To want my birthday presents gift wrapped?

[StuntNun]

It’s my birthday tomorrow, a milestone one, and there are currently at least thirteen cardboard boxes, mostly from Amazon, stashed around the house. My mum is trying to persuade my DH that he shouldn’t gift wrap the presents but just let me open the cardboard boxes myself instead since “it will still be a surprise.”

So, AIBU to prefer my birthday presents wrapped up rather than open a stack of cardboard boxes on my big day?

I don't see the difference and my DP wouldn't make sure recyclable wrapping wasn't used. Just tell him you want them wrapped and it's your birthday, not your Mum's. Is he telling you what your mum is saying?

Why is your mum getting involved in this? It's none of her business whether your DH wraps your presents.

Well you can have a preference but you can’t dictate what someone should do.

Unless your milestone birthday is your 1st, then opening boxes will be opening your presents. You have too much time on your hands if you think your husband should open the boxes and wrap your presents. And just how spoilt are you?

YANBU at all!

Opening amazon boxes is an everyday chore. Opening birthday presents is a symbol that someone you love cares about putting a little bit of effort into making something nice for you on your birthday.

It's lazy and naff to leave them in Amazon boxes of all things. I've bought people presents that came in cute boxes, from Etsy for an example, and not wrapped them, but they looked better than being wrapped in paper. YANBU.

We usually wrap birthday presents in this household. Someone might be given a present still in the shipping box if it arrived on the day of their birthday and everything else had already been opened. A stack of Amazon boxes doesn’t look particularly enticing.

An interesting comment from Anewuser about being spoilt. I wrap all the presents for the other five people in my household but, when it’s my birthday, it’s being spoilt?!

Why does your mother get a say? Just tell your DH to ignore her, you want them wrapped

Why is your mother’s opinion even relevant here? Why is she involved?

Yanbu, I'd want them wrapping too,
Would your dm ( god knows why she is getting involved) say its OK to give you your birthday card not in its envelope ?

None of your mums business, but at least 13 presents is a lot to wrap, hope he’s got a lot of paper or they’re small!

He is being lazy. But men in general hate wrapping presents, they deem it as womens work. Maybe your mum will secretly wrap them for you?

I take it you don't wrap presents.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It’s also my birthday tomorrow, however, my husband hasn’t even bought me anything yet. No card/no gifts.
Ive Put my foot down this year and text him a list;
“Buy/get someone to make a birthday cake x flavour Y icing
Cards from you and the children - oldest isn’t old enough to buy one yet - please take the kids to buy a card.
Decide if we are having a meal at Z or if we are having a Chinese from A at home.
I would like a lie in until 9am, then a cuppa in bed.
Everything else is optional, but think of what I did for you on your birthday or the kids birthdays (present table, balloons, banners, paid for a weekend away & arranged childcare, organised a surprise escape room etc”
Im not asking for him to do everything, but just show some care! I didn’t even get a card for Mother’s Day because “it snuck up on me” despite me telling him 12 times and physically handing him the stuff for his own mother….

Having them wrapped might seem nice, but it seems awfully wasteful for them to be opened, only to be wrapped up again just so you can experience unwrapping them. We need to get away from overpackaging things for no objective reason at all.

But what on earth has he bought? Thirteen gifts!

I knew this thread would quickly descend into four Yorkshirewomen levels of martyrdom.

Presents OP? How spoilt. A lump of (unwrapped) coal should be plenty.

Why on earth would you be buying another woman’s Mother’s Day stuff when you don’t get anything?

I don’t think spoilt is the right word…. Ungrateful is probably right

Well, the OP mentions 13 separate Amazon boxes. It’s hardly performatively miserable to suggest that’s a lot of unnecessary unwrapping then re wrapping.

Happy birthday for tomorrow @ToffeePennie I hope your husband manages to get you something nice and you have an enjoyable birthday.

My DH usually wraps presents by my mum is visiting and has stuck her oar in. DH didn’t get his presents wrapped as a child so I’m worried he will be susceptible to her persuasion. He wraps presents for his parents and siblings as well as for me so it’s definitely not beyond his capabilities!

The parcels are from my siblings, other relatives, in laws and friends, not all from DH, and some of them are probably already gift wrapped or in those bags that Amazon use. As I said, it’s a milestone birthday, so there are more presents than I would usually get.

Lol at @DisappearingGirl Mumsnet can be hilarious sometimes, can’t it.

Well he’s not responsible for wrapping presents from others, that’s for sure! 🤣

opening Amazon boxes on your birthday is completely joyless. In our house we all get decorations, flowers and a table full of gifts and cards. I really believe in squeezing every bit of joy out of life, we celebrate everything - the dog’s birthday, the day I met my husband, the anniversary of the day we moved into our house, we even celebrate the DC’s name days.
Any excuse for cake!

@Coconutter24 ungrateful for what exactly? I’m only asking whether people agree with my mum (leave presents in delivery boxes) or with me (wrap
up presents.) I’m very much looking forward to my birthday and spending time with my family. We’ve all taken the day off work, my mum and adult children are here, and DH is going to make French Onion Soup for my lunch.