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Original poster

protocol on responding to MIL madness

16 replies

bakedpotato · 23/11/2004 13:45

i never stop going on about this particular person, but get this.

it's dd's 3rd bday today (thanks to all who eulogised the Plan dolls house on an ancient thread. we got her one and she could not believe her eyes this morning. she went off to nursery school having tucked the small girl doll up in the master bed with the daddy doll, and sticking the mother doll in the attic cupboard, but i'm trying not to read too much into that).

my mother in law, who came to stay a few weeks ago, left her a bundle of white/cream clothes (practicality personified) from mothercare. they just came in a carrier bag, no wrapping paper or anything. we made the mistake of getting the carrier bag out as if it was a real present, not knowing its contents, and dd looked utterly baffled.

the truly weird thing is, they're age 2-3.

would love to know protocol on how to respond to this gift.

OP posts:

bundle · 23/11/2004 13:46

did she leave the receipt in the bag?

JanH · 23/11/2004 13:48

"Thank you so much, MIL. We were really amazed!"

JanH · 23/11/2004 13:49

(And then off to Mothercare to exchange for something you and DD will like!)

Kayleigh · 23/11/2004 13:50

I'd just say that you hope she doesn't mind if you change them as your dd needs the larger size. Then you can sy there were no more of the cream/white in stock and you had to buy .......(whatever colour you like!)

Is a bit strange though - did she expect you to wrap them ?

codswallop · 23/11/2004 13:50

K I cat ed you
did oyu get it?

beachyhead · 23/11/2004 13:52

Likewise - just received a gap bag from mil, delivered by sil , with message 'they were such a bargain i couldn't resist. It was a tracksuit in maroon with turquoise and orange stripes down the side, and a matching stripy top.

All reduced with price tags still on - dh, me and nanny all speechless at putting large brawny bruiser of 3.5 year old in said clothes.....

Still haven't responded - I think I'll leave it to dh to respond!!!!

codswallop · 23/11/2004 13:53

oh yes I would

Caligula · 23/11/2004 13:55

LOL at the attic cupboard event!

Kayleigh · 23/11/2004 13:56

coddy, did you CAT me or JanH. J and K are next to each other on the keyboard - and with your spelling ...

codswallop · 23/11/2004 13:57

you I have jan h's addy
it was about hte ( ahem) you know what

Kayleigh · 23/11/2004 14:00

I haven't received anything yet. And I have (ahem) no idea what you are talking about !
Look forward to receiving it.

Original poster

bakedpotato · 23/11/2004 14:04

she did leave the receipt in the bag. Kayleigh, you have got me thinking. I wonder whether we were meant to wrap them.
just generally dispirited as doing returns is such a faff. and it's so easy to give a 3-yr-old something they will really really love and enjoy.
she always gives me clothes too, and i always take them back (though it took me a year to take last year's chenille hat/scarf/glove set back to m&S, and they'd only give me a quid for it, since that's what it had ended up being discounted to -- but that really is MY fault for being generally disorganised).
one year when dd was a baby she gave all 3 of us matching black polo necks. we could have performed as a beatles tribute band.

OP posts:

woodpops · 23/11/2004 14:11

Take them back. Don't tell mil and get dh just to mention that dd was a little baffled by it as it wasn't gift wrapped. Let dd choose a toy from Mothercare instead!!!!

My mil sent ds b'day prezzie not gift wraped once. Not impressed. Bil does the same as well. Dh family are just a bunch of muppets. I've said this before on here and no doubt will say it again. It's just a shame I took his family name and not the other way round.

alicatsg · 23/11/2004 14:30

My MIL never wraps anything as she thinks its wasteful. DS doesn't seem to mind too much so far but quite what she wants me to do with the hat she knitted him thats a touch too big for his daddy I don't know

Original poster

bakedpotato · 23/11/2004 14:53

alicatg, love the hat story.
WP, yes, will do exactly what you say. but somehow i just know DH won't bring up wrapping paper when he's next on phone. lack of paper far less irritating anyway than lack of thought...

OP posts:

honeybunny · 23/11/2004 14:55

Had to order, buy and wrap ds1's bday pressie from my mother this year. On one hand am glad that ds1 got what he wanted, on the other am dismayed at my mothers apparant lack of interest or effort in buying something nice for her grandson. You can guarantee I wont be doing this for his xmas pressie, baby coming next week by ECS, and my xmas shopping is done and dusted!

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