Would it be awful to exchange PIL's present to kids before Christmas?

[LeafyGreen13]

So DH got a text from MIL asking what the kids wanted for Christmas. I had already finished Christmas shopping and couldn't think but DS1 really wanted some pyjamas with his favorite character on it. So I asked for pyjamas for DS1 and DS2 and any clothes or toys for DD. I gave all their sizes and the colours they liked.

DH forgot to mention pyjamas and just said the character's clothes. Ok, well that's fine.

They arrived today and she got all the wrong sizes. DS2's are fine but DS1's are too small. DD's are way too big. I knew she would do this!! She never listens to me. Grrrr!

DS1 is going to be so excited when he sees them and totally disappointed when he tries them on.

I'm thinking of trying to exchange them or sell them on E-Bay and getting them something that actually fits. Would that be really awful though? We rarely see the in-laws so they would hopefully never know. If they did ask, I could say they were the wrong size so exchanged them.

Well he can't wear the wrong size so you'll have to exchange them

Not at all, it seems like the only reasonable thing to do! Definitely exchange them.

Oh, phew! Thank you. DD will probably fit hers in another year or two but it seems a shame she won't have anything on the day.

Oh, dear. I feel really bad but I didn't realise before that she had also sent hand-knitted vests for the boys but they are both very small and a huge hand-knitted pinafore for DD. I looked in before and thought they were scarves which would actually have been great.

Oh, well. I will try and get the pyjamas and see if I can exchange the T-shirts.

I think it's fine to change them, but I would tell her, diplomatically "oh those shops and their mad sizings, who would have thought that one lot would be too big and one lot too small!" That way you avoid her thinking you've changed them because you don't like them.

It is true, after all, dd can fit still into a 7-8 Boden, and yet is in an 11-12 for anything from Debenhams or the supermarket clothes aisle!

Yes, it's difficult. She actually called me and said they didn't have DS2's size so I said it was ok to get him the size up but then she got the right size for DS2 but too small for DS1. She must have looked at them in the shop and thought they looked on the big size. DS2 is tall but very skinny for his age so it's very hard to get him trousers that don't fall down. DS1 is very broad shouldered so clothes look massive in the shop but actually fit him well.

I shouldn't have asked for clothes, I had this nagging doubt at the time but I had just finished all my Christmas shopping and couldn't think what else to ask for.

I've done this, but with an aunt who would never know. Opened the parcel and gone to M&S and got something else.

Not her fault, DD1 wasn't a small preteen and her DCs were way younger.

Harder if MIL will notice

Are we related leafygreen? My mother does the same and all the kids clothes that she sends end up in the charity box. We try to take a photo usually first to email back - as in here's dd wearing the jumper- but this year she's sent ds a pair of hand knitted dungarees that are completely impractical - no way to change a nappy without striping everything off- and make him look like Supermario as a baby . I just don't know what to do. I can't take a photo of him in them, it might fall into the wrong hands and be used against him as a teenager

IL's sent clothes here last year.
I exchanged fairly fast.

It wouldn't have been so bad but SIL actually rang me while they were shopping and gave me a running commentary, sent me photos of things to ask were they ok and then sent completely different unsuitable things?!

I think we must be as she also included a huge, red, hand-knitted pinafore for DD which has short sleeves and is knee length and too small, hand-knitted vests for the DSs which they will refuse to wear.

I feel really bad as she must have gone to a lot of trouble. Oh, dear!

Crossed posts Juneau. Yes, that is my in-laws all over. My MIL doesn't believe in buying what people want, she likes to buy what she wants to give them, if that makes sense. Like one year she sent DH a walnut cake for his birthday even though he hates walnuts. You ask for something red and she will decide to get blue instead.

I knew from the outset she would get them something strange.

Don't feel bad about exchanging!!

Of course you should exchange them now!

Flambards it is a shame that your DC did a massive explosive poo the first time he had those dungarees on. What a shame the stains won't come out!

OP, I'm with the rest, exchange!

Just thought I'd update. I managed to exchange the vests (undershirts) at the local shop for socks instead. They didn't have the T-shirts though so I ordered one on Amazon, will give the other one to a friend's son. I didn't manage to exchange DD's jumper either. She can roll the sleeves up or keep it for next year though.

SIL lives near MIL so I really hope she doesn't send clothes this year.