Rubbish gift from MIL

[MyBabyAteTheDingo]

Son’s 19th birthday today, mil dropped his gift round. It’s a free Jesus audio CD that she receives from some Christian subscription.

I'm fucking fuming on his behalf. He has no interest in religion. This from a woman who spends over £300 on a small tube of eye wrinkle cream so money’s not the issue here. They get on well so I’m just puzzled at this.

I know it’s the thought that matters but this seems more like an insult.
She’ll be calling later so any suggestions on how to respond to this?

Very good response.

There's crap presents though, and there's crap presents. I'd have said a crap present was a hand knitted jumper in a lurid colour or a gift set of some old fashioned aftershave/body spray.

This present comes under the 'lunacy' heading - in what world could a grandmother think her 19 year old grandson, with no noteable interest in religion at all and who is about to head off to Uni for the first time, would possibly like a religious CD? I mean, that's not even crap, that's 'grab the first thing I see in the cupboard' thoughtlessness!

Ds has thanked her, so my sage advice is to completely forget about it now.
Don’t mention it to her or question it, as in her eyes that would be rude.
She sounds like an eccentric dotty old bird to me….

I hope he messaged her ‘Bless you Granny’

A friend of mine was given an out of date £10 Dorothy Perkins voucher for his big birthday by his MIL. Apparently she thought the world of him!

My MIL and SIL consistently give DD weird/irrelevant gifts and I've just given up caring. For them though, money is an issue and so I do put it down to not being able to afford it. Often it's completely unseasonal stuff, like a Santa teddy in April or bizarre (maybe Temu) tiny plastic models of a toilet or a telephone. She's 2 so also a hazard there but it is what it is.

OP to keep the peace, I would just say thanks and move on. It's not worth anything more.

There's something so poignant about that @24Dogcuddler .
Truly so sad. 😪

I’d be so curious I’d ask her if I could borrow her CD player or plugin disc drive so that I DS could listen to it.

When i was about 12 my great aunt gave me some bright red sexy hold up stockings ! she always gave us bizarre and mean ! gifts.

What sort of gifts has she previously bought for him?

If this is way out of step with her usual gift-giving to him, and she's previously always got him things appropriate to a teenage/young adult boy, I would be inclined to think this was a deliberate dig at him.

I know you say they get on well... but it feels to me like the choice of a Christian CD in particular is maybe the significant thing here. Because I've certainly known evangelical Christians who, despite apparently getting on with people and caring about them, are still very keen to try and preach to them or persuade them to engage with their religion. I'm wondering if that's her issue - she's disappointed/concerned/judgemental over his lack of interest in religion or has some beef or other with something he does that she thinks is immoral, and has sent him a Christian CD for that reason.

Not that any of that would make it OK. It's shit behaviour on her part either way and I can see why he feels hurt. Like you say - it's not the money, it's the fact that she's got him something she must know he actually has no use for or interest in.

Thank you. Exactly why I was fuming.

For Christmas give a box of chocs from the supermarket.

I was brought up to say thank you and appear to mean it - but I think in this case DH needs to have a word with his mother. That is truly appalling from someone with plenty of money.

Hilarious!

The correct response is obvious. Say nothing. Then this Christmas, your son gives her this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/bandmax-Stainless-Baphomet-Necklace-Pentagram/dp/B0BK84KVFH/ref=sr_1_8?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mhb9plym9QVbBBduRRoBUzWw29vKlDfxYeRMjcUdVxHItxi7s888utaZdkh08_hf_11LQ-Jhq8tzfzP_a060AqfCM7ZfnDWAYLOpe3DZoQaEBTG37nyT75r3AZ6e_bNbxIpqsIbfj78K2EEx5HzhEl_0N7WDGzuhZaV6ySP-pzi_87Dfa6RaIHcO_QTGv0J9_vB7zs-SezeWjIzFmasdCsozCxpOJUL0cie5kna7AF3-8xwZgSL-PZ4XMz1IIzvt-YPzbHXfUYdFAhore7ll44WmNSycHKz9xt9d5bzwb8I.OGNeNtZz3T72GtBOhGWxWC5kvrj2E75nJpvPpul8_-A&dib_tag=se&keywords=baphomet&qid=1756486447&s=jewelry&sr=1-8&th=1

Oh yes- OP get it ordered now!

😂

When I was about 16, walking along the High St full of Christmas shoppers with my gran she suddenly pulled my skirt up asking if I wore tights or stockings. She was obviously thinking about a present for me, but having my legs & knickers exposed in the middle of a busy street...well, you can imagine. 😊

Or if you want to follow the CD theme go for a Black Sabbath album. Or Ozzy.

Did DS already thank her? If so throw it away. You can’t listen to it and you are not interested in listening to it.

if he hasn’t thanked her I wouldn’t. I would let that brick of thoughtlessness just sit. If she asks you about it say…really MIL did you think he would enjoy that gift? See what she says. And the dropping off part says to me has no interest in watching him open the gift becuse she knows it’s shit.

It’s better to gift nothing than stupid shit. Can’t be bothered to make any effort? well then you don’t get to cross it off your mental to do list….present for dgs..done.

it’s ok to ignore it but don’t fluff it up with thanks or any acknowledgement.

Well, you certainly can get everything on Amazon, can't you!

Please do this 🙏🤣

I would think at 19 your son should be the one to respond, you don't need to say or do any of the passive aggressive shit that's being suggested by other posters.

My grandmother once gave me a very old, dusty bar of soap for Xmas.

My husband has young onset Alzheimer’s
the first symptom was really flipping crap and weird presents!!!
he wenr from buying really amazing and lovely thoughtful presents - think diamond necklaces. To - one year - two Aldi bath bombs placed in a food recycling bag.
I was so angry and so so so hurt.

6 months later - he was diagnosed.
it’s was his executive function that had gone.
deciding a present - and then executing the task to get it and deliver it is actually really very complex.

im not saying she is the same,
i am just telling you - I could have flipping killed him that day.

I used to get used toiletries from one, very rich, relative. Even used soap 🤢 it was always wrapped.

I actually rather like that...

She bought him AirPods last year for his 18th. I know that’s an extravagant gift and wouldn’t expect something else like that, she has also gifted him JD sports vouchers in the past as he wears sports stuff.

She preaches all the time, and writes stuff in cards etc, that’s fine but it’s the lack of thought and his only gift from her was this bloody freebie cd. I’ve taken the comments on board and will rise above it and be thankful. It’s what Jesus would want I suppose 🥴