Generous friends......

[Donbean]

This shouldnt be a problem and i feel really bad speaking to you all about this because it sounds very ungrateful and bitchy when that is not what i am at all.
A good friend of mine has a child whom i regularly offer to have for afternoons, couple of hours here and there.
The child is an absolute delight and is great company for my child.
The parents however bring bunches of flowes, box's sweets/chocolates/bickies/cakes and more expensive presents for this minor deed.
I have repeatedly told them that there is no need and that i am happy to do this, they would do the same for us if we needed them to.
I AM grateful and i just so chuffed that they are showing gratitude, they are genuinely lovely lovely people and i would never do any thing to upset or offend them but its getting so they bring piles of stuff every time they come i just dont know what to do with it all!!!
I have kind of accepted that this is just the way that they are, generous, kind people but.....
How would you approach this?

Are you sure you and Mo" aren't talking about each other !!!

HA! No, it was her thread that gave me the courage to post this though!

She probably enjoys showing her gratitude in this way. If you've stressed that she doesn't need to do it and yet she continues to do so it's probably because it makes her happy to do it.

In that case I would just accept it because if you say anything it will be awkward

It will i know BUT its OTT, I cant begin to tell you all the stuff she has bought us....
do you think that she thinks that we are chav and poor and need "stuff"???

Blimey what has she bought you?!!

suggest she gives stuff too dec, or some other charity instead

The last thing was about £40 worth of chocolate, i havent got room in my cupbourds for it all, Huge tins of celebrations, a MASSIVE bar of chocolate, tins of chocolates.
She has bought toys for ds worth £20~£30 .....for nothing, just turned up with them. Books, Oh God, the list goes on.
She is SO thoughtful and kind.

I thought you meant the occasioanl bottle of wine!! Is she loaded then?!!

I want to do these things for her, i offer to do it, she is such a good friend i love her company and feel like i have known her for ever, i dont buy her stuff in return because thats not how i work...i feel awful about this.

I KNOW Compo! see what i mean!
I dont know about her financial circumstances...should i ask

I have a friend who is aware of the fact that she is not able to turn up at any of her friends houses without something for them. It is symptomatic of her low self esteem - she is not enough (her thinking goes) so she has to give you something as well. Perhaps this is the case with your friend? She might find it difficult to accept that you could just help her out so she has to reward you?

if she is making you feel guilty about it, then its not much of a present. tell her how you feel. if she still does it, then refuse to take it/ give it straight back with an honest answer.
unless she is very very stupid, she will understand and change the way she shows her grattitude.

Yes beansprout that is her to a T.
I think that even if i told her every day that i absolutely adore her she wouldnt believe me.

I occasionally find a lovely "frienship card" in the card shops and i send it to her through the post. I usually write in that how much her friendship means to me and how much i appreciate her thoughtfulness.
Then she sends one right back within days much nicer than the one ive sent her with words in it that make me cry!