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)

Where are you? I will come and get him and I'll love him!

I think you need to be honest there is no way I would have that. Also I’m getting increasingly angry (I have PMT which is exacerbating this) but why are dinosaurs and holidays suddenly a thing - wtf have dinosaurs got to do with Christmas - or Halloween? Ridiculous.

If you already had a dinosaur-mad toddler then I'd consider it an awesome, thoughtful gift and of course put it up to hear my kid's squeals of joy even if I and the Hyacinth Buckets in the neighbourhood bloody hated it.

I think if it's just you and DP then it's a rather bizarre gift and being honest is the only reasonable approach. 'Sorry I appreciate the thought but it isn't really our thing and I don't really want to be wrestling it back into the box right before baby is due. Happy to keep it for a couple of years and I bet little one will love to see it up. Otherwise understand if you want to return it'

I am laughing so much at this thread.

Stand up for yourselves and tell her (nicely but firmly) that it's not your thing.
I mean, I would vote to put it up and enjoy it but you have said you don't want to, so get a refund and buy something more practical. I am shocked at the amount of people on here telling you to lie, or puncture it - no need to lie. You are adults, so tell her.

If you don't stand up to her then I predict that in six months' time you'll be on here saying that MIL wants to have your PFB overnight at her house and AIBU to not want this yet?

Send her a pic of the thing up, then a series of pics of it progressively deflating, then in a puddle on the floor and then gone. Say you've just completed a science exhibition on extinction for the neighbourhood kids

Oh God, you have years and years of her buying ghastly giant plastic tat for your kids ahead....

Bonus points for giant meteorite rock smashing towards it in the pics

Tell her it got nicked

I am a MIL and step mother and grandma........I am tempted to by one!
BTW I love my family but it is too adorable.......(but not outside my nicely decorated house!)

Tell Mil to have it at her house. Say you’ll enjoy visiting it, and the local children will enjoy it too!

@Mangolover123 your family might love it, but I suggest you check with them first. We don't want anymore threads on mumsnet about unsolicited dinosaurs!

Back garden or say you 'accidentally' punctured it just as you had it up outside 😂

I completely missed that you don't have kids 😂I assumed it would be a nod to a dino mad grandchild.

Well, I love it and would definitely put it up. Do you live somewhere with thieves? It's the sort of thing to be stolen by teenage outlaws... just saying...

Wow you don’t have a child yet so this is really weird! Who exactly is it for?! I was going to say put it in the back garden and say you worried someone might steal it!!

It's such a shame that giant crow swooped down and punctured it...

Can I have him please? It would piss my nosey neighbours off so much 😂 they are the kind who come over to check if a car near their house belongs to you and they came over as soon as we had got home from hospital after having our first child and demanded to know why we hadn't told them yet 🤣 we hadn't even told all our friends and family yet!

I would so like to believe that your MIL is completely trolling you and knows there's not a cat in hell's chance you'll put it up because she knows you are a bit too conservative in your taste...

donate it to a charity or children's centre?

Am I right in thinking it's not just an inflatable though? I think it requires powering - it says "less than 1p per hour to run" so presumably it needs a power supply on permanently outdoors?

Just put it in the back garden?

That dinosaur is amazing.

My kids would love it!

Be honest with her or you will have a huge collection of these things by the time your DC grows up

I am always pleased when the 8ft Micky Mouse deflates down the road, in between I eye the air rifle constantly.

I mean there's a reason it's on sale isn't there?! Hideous, and not at all festive. I would have asked her why on earth would she buy it?!