Ever Been Kind of Insulted By a Christmas Gift?

[sailorstitch]

If appeasing everyone every time ends up in these stories I think y'all just need to be able to put the foot down and say no more even if it doesn't go over well. There's times for just going with the flow but if all it's doing is causing all this drama maybe it's time for a change to go against the flow..maybe the new norm will pick up in terms of not doing gift exchanges as people get used to it. It seems like in your family from multiple family members, based on your stories, gifts are used to exert power and control over someone else to an unhealthy degree. Time to stop that

Honestly, I'd rather not meet with them at all on Christmas... or ever. But that's not happening.

In some ways I wish we could stop the gift exchanges. But at the same time I really enjoy shopping for others. Most of the time.... providing that you give me something to work with. An animal, a sports team, a tv show/movie, a type of item, SOMETHING. Some of my family members don't give me anything to work with.

My grandma is no longer living so my aunt is the only one that is currently a problem gift giver. My adult cousins now give gift cards. I had an issue with one of my cousins one year, but she learned her lesson.

 

[Wendy1985]

One year I got a whole lot of white tees for Christmas mide you I was volunteering with preschool kids

 

[Skywalker]

Years ago, my in-laws gave me a cookbook for Christmas. It said something like "Can't even boil water? Foolproof recipes for the beginning cook." Except by that point we had been married for about 2 years and I had made many, many meals for them (And I prided myself on my cooking skills long before I ever met them). It just made me feel bad, like, how much did you hate my food?? To be clear, cookbooks would be welcome any time....but one that implies I don't know what the heck I am doing? Gee thanks!

My friend was insulted one year by receiving a popcorn maker, but that was because she was expecting an engagement ring LOL. She had been hinting around for a ring and he kept saying how much she would enjoy her gift (wink, wink), and she put two and two together and got 7. He was thinking romantic movie nights and she was thinking marriage. It wasn't really his fault but she threw both him and his popcorn maker out of her apartment. They broke up for about a week until he showed up on New Year's Eve with a ring. It had kind of a romcom ending so it was okay in the end haha.

Anyone else have tales of questionable gifts?

Sorry to quote my own post, I just wanted to share though. Over the weekend I was watching old episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond and one of the presents Marie (the mother in law) gave to Debra (the daughter in law) was a book called something like "The ABC's of Cooking: A Guide for the Beginner in the Kitchen" or something like that. It was after she insulted her cooking, definitely unwanted, and definitely meant as an insult. I laughed so hard! My mother in law is Marie Barone!