Advice on a Personalized Gift

[BreezyGoldCrab]

Hi,

I’m looking for some advice on a making a personalized blanket for my parents. I know this is a silly question but I don’t want to be an “evil stepmother” but maybe I am? I was planning to have my parents, my siblings and their spouses and children printed on it. I don’t have bio kids but I do have two step kids in their 20s. They are not close to my parents as they met in their late teens/early 20s and have only seen each other a handful of times. I would say my relationship with them is like friends as I didn’t watch them grow up and also only met them in their late teens/early 20s. We have a friendly and respectful relationship but I can’t say that I view them as my kids. Would it be mean of me to not include them on the blanket for my parents? If I was making anything personalized for my husband or even myself, I would definitely include them.

I think it would be weird if you did include them to be honest.

Yep agreed, if your parents don't really know them it would be odd to include them.

Would they even know about this gift?

There’s a possibility they may be there when I gift it to them.

Does your partner want his name on it? I don't think the step children need to be on due to them not really having a relationship with your parents.

But as a parent I don't think I'd like seeing my name on a sort of family tree that didn't include my children, so I'd want you to leave me off it.

I think if spouses are taking part, then maybe they should be too. Is your spouse doing it? You only mention your siblings spouses. Nobody meets spouses until they are in their late teens / early twenties at the earliest, they’re also not biologically related but you clearly consider them family as you say your siblings spouses will be allowed their hand prints on. If you are married or cohabiting with their Dad then in my opinion they count as family. Mind you, in my family, for all their faults, temporary foster children are treated more like family with regard to gifts etc than a lot of people treat step children.