AIBU to be frustrated by repeated wolf-themed gifts?

[Herecomes]

I am an animal lover, I am especially a dog person meaning I like wolves too if we’re talking wildlife. My mum has taken this to mean I’m obsessed with wolves - I’m really not.

Every year at Christmas she buys me something wolf related … it started off as huge framed pictures (often featuring native Americans too 😂) and in the end I had so many massive pictures piled up the spare room that I made a point of telling her I am no longer buying wall pictures as I don’t like a lot of stuff on the walls and I’ve ran out of space. She got the hint and stopped buying me pictures … instead she started buying me huge blankets, fleece bed covers etc, again featuring wolves howling at the moon, native Americans, wolf eyes staring out of dark trees etc 🤦‍♀️

I ended up with a big pile of fleece blankets that were just sat there collecting dust. In the end I asked her if she wanted any blankets as I’m getting rid of loads as I have far too many and don’t use them. She got the hint.

Now … as my birthday this year was approaching she asked me what size clothing I was. I told her. I joked to DH that I’ll probably end up with a wolf fleece jacket for my birthday … I was wrong … I got 3 wolf fleece jackets for my birthday.

I don’t get it!!! I’m in my 30s, she sees me every week … surely she can see that I don’t wear stuff like this?? It was funny at first but now its getting frustrating. She gets upset and offended easily so I’ve tried to treat lightly but come on …

What would you do?? Or do I just carry on accepting this stuff and lying that I like it to keep the peace?

Why can't you just say "Mom, I appreciate your thinking of me on my birthdays, etc, but the truth is, I'm not really into wolves anymore."

That's on her.

This has really tickled me 😂

I know someone who has this with pugs, and another who has it with meerkats. It’s quite lazy imo. I think it’s fine to say jokingly please no more wolves! In the run up to Christmas.

Your poor Mum! It sounds like she has a heart of gold and is generous. Praise her kindness and generosity.

When an occasion is a month or two away, tell her, something like...

"If you are thinking of something to get me for Christmas, I would be delighted to get X, please Mum, that would really help me and I'd appreciate it so much! I've got no interest in wolves any more, I've really gone off them! I'd rather have X, please?"

Complete X with your heart's desire!

Be kind to her. Us older mums want to please our grown up children so much, to show them how much we love them.

Remember, praise genuinely first! And thank her for being such a loving, caring, thoughtful, and generous mother! Then thank her again.

And ask her what you can get or do for her.

My sister absolutely adored peguins
when she was in her late teens. Collected loads of penguin themed things (aged 18). My mum still buys her penguin related paraphernalia. My sister is 54…🤣

I'm so sorry, I feel your pain but this the first post in ages to actually make me laugh. "Wolf shrine"...😂

I saw one where the wolves heads were part of a mountain range howling at the moon.
It could happen😁

The ones that are rather eye catching are the wolf jogging suits in 3d pattern...classy.

There are two ways I would go with this.

First option, visibly get into something consumable like a particular chocolate brand, Rituals bath and shower products, niche perfumes... Whatever. She might latch on to it and at worst you'll have lots of chocolate, shower gel or specialty perfumes you can sell or swap for stuff you like.

Second option 'running with the wolves'. Find a wolf related charity, adopt a wolf or something and tell her you have too much physical stuff now but it would mean a lot to you if someone were to adopt a wolf for you or give to a charity for rescued wolves.

Hopefully one of those will solve the clutter issue. I have a similar problem with my own family so I try to encourage consumable gifts for my sanity.

She probably does it because she doesn’t have to think too much about presents. Frankly, I’d tell her that you’re taking things to charity shops because your house/flat is too crowded. Yes she may go on and on (my auntie did the same) but surely it would be worth it not to get wolf things anymore?

Well because she doesn’t like them? What ever do you mean.

Start gifting them back to her. Begin with the oldest item and go from there.

My dd loved tatty teddy from aged 9ish-19

I'd bought her loads from charity shops or Clinton's over the years

She met her ex's mother just as she was going off ol' tatty and had stopped collecting them

Of course the mother kept buying her them for the whole length of their relationship-she bought way more than I did and lots where duplicates-she had no room left to store them in the end

She had to break it off with him to get it to stop!

@Herecomes can you have an announcement saying that your wolf ‘phase’ is officially over!
And that you’re now into ………
Obviously be careful about what your new ‘thing’ is. But it could work in your favour

Ot was a segment on the Banana Splits. The lamb was Lambsy. The wolf was voiced by the brilliantly camp Paul Lynd.
My poor sister got cat themed everything. Then she converted to Buddhism and got Buddha related tat. We also both like ginger. So dm bought us a jar of preserved ginger every year. When I was doing up my kitchen two years ago I found two untouched(and crystal clear) jars. Mums been gone 12 years.

It’s sweet - it’s hard to buy for people and she’s thinking of you.
I totally get it but be honest; she’s your mum so hopefully will understand if you just be brutal but kind.

It's called the wolf fleece appreciation society. Maybe you could flog your shit on it? 🤣

😂😂😂

That will be much cheaper for her.

Or you can just keep going on about the wolf stuff for years: "oh God! Do you remember all that wolf crap you used to get me?! You couldn't take a hint - d'you remember? And then you got all butt-hurt when I had to spell it out? NO MORE WOLF CRAP!! Ha ha ha"

Oh no they remind me of greasy randoms you see wandering around Asda looking lost and in desperate need of a shower! I would be horrified! 😂

Just say that now you have gone stone cold off wolves. It's worth what you can no longer talk about to stop the flow of presents.

I had this for years but mine was pigs. I had originally bought myself a cute cuddly pig and after that all my friends would buy me pigs for birthday and Christmas until I said "I've got far too many pigs now so I would be grateful if you didn't get me any more". It worked.

Can you tell her you have found out something disturbing about wolves, and it has put you right off them, @Herecomes?

I have an aunt who went through this with chicken themed gifts. She asked nicely and no one listened. She threw a strop and most of the chicken theme stopped, apart from my mother who still gives her chicken themed things.

DH remembered it better than I did. The dog was called 'Bristlehound' and the Woluf was called 'Mildew' apparently. I was more into Wacky Races and The Double Deckers. Huge crush on Peter Firth that went into overdrive with the release of Equus and Letter To Brezhnef. (: ( :