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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sending presents for children directly to your home before wrapping

103 replies

Luckymummyx3 · 16/10/2026 22:49

i have a wonderful friend who I’ve known for 15+ years. She’s one of my best friends. She now lives a good 4/5hrs away by car due to relocating. She always remembers to send my kids birthday presents/Christmas presents and I do the same for hers. However in the last year, she has started ordering them directly to be delivered to my home rather than ordering something and then wrapping and posting it. So now when I receive the item, in order for it to feel like a present for the child, I now have to wrap it. This really annoys me as I have enough of my own wrapping at birthdays and Christmas. If I’m honest, I’d rather she didn’t bother and just send a card. It kind of feels like just buying something for the sake of it, rather than for the child’s enjoyment? Or am I overthinking?AIBU? Do I say something and if so, how without sounding ungrateful?!

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 17/10/2026 21:32

dontcrowdthemushrooms · 17/10/2026 20:08

I have family members that do this, and even though I'm an adult I find it really hurtful. Everyone is different and I'm not a massive Christmas fan, but there's just something so impersonal about it to me.

Grow up.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 17/10/2026 21:36

Note to those of us who use direct delivery. 📦 Send the recipient a fabric reusable gift bag to store so they don’t have to worry about wrapping. That’s if they don’t mind opening the box wasting precious seconds of their time.

Luckymummyx3 · 17/10/2026 21:47

Woah, ok I haven’t managed to read every single reply because there are A LOT but from the ones I have read, I hear you all loud and clear, sending presents directly to homes is acceptable to most people and clearly I am totally unreasonable to feel it’s a little impersonal and not really the point of gifting. And just to clarify, I’m not expecting a meticulously wrapped present for my child with ribbon and bows.
thank you to those who were able to give their opinion on this thread without insinuating (or directly saying) I am ungrateful or some kind of hateful person.

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