What does the baby want for Christmas? Can you just order that for me?

[soddingpuppets]

I’m probably being ungrateful and sleep deprivation making me less patient than usual but the following exchange from MIL has left me really grumpy.

MIL: can you let me know what DS wants for Christmas

Me: no worries, here’s the Amazon list we have for him. Hopefully there’s something you like the look of for him there, if not let me know and I’ll rethink

MIL: the puppets look good. I don’t do Amazon so can you order for me?

Me: they don’t need to be from Amazon. It doesn’t even need to be that exact set. He loves all the different puppets at sensory

MIL: it’s easier if you order it. It’s probably easier if you order it to your house as well. I can give DH the money when I see him in two weeks

Of course it’s easier for you. I’ve thought of a selection of gifts, ordered it myself, added the Amazon box to my December cardboard deluge, wrapped it, and then we also have to deal with the cash (doesn’t do online banking either) so we’ll feel the financial hit of the gift as well because our lives are entirely cashless.

And before people say, yes I do have slightly tense relationship with her. She’s in her mid sixties so not in her dotage, but acts helpless and expects DH to do everything for her (example from last week was being unable to scan a QR code and being unwilling to learn) so this builds on an existing frustration. She can do her Ocado shop online and order all sorts from a variety of random websites, but can’t do an Amazon order which would make our life easier.

So AIBU to be annoyed that she can’t find some finger puppets (or blocks or books or a shape sorter which were also on the list or something not from the list at all) from literally any shop or any website herself.

My MIL and my mother both do this, to be honest it makes it easier for us to just order what we know the kids will like, now that they are bigger they get money from each of them too. Both live far away so it makes sense

Not the point of your thread but if it’s the rspb puppets in a tree thing it is totally lovely and my baby is a big fan!

actually purchased by my MIL who ignored all the suggestions I sent and got that instead so I can’t be too miffed.

Get it delivered to MiL house. Then she gets to wrap it herself. I think you areaking a really big deal of it.

Hate this aspect of Xmas. Each year I have about 6 people who either contact me asking what to get, or asking me to buy it for them. It’s joyless and I feel trapped!

if you like you could say to her, I havent time,
just buy her/him what you want, you choose.

and forget the wish list

A relative who had several GC seemed to have got this sorted.
The mum of GC would buy several things for each child from their lists.
Take everything round to grans house and items would be chosen and money handed over.
A lovely afternoon was spent wrapping gifts together.

It was those ones I bookmarked! DH has ordered them to MIL’s house. He didn’t respond in the end - he’s been away with work and is just back tonight so neither of us can be bothered. Probably anticlimactic and conflict avoidant and if she asks why he’ll say, but I don’t think she will.