What's the worst present you got for your parents as a child?

[dinglefeckingscarecrow]

I was about 8 or 9 and my mother asked for something for the house as a Christmas present.

I hoofed it to Woolys after school, and proudly bought her a shiny new.........

......dustpan and brush

I remember my uncle practically pissing himself when my mum opened it on Christmas day.

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

I once wrapped up my dad's alarm clock and gave that to him for Christmas, so not only a shit present, but not even a present, as he already owned it!

I think I must have bought my mum Oil of Ulay every Mother's Day for about 10 years

When I was 5 I gave my DM a piece of her own jewellery! I think I had decided women wanted jewellery and, as I couldn't afford any, decided to "regift".

When I was about 9 IO bought my dad half a pound of marzipan from Kwik Save because I knew he liked marzipan.
My mum had to explain what a crap present it was!

I bought my mum an ironing board cover - so useful and pratical :-)

a 1/2 full box of malteasers!

The temptation of a full box to 7 year old me and 6 year old sister was too much and we poked a hole in the corner and ended up eating lots!

My mother likes practicl gifts, she loves flowers and I often buy them for her during the year but her rule is no flowers for mothers day because they are a rip off. Last year I gave her a few bags of organic bread flour, another year some king prawns. (she was delighted but not everyone would be!)

OK......... now this is truly shaming, as I was an older teenager by this point so should have been more clued up on decent presents by this point.

I bought my mum

for Xmas

and I really thought she'd like it

a CD of crooner type songs sung by................

Jack Duckworth (Coronation Street)

I hope to god I got her something else as well (but I don't think I did, unless it was the matching Jack and Vera mugs that I know I was responsible for too)

Oh the shame!

It's funny because I was thinking about this (and cringing) the other day.

I can't remember how old I was (maybe about 12), I bought my Mum a candlestick holder similar to this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-Candleholder-Dancing-Stick-Man-Metal-2-Votives-or-Tealights-New-in-box-/390706569332

I remember that it had three figures on it each with a candlestick holder. I thought that she'd love it.

By Mothers Day morning, I'd changed my mind and convinced myself that she'd hate it as she didn't have anything else in a similar style and I'd bought her a really naff present. I remember being really upset.

She might have hated it, but she hid it well and I think it was out on display for several years at least. For all I know, she might have walked past it every day and thought "what on earth made her buy that!".

I'm not very good at buy presents even now... but the worst was probably a big bar of cadbury chocolate... which i had been tempted with and broke a few squares off, then sellotaped the side up thinking she wouldn't notice.

My DM and I were talking about this the other day. When I was about 8 my grandmother took me to the pantomime, and I bought this for my DM in the theatre. I saw it and thought it was lovely.

My DM told me that she hated it, but because I'd bought it for her, she put it on her dressing table and still has it. I might send her the link actually. It will make her smile.

I got mine a "Happy Mother's Day Grandma" card and teddy

I still when I remember giving my Dad Hai Karate aftershave that I had bought from poundstretcher aged about 14. I had no idea it was a cheapo past it joke from the 70s brand.

I think my Mums present that year was Elizabeth Duke from Argos jewellery. I dont know which was worse.

In my defence, I hate shopping and present buying. Id rather choose my own stuff and am totally fine with giving cash or vouchers as presents as it means that the recipient actually gets something they want.

My big idea for Christmas presents for adults is everyone buys themself a present. They get to choose exactly what they want, set the budget, look round for the best price if they like and you can still talk about it with relatives and show it off on Christmas day, and no-one gets crap like Boots gift sets unless they actually want them.

I had no idea it was a cheapo past it joke from the 70s brand.

A joke?

That stuff is so powerful they put karate instructions on the box!!!

I bought my mum a cookie jar from the gadget shop, in the days when the gadget shop was the nuts. I was 7 and my dad gave me the money to buy something for mums birthday.

It was a grinning dolphin shaped cookie jar made of a plasticy type material and made an eeeee eeeerk dolphin noise whenever it's head was lifted up. God it was so naff and annoying. It occupied our house till the early 2000s.

A pair of fake gold massive hoop earrings covered in fake rubies. They were like something you'd see in the Jeremy Kyle holding pen but me being about 7 thought they were so glamorous. Well, it was the 80s after all, decade of bad taste.

Not the same but similar I once made my mum dinner while she had a snooze, I must have been about 8?

Beef crisps topped with marmite and golden syrup- she liked the first too and liked sweet things so I thought I was winning.

I was not. She was really cross!

It was this. Monstrosity.

I once got a dust pan and brush from DH. I was naïve enough to mention the day before my birthday We needed a new set and he wrapped it up in paper!

Not sure about presents TO my parents but they were quite hard to please. I once gave her a jumper she didn't like (I was bit miffed when she took it back). Once I baked a nice cake for dad but apparently I put the wrong number of candles on by mistakes. Christ, he ought to have known when you get past 50 it can be hard to keep track of details like that.

When ds1 was born I didn't have a present for my mum whose birthday was a week after we got home. Our first outing was a walk to a local shop to get a card, but she wasn't pleased we had no present for her. I've come to realise it was them that had the problem, not moi. When my mum died I got various items back (little brooches and boxes that she liked )which I had given her over the years. I didn't do too bad really.

Was she a big Corrie fan, Raptor, or did you get it purely for the excellent vocals?

IneedAwittierNickname my mum used to say that every time that advert used to come on too! She could never understand why telling your mum she has wrinkles would be a welcome gift .

At least the dustpan and brush was useful. One year I gave my mum an empty tonic water bottle filled with water and glitter . She must have loved it because she said it was so special it could stay in my room to 'keep it safe'...

My poor dad had a box of Grecian 2000 hair dye as a joint birthday present from my sister and me. We thought we were being very helpful and thoughtful.

School trip presents were the best for tat - no wonder my poor mum insisted I spent my money on myself after I came home with a hideous plastic doll from Paris dressed like a can-can girl that I think you were supposed to hide a loo roll under her skirt.

Or my favourite is from when I went skiing in Italy and bought my mum a mini plastic shrine. I laugh everytime I think of it. My mum is not religious and doesn't like trinkety shit. It was a varnished wood disc with a plastic Jesus on top of a mini mountain. I wish I had a photo so I could more accurately convey its shitness.

I was desperate to give my mum a Christmas gift one year, when I was too small for pocket money. My dad and sisters wouldn't help me for some reason so I found a talcum powder and puff set in my Mum's bathroom cabinet and wrapped that up. I remember her looking very puzzled when she opened it up but then pretending it was the best gift ever.

When my DD was little she got her Dad to buy me a DVD of 'The Prince and Me' for Christmas. When I asked him why on earth he had bought me a kids film ( behind her back, obviously) he said that she said I had really enjoyed it when we saw it at the cinema. I think she may have enjoyed it more than me! Still don't know why went along with her suggestion.

OK this was ds1 rather than me but when he was very small he presented me with a making kit for my birthday which consisted if I remember correctly of a plastic bag stuffed full of paper from the recycling bin and a reel of sellotape taken from my drawer. He was very offended I did not immediately start creating a work of art with it!

I clubbed together with my sisters to buy our mum a chopping board one year. .