Ungrateful MIL - absolutely LIVID

[Lipbalmstrawberry]

It’s MIL’s birthday today and we went out for a meal at lunchtime. I gave her her gift which was a blouse from River Island and when she opened it she just was like “Eugh, I don’t think this will suit me. It probably won’t fit me either.” “Have you got the receipt? I’ll go in and change it when go into town on Friday. If not you can keep it I don’t like that.” all with a scowl on her face. I was completely aghast and fuming so I just lied and said I don’t have the receipt and put it back in my bag. Not a word of thanks! I felt even a bit humiliated to be honest.

The rest of the lunch was completely normal and she was talking to me as though nothing happened but inside I was absolutely seething and I still am to be honest. I wished I’d have told her to not be so rude! And she never even said thank you for the cake either!

WIBU to not bother with a cake and present next year? I’m thinking of not bothering after that reaction.

Some people as they get older lose their filter, she's obviously lost hers. Get your money back and treat yourself to something.

@HarrogateHouseSale perhaps reread the Op before effectively accusing the OP of shoplifting

It quite clearly says I lied and said I didn't have the receipt.

I agree. Very weird and hostile.

I know AIBU is known for being arsey but accusing someone of stealing (twice!) is a new low.

Especially when it is clear in her post that OP had a receipt, so not only a new low to accuse someone of stealing but also a new low in reading comprehension.

Agree with most others that it was a poor choice of present. But, regardless, your MiL was rude and I would be disinclined to bother next year too. YANBU.

(I suppose unless you’ve been buying this sort of thing for years and ignoring more gracious hints that it’s really not her sort of thing, or otherwise ignoring her taste to push your own on her. In which case, it’s still rude, but your own - and particularly your DH’s - actions in continuing despite being aware would be not just rude but somewhat nasty. This seems pretty unlikely, though!)

Especially when the person making the accusation clearly hasn't read the OP properly or they would understand that the OP does indeed have the receipt. Comprehension doesn't seem to be a strong skill in a lot of posters recently.

Is that you, SIL? I think we share the same MIL. 🙄

On these threads you usually get someone piping up to say sudden rudeness/personality change can be a sign of dementia.

Is this a new kind of behaviour? She might just not give a shit, but it might be worth keeping an eye on.

Can see why you're not happy about it, a part of me can imagine how liberating it would be to be that blunt and go around speaking my mind!

Yeah she was extremely rude.

I got loads of things for Christmas that are now languishing in the donation box, but I showed great appreciation!!

I would never give someone anything without a gift receipt. I don’t want to inflect my bad taste on them.

She sounds like my MIL. She gives gifts away straight away, in front of you. Not just with me, even her own daughters. She'll say "I won't use this/I don't like this. You have it." And will give it away to somebody else. So now she just gets flowers or wine (she never gives that away!)

Wtf.. who buys a blouse as a gift?

Irrelevant. You say ‘thank you’. No need to be rude.

Wtf.. who buys a blouse as a gift?

someone who's MIL has said a couple of weeks previously that she needs a new blouse ?

Presumably her own ds knows her well enough to have chosen a blouse?

She was really rude, return the blouse and get something for yourself.

Only on Mumsnet 😂😂😂

Of course her reaction was disgustingly rude. Never bother again.

So so rude. All these comments about shouldn't have been a blouse and should have been her son buying it...ugh. Doesn't really matter. It was just rude. I often by my MILs gifts and why shouldn't I, I've know her for 15 years and love her dearly

Her reaction is totally unacceptable and I would definitely not be bothering again. Her son can take her out and buy a gift.

Shit sorry op but how old is mil?! As I don’t think riverisland necessarily has a age limit but certain items do?

Your gift was perfectly reasonable and she was extremely rude to you in return.

It seems plenty here have given up on the idea of good manners!

She was rude and you are well within your right to be annoyed with her response.
That said I do think it is a strange gift, did she mention before she liked it?

Yeah I wouldn't be doing presents anymore. DH can sort that out

What a rude cow.

Why are people saying it's an odd present?!
I've brought my MIL tops in the past..it's not weird.

She sounds vile. I would make a lot less effort in future.

DH and I bought the blouse together and he found her really rude but he doesn’t like me to slag off his parents so I said my piece in the car and I haven’t said anything since.
She’s 68 and the blouse is something similar to what she would usually wear but even if it weren’t I would never be so rude. She’s always been very thoughtless.

Has she ever been like this before OP?

Seems a very strong reaction from her, has she got any health problems which affect how she functions? Its incredibly rude and socially poor

AS others have said, she should have said thank you and perhaps privately then said she might not wear it much/doesnt suit or would you like it in stead or whatever, no need for such an outburst

The fact that she then spoke normally to you later is really odd.

Anything going on cognitively for her?