What will I buy your kids for Christmas?

[BeFairOliveBear]

AIBU to be slightly annoyed with people asking me this?
My mil called yesterday, told me to buy gifts for my kids, wrap them etc and give them to her at christmas to give to my kids. She will revolut me the money. My sister messaged asking me for ideas of what to get my kids and my sil asked the same.
I know I am lucky ( my kids are lucky! ) to get these gifts and people want to get things they know my kids will like but I'm struggling to come up with ideas. They don't want that much stuff and Santa is bringing what I know they want. I know they will be upset if I say just give cash or vouchers.
I think my brain is just full with planning everything, picking out gifts etc

Asking for recommendations / ideas isn’t an issue, being asked to buy + wrap is a bit ridiculous 😂

Nope i prefer it than them buying some random crap. I can coordinate presents too e.g. someone is getting my daughter a dollshouse, someone else is getting the dolls to go with it. But i also make an amazon list starting a few weeks before and just send the link

Know what you mean. It's lovely they want to give a gift.

It's crap that they outsource all the work to achieve this to you.

I don't mind for the family abroad (it's easier to do that then post things half way across the world) but when they live 2 doors down it's a bit much.

I ask for ideas of what to buy as I don’t want to duplicate what they already have plus I don’t have kids so may not know what’s the best gift for their age. I do buy, wrap and post/give myself though.

This is what Amazon wishlists are made for.

Add to it through the year, share it with the family, job done. Amazon will even wrap it for your lazy so and so MIL.

I wouldn’t be going out and shopping and wrapping for someone else unless they couldnt. But I would always much rather prefer to have people buying things that are actually wanted or needed rather than ending up with things that end up sat never being used.

Maybe your mil has arthritic hands and cant wrap presents

And maybe she doesnt know how to use the internet poor love

Or maybe she just can' be arsed...

Quite

My mil is in good health, I would not complain if she was unable to do this.
I just don't know what to suggest for gifts for anyone!

These people all know my kids pretty well. I guess I would just like a little bit of effort so I didn't have to do all the thinking.

eg "I was thinking of getting this or this game for your kids. Do you think they would like it or is there anything they might prefer? "

i get annoyed because I literally give them links to the Amazon item, I tell them the exact colour, size, make and model. And all I get it “oh can’t your DH order it off his Amazon account, we will pay you back” and then the item arrives and I don’t get the money. OR it’s “ok cool I’ll order this” and whatever shows up is tiny or massive, bright pink or purple or neon green, has extras that’s not needed or it’s the wrong make and model and won’t fit where it’s supposed to go. DRIVES ME INSANE. I’m just like “give them the money” now

Birthdays, Christmas and Easter I get a text from my mum telling me she has bank transfered money and to get the kids something for the occasion.
I actually prefer it this way cause then I can get exactly what they want or need or pop the money in their accounts.

If they are going to ask, they need to do it at least a month ago, and do their own shopping, wrapping, etc. This isn’t about getting the kids something they want, it’s about not making any effort at all but still getting the credit.

OP, you can say no. Especially to the actual doing of the present.

Ask them to stick a tenner in a card.

Asking fur ideas seems better than guessing and wasting money on something they don’t want. Having to actually buy then wrap - too much. Tell her that’s her son’s job if she doesn’t want to do it herself!

I might just ask sil and sis to just give cash or voucher. I will get something for mil, she's generally a great mil, I think I'm just stressed this week and don't have the capacity for much more thinking!
Yes as someone said I probably would have had a better response a month ago.

I got my kids the Smyths catalogue and had them circle things. Then gave some of the ideas to family members! Easy.

Thanks, my kids are a bit older ( tweens ) so kind of past the toy phase. I struggle to know what to get them myself!
It's a good idea though and if I had a catalogue here I would ask them go through it.

Or those who don t have amazon accounts for ethical or other reasons and then ask you to get stuff through yours

My siblings have this one sorted - no gifts but experiences instead.

I've brought my nieces and nephews to the cinema, panto, theatre, zoo, soft play, bowling, indoor wall climbing, crazy golf, concerts for the eldest one etc.

Parents get a break and less rubbish in their house. Kids get a day out & I'm the cool aunt.

Suggest they buy experiences and let them deal with it from there

Completely feel your pain OP! It’s this time of year, it’s so much additional mental load.

I ask if there's anything they want,to make sure that I am not duplicating things others are getting, but I do my own buying and wrapping, that's part of the fun of Christmas. I am currently wrapping the grandkids presents and wishing for the hundredth time that I had started the job a week ago!

Ideas yeah, buying and wrapping for them is a hard no! Mil is being ridiculously lazy!