Worst present anyone ever gave your child? And the best?

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

I’ll start - youngest BiL gave dd1 a book of cartoon strips entitled Cuba for Beginners.

Dd was 2! So luckily too young even to be disappointed.

I did ask BiL why on earth he’d thought a political book for adults was suitable for a 2 year old.
He said, ‘Well, it does say for beginners…’.

Many years later (dd were mid teens) same BiL did redeem himself by giving them each 2 x £50 notes. That was over 20 years ago now, so it was a lot.

DS got this for his birthday yesterday. I have farts & minion giggles ringing in my ears! But I’ve only myself to blame 🤦🏻‍♀️

Not my children but me, I've had a few but I'll just pic one.

Uncle and aunt who live in Scotland at the time. Aunt phones my mother to ask about presents, she said they were thinking of getting me a CD rack. My mum said that was absolutely fine.

I did not have a CD player, I did not own any CDs. So my mum told me what they were buying so I wouldn't be surprised when I opened it.

MiL didn't like you did she.......😂

One of my extended family gave her daughter’s child a descant recorder for Christmas! Mum was quietly incandescent (no pun intended).

Oh no 😂

I've made the mistake before of giving my Dad a joke book as a stocking filler. He then insists on reading them all out. He's one of those people who says, ''oh this is a funny one'' but never actually laughs. It's my own fault, I know.🙄

The trouble is, sometimes there’s sod all thought and not much love, either.

Ex mil and her brother gave dd then aged 12 a pair of pillowcases, a diet cookbook and men's aftershave! She also gave me a size 18 top one year from Tesco. I think it was her sister who originally gave it to her and she found it was too small so regifted it to me. I was a size 12 at the time and even if it had been the right size it was not something I'd ever wear.

A great present for DS was a huge bin lorry toy, from someone I've never met (my sibling's in-laws, who were engaged in a competitive politeness contest with my DM). When DS opened it, my DH made a mean comment about it being a plastic bit of tat, but it was the longest lasting toy in the house, and the star of many a "where are the keys - gah they are in the bin lorry" dramas. It was much loved though, and a sad day when it went to the charity shop.

There haven't been many rubbish ones. One passive aggressive present from ILs, when I suggested a book - "10 Games to code using Python" - and they got "10 Nature Craft projects" instead. That never got used, sadly.

The worst was from Santa himself, at a grotto. It was a train that made the most god-awful noise, and nothing would silence it. We submerged it in water, cut wires, left it outside for a week, and it just would not die.

When I was little I remember my mum receiving half a bottle of used nail polish from my grandmother - her MIL. My mother still mentions it now 30 odd years later.

A jigsaw puzzle my sister-in-law gave to my daughter. It was clearly regifted and had obviously belonged to her own daughter, when we opened the box, an old Primark clothing label and strands of hair fell out, likely picked up from their carpet when it was last used.

My in-laws did Secret Santa - my gift was a small bathroom bin - my secret Santa turned out to be my husband!

A bar of soap, with craft-flower thingies attached to it. Using pins.

An electric fly bat to a 4yr old

the best a light up train for my asd 10yr old ( it helps calm him down)

You obviously hit reply without reading the thread.

He’s lucky you merely avoided him after that!

Best- DS loved train sets when he was small and would imagine amazing track pieces like “a glittery bridge with a swerve” or “special blocks to make the tracks go high up”. ExDH and I have been separated for years, and during lockdown he had to self isolate due to immune dysfunction- and spent months woodworking special pieces for DS’s trainset- whatever he dreamed up.

Worst…. Gawd… the fucking paw patrol lookout tower. Massive, noisy plastic shit. Thanks DM!

When I was a kid my brother was gifted this ice cream truck that had the most annoying song, as a kid I loved it, now I’m glad it’s not around because if my kid was ever gifted it I would have lost it

I've bought this for my toddler (or is she past toddler now, when does a toddler stop being a toddler?) this year... hoping it goes down as well lol.

Worst 'at the time', was a brand new all bells and whistle Ipad for my 3 month old. I thought they have gone mad.

However admittedly 6 years later its now their favorite thing now and still works fine.

I still think it was a nuts present for a baby though.

One of my friends received a hamper from her SIL The hamper contained a fair few nut related products, friend has a nut allergy. SIL knows this!

Calling someone who suffered a disfiguring injury 'truly terrifying' is a bit ablest.

the present is not FOR you... you don't need to like it.

Honestly you post makes you sound money grabbing and cruel.

Best present ever was Shut the Box. I think DH’s sister gave it to DS2 around 20 years ago. We still have Shut the Box tournaments on holiday 😂.

Electronic nail clipper 😭

Im not sure, his facial injury isn’t that obvious, a lot of people aren’t even aware - so may just be a reference to him ageing?

My (now thankfully ex), MiL got DD a cheap £2.99 toy hand mixer, DD was 4 at the time. The other GC got things on their wish list so to say I was not impressed is an understatement. The best (when DD was 6), was die cast models of all the animals in (apart from the hyenas, but that's another story), of The Lion King complete with a handmade wooden Pride Rock made by my dad. DD was mad keen on the Disney film (the original cartoon one), and she played with it non-stop. DD is in her 30's now and still has it to this day.

I agree. It’s for the kids, not you. Sounds like she got it right!