Correct response when given a toy that dc has already got?

[jinglesticks]

What is the best/politest thing to do when a visitor gives your dc a present that they already have?

Do you politely smile and thank them, or do you say that you already have it and suggest they give it to someone else/change it etc?

I am mainly talking about babies I guess because an older child might just say "I've already got that!" Or do you teach your dcs not to comment when given something they already have?

What IYO is best practice?

(Hurrah that I don't have any more important problems that this!)

Teach them to accept all gifts gratefully without looking in horses mouth etc.

Then it s up to you what you do with it.

Accept graciously, don't tear packaging and pass on to next person you give a baby gift to.

i have had this and i have just smiled politely and said thank you very much. i wouldnt want to make the person uncomfortable by saying i already have it.

Make sure they don't say "ooh, thank youm I've got one already just like it!" or "oh, this matches the other one I've got"

other than that, "thank you very much, it's lovely"
and pass it on

I say 'Oh what a brilliant choice of present - and I know it's a brilliant choice because he has one already and he loves it. So you picked the perfect gift - don't worry I can exchange it, if that's ok?' Then see if they say 'oh no I'll take it back to x shop and get him something else'

You have to go by someone's response really. You might need to sling in a 'sorry' too if it's someone a bit touchy.

Sometimes I say 'oh we already have one but we can keep this one in the car/at granny's/for a spare in case the other one gets lost/mangled.' And offer profuse thanks.

Of course, if it's something that they'll never know we have two of, then I smile and say how lovely and thank you very much. Then exchange it

Smile politely, thank and try to hide it so DCs don't damage it and it can be passed on somewhere else. Am teaching the DCs that you just say thank you gracefully. Though did have to gag talk loudly over DD1 as she opened a birthday present and said 'Oh, it's Bratz - my mummy says over her dead body will Bratz come into her house.'

These rules do not apply to grandparents, as both sets of grandparents are quite happy to exchange gifts (thought it rarely happens as mum and MIL tend to run ideas past me first).

Politely smile and thank them, then regift it later (or depending on what it is, have "one at home and one in the car" or "one at home and one at Grandma's house" or whatever).

Attempt to teach the children to smile and accept all gifts gracefully, although there is a sticky patch between "learning to talk" and "learning the concept of tact" where it tends not to go according to plan.

Depends who the giver is, but usually smile and thank them properly and return/re-gift later on.

I say depends on the giver as sometimes I'd tell family that he already has something, if I'm sure that no offense will be taken. My SIL always gives the receipt with gifts in case DS already has it, and I know she wouldn't mind if I told her that I'd returned it, and exchanged it. I would try and exchange for something similar though.

Ha ha Poledra - I was also going to ask what do you do when someone gives dc a gift that you really do not want them to have. I am currently trying to make ILs accept that I don't want dd to play with toy ironing boards etc, and they keep trying to sneak her (what I would deem) sexist toys when we're at their house.

There's nothing wrong with a toy ironing board IMO -- the only issue is if girls are bought/encouraged to play with them while boys aren't. Best solution therefore is to immediately give birth to a boy who will be gripped by all the "sexist" toys bought for his sister. But that's a little impractical... other approach is to grasp toy with glee and exclaim "Oh, a vacuum cleaner! You can be just like Daddy; Daddy likes to vacuum..." (assuming that child has a Daddy). In our household DH genuinely does do virtually all the ironing so if the DCs think about ironing boards at all it will be as something men use. I don't think they've ever seen me iron.

That sounds like our house ProfL - I don't actually think I own an ironing board, and I guess that's why ILs think its so important dd learns what a real woman is meant to be like!

Makes me so mad when her cousins tell her she shouldn't be playing with a train because she's a girl (and sil backs them up!) I can't believe that in 21st Century kids are being brought up believing their is ANYTHING that girls aren't allowed to do!

I had the very same problem yesterday. It was ds2's 3rd birthday and my aunt had bought him a gift we'd also got him. Ds1 (4.8) started to talk about how we'd got one like that etc. etc. but I talked over him and made out he was getting mixed up with another toy. It was cruel of me really, he looked so confused as to why mummy was being so random he rolled his eyes and walked off...