift our first married Christmas. It's a small-ish but loud and garish indoor item and every year I put it out as part of Christmas decorations and every year mum says I can't believe you've still got that, it was a joke. Last year I sent her a link to a second hand one for over £100 and she still said but it was a joke.

What a pity it was incinerated by a stray firework.

I am so entertained by this. We had a neighbour who put up this kind of over the top, kitschy inflatables for every holiday, and really went overboard at Christmas. The rest of us were much more conservative, traditional and low key (a few lights, a wreath, call it a day).

But the neighborhood loved it. Kids came from all around to gawk at his house. The rest of us told him he was upholding the neighborhood honour, and we didn't have to do any work.

If you know your neighbours, ask them what they feel about it decorating your yard. If they hate it too, tell your MIL you can't put it up bc it will upset your stuffy neighbours, and she needs to take it back and regift it. You are sorry.

But you might be surprised, and find out that your neighbours laugh, and enjoy it, and bring their kids to see the dinosaur. And your house becomes the "Christmas House" of the neighborhood.

You won't know till you ask.

Oooh i have him! He is the whole streets most favourite decoration, honestly! I’ve had WhatsApps about him 😂, I’d keep him until your little one is 3/4, mine and the kids on the street adore him even if he indeed tacky and classless

Tell her you have embraced Creationism and now believe that dinosaurs never existed. You cannot be expected to display a model of something that is effectively a lie invented by the Devil to ensnare your souls.

Puncture it or say it blew away. Sorted.👍

Literally snorted laughing at that 🤣

Would your local school or a community group appreciate it?

Fantastic thread. It reminds me of a strange couple and I met at a lunch party once. We had taken 4 mo DS1 (very difficult, non sleeping baby) to visit some of DH's elderly relatives. Very kind people and we were looking forward to a weekend relaxing. Alas they decided that what we needed was a formal lunch party with complete strangers who were also friends of theirs.

Said couple were in their 60s, very orange fake tans, and we found it difficult to find anything to talk to them about. Before long we asked them what they did for a living.

It turned out they had a business, whose purpose was to import giant inflatable bananas 🍌 from China. (I don't think they lit up). DH and I were so flabbergasted, as well as sleep deprived, that it killed off all conversation for the rest of the (excruciating) 3 hour lunch.

I think it would look fantastic at the front of your house, your neighbours will grow to love him and all the parents in the area will walk by with their little ones to gaze in awe at the wonderful creature. You could have a name him competition with the locals, proceeds going to charity.

Can it go in the back garden? Or tell MIL you think it would look lovely at her house and you can see it when you visit.

I was feeling perhaps YwB a tad U until you dropped the news that you actually don't have kids yet!!!! What on earth was she thinking? Have you ever previously shown a love of dinosaurs?
We got an awful present from D stepmum but in her case we know it's because she hates us.

Why the hell would MIL think that a couple who don't have children yet would want a massive inflatable dinosaur outside their house? Completely batshit.
When I read the first post I thought you were being unreasonable because your kids might like it and it's a bit of fun for them at Christmas, suck it up for the kids kind of thing.... but no, you don't even have kids!
I would find it very hard to do but I think I'd have to say something about it before you end up with Jurassic Park out the front every Christmas with a new dinosaur arriving each year.

I really wish people wouldn't buy large presents like that which take up too much space without at least asking first.

Please please PLEASE!!! Will someone please put it on their roof by their chimney!!!?!?!!!?!

Why do you need to have children to want a fun Christmas decoration? It isn't to op's taste but I'm sure lots of people without children may like it!

I don't understand why what the neighbours think is of any importance for a temporary Christmas decoration.

Stop being such a grinch and accept your beautiful gift. 🤣

why am I having visions of a giant inflatable dinosaur 🦕 floating through the hair with a house dangling beneath it

I think you'll need to tell her the truth OP .. I saw someone with a huge almost house height inflatable light adorned giraffe a few years ago.. do you think your dinosaur will need a friend?

AIR .. a dinosaur in your hair would be a step too far

DD and I like to walk around the neighbourhood looking at the outdoor decorations. We go out of our way to see the giant inflatable snowman and the giant inflatable penguin.

I don’t think I’d be allowed to put anything similar in my front garden, as there’s a covenant covering our street forbidding front fences, washing lines, sheds etc. You can only put them in the back garden. The covenant doesn’t mention inflatable dinosaurs, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be allowed.

I think I love the dinosaur a bit.
But of course you should not have to put it up if you don't like it. I would come up with an excuse to spare her feelings. I know on mumsnet the direct approach tends to be favoured but in the real world that can be a bit harsh