to tell mil she cannot use xmas batteries

[MadeinScotland2026]

This happened last xmas but it's been brought up again due to everyone making xmas plans i think.

Mil stayed with us last year and she got the kids lots of presents that needed batteries. Which she didn't get before hand or prewarn us that we needed them.

On xmas morning she noticed my bag of batteries I got for xmas and went to put them into the toys she got. I said no they were for the toys santa got ( they were brought for this reason and cost £££)
I told her she can use any left over and I will buy more when I can. She wasn't happy to say the least and then asked the kids which toys they wanted batteries in first ( they said santa which i already knew)
I was annoyed as

1. They cost £££
2. I wanted to see my children play with the toys I got
3. She couldve said before hand or got some herself

aibu?

oh god just buy some extra batteries. you can remind her too/ ask her what batteries will be needed for any toys she has bought so you can get the right ones in advance - but this reads like you're spoiling for a fight.

To be obsessing over something so trivial, nearly a year later… is the thing that makes you unreasonable.
Just remind her about batteries. Job done .

I haven't been. She brought it up as the whole thing made her feel unwelcome. She sent me a very long message about it.

Buy cheaper batteries?? Really though you’re coming across like Teddy from The Forgotten Toys. Surely no one else spends this much thought on batteries. And how many toys need how many batteries? This is baffling on many levels.

Good grief, it was almost a year ago.
Calm down.

And it's "bought", not "brought".

YANBU at all. My ex used to do that. He once bought a remote control helicopter for ds that used 8 AA batteries. Gave him the helicopter on xmas morning but no batteries.

The batteries cost more than the toy.

I kept asking him to go and buy batteries, reminded him every time he filled up with fuel. He never did buy them. The ultimate in thoughtless performative parenting.

The helicopter was quietly binned in May.

It’s November of the following year…

Put the batteries in the toys before you wrap them. Then she cant take them

Reply with "great. You have remembered how awkward it last year when you didnt being batteries. Should be easy to remember to pick some up if you need them this year"

You could have been more tactful and displayed better manners. Poor mil - she bought presents and you stood in the way of the children enjoying them, and created a bad atmosphere for your children and husband on Christmas morning.

”Which I knew” - being right isn’t the important thing. Maintaining family harmony is.

I think you need to grow up a little and start thinking of things from other people’s point of view.

Buy a few extra batteries and try to be more thoughtful.

Thete's far more behind this than batteries!

How utterly petty. Just buy a load of batteries in the run up to Christmas ffs.

Can you just reply saying 'let's reset. Bring the batteries you need for the toys you buy this year...and we will all have a better day!'

Theres no-one more thoughtless than someone who gives a gift with no batteries but as pp said just buy some extra.

As a parent of a young child I always make sure I have plenty of batteries in around Christmas and birthdays, I think your reaction was quite petty. Amazon do massive boxes of batteries, their own brand that are decent and not expensive. I bought 100 recently for £17

Poundland sell batteries ask your husband to buy some for his mum

I think the person buying the present should be the one to buy the bloody batteries. I mean surely you would check when buying it!

We used to open all packaging and put batteries in the toys and then wrap for the children. This would save the hassle of trying to open that horrible plastic packaging and find the right batteries etc. Or you could always buy more batteries.

I'd advise you to get batteries from screw fix you can get 40 for around £15. They do smaller packs too. You do not have to spend a fortune on expensive batteries. You will not run out then even when the Santa toys batteries run out.

You both sound as petty as each other and using the children on Christmas Day as some sort of pick the favourite pawns.

Either say
“don’t forget the batteries this year Susan”. (Or better still ask H to remind her)

or buy extra batteries

Grandma doesn’t live with your children honestly does it really matter if they play with “her” presents whilst she is there - you have the rest of the time to see the children play with “your” presents

Our children are teens now, we had both grandparents every Christmas - they have no idea nowadays who gave what to whom
what they remember is decorating the tree (we do it late and everyone is involved), going to Panto or local theatre, playing Rapidough, the Christmas cracker game, watching muppets Christmas carol every Christmas Eve, or the disaster of the gingerbread house we made

What they don’t remember is who gave them the remote control cars or walkie-talkies

You are reducing the “Christmas magic” into a cat fight about a handful of batteries - it really doesn’t matter

I have an idea....buy rechargable ones. You can recharge up to 8 double A size batteries in one go. Few hours later ready to go again

Just have a stash of batteries and there is no drama. As PPs say you can get cheap ones almost anywhere which do just fine.

I may be missing the point of the thread but surely there was a petrol station open xmas eve/boxing day and failing that, the shops open on boxing day.

I caveat with the fact we are 10 miles from London and the op may be in the Scottish Highlands.

Imagine living a life where this is an issue. Must be lovely.

Just buy some more batteries and stop making your MIL out to be difficult.

Buy a battery charger and a set of rechargeable batteries.
And let the poor woman enjoy her grandchildren

You binned the toy because he didn’t buy batteries? Jesus.