Gift from MIL

[tlbwriter]

Copy from n2mm
My MIL informed me last year that she was cutting back and would no longer be giving my kids gifts -- only the grand kids who are blood related. (I've been married to her son almost 20 years and my kids call her grandma.) They were pretty hurt last year as we all gathered at her house at Christmas time and she handed out gifts to everyone but my kids. (BTW, it's not a money issue, as she is well off.)

OMG. I hope you're not putting your children through that again. How cruel of her.

 

[lchadwick]

Wow... Some of these gifts are pretty incredible. Both my mom and MIL ask what I want/need (which is usually nothing), but the one time I was very specific (books) they both got me something they "thought I'd like better." Oh well.

My FIL and his ex- told us they were sending us all to WDW for our Christmas present. Holy Cow! we thought. We checked over and over if they were sure before we told the kids and up to the end of September we were told go ahead. Then BAM! two or three days after we last checked with them they told us they couldn't afford it. Too late for us - we had already told the kids. We paid for a Disney Christmas we had not planned and then when we stopped by their house on the way down (as we were ordered to) they ended up giving the kids a bunch of really crappy toys - which filled our SUV up, and made unpacking at the resort a very unpleasant experience. DH wondered why they couldn't have gotten us a giftcard to help with our last-minute expenses, since they insisted on spending money, anyway.

Ah, well!

 

[threecrazykids]

I find this neither funny or entertaining. I usually do not get a gift from my MIL and if I do it is something very small and inexpensive, but no matter what it is, I will cherish it.

There is ALWAYS one of these types of responses to threads like these...cracks me up EVERY time. Yes, ma'am you ARE the "do gooder" and you will probably get much nicer thoughts about you (and gifts) than any of us will ever get.

The thread is intended to be lighthearted not evil...chillax and be Merry!

 

[tlbwriter]

There is ALWAYS one of these types of responses to threads like these...cracks me up EVERY time. Yes, ma'am you ARE the "do gooder" and you will probably get much nicer thoughts about you (and gifts) than any of us will ever get.

The thread is intended to be lighthearted not evil...chillax and be Merry!

Yes, there's always someone who has to spout some kind of holier-than-thou "you should be lucky" line. Yes, there are people who have much worse problems than thoughtless MILs. That doesn't mean it's still not a problem.

If you feel the gift was an insult then ask yourself why the person giving the give thought of you that way.

So if someone insults you, it must be your fault? It couldn't just be that she's a nasty old hag? Interesting. Would you happen to be a MIL who gives cheap thoughtless gifts?

 

[gillenkl]

The first year I was dating my now DH, I learned that it was a tradition to sit in the middle of the family circle and unwrap your gifts. His brothers and their girlfriends were also there. I could see the piles of gifts for everyone for DH's mom. When it was my turn I received 1 gift, a pair of earrings. It was so humiliating because all the other girlfriends had received a huge stack and then me - only one gift. That was her way of making a statement. When I got married she wouldn't open the gift I presented her with at the rehearsal dinner. She continued letting know I wasn't welcome for another 9 LONG years.

My MIL has been gone for 6 years now and it just so happens that I was one who helped her in her dying days. I ended up having to help plan her funeral. You just never know how life will turn out.

I think it's best to just let it go. Try and find the humor in the "gift" and just move on.

 

[Leader of the Club]

I got a one pound bag of nuts one year. I don't eat nuts. The kids don't eat nuts.

My dd20 and I sat down one day and come up with a huge list of gift ideas for MIL. It was the most fun we had in ages. Some of our ideas were used post-it notes, canned soup, and opened box of tissues.

 

[okeydokey]

I find this neither funny or entertaining. I usually do not get a gift from my MIL and if I do it is something very small and inexpensive, but no matter what it is, I will cherish it. It's not because she dislikes me. She had 15 children and as a result has about 70 grandkids. She is not wealthy. Christmas is not about the gift you get. It should be enough that you were thought of. If you feel the gift was an insult then ask yourself why the person giving the give thought of you that way.

This is true in most cases but when you get someone a gift that is designed to insult their weight or that shows that you have no regard for them, than that's the thought.

 

[andreadoiron]

Some of these are too funny. (Made me LOL -- in the office).

My MIL informed me last year that she was cutting back and would no longer be giving my kids gifts -- only the grand kids who are blood related. (I've been married to her son almost 20 years and my kids call her grandma.) They were pretty hurt last year as we all gathered at her house at Christmas time and she handed out gifts to everyone but my kids. (BTW, it's not a money issue, as she is well off.)

that is just awful and mean! my MIL and i don't always see eye to eye but she has always treated my daughter from a previous marriage as well as my other 2. that is so hurtful and unneccessary! what an evil woman!

 

[pearlieq]

There is ALWAYS one of these types of responses to threads like these...cracks me up EVERY time. Yes, ma'am you ARE the "do gooder" and you will probably get much nicer thoughts about you (and gifts) than any of us will ever get.

The thread is intended to be lighthearted not evil...chillax and be Merry!

Agreed. There's one in every crowd. It's actually kind of entertaining because you know it's coming.

Some folks are just a little bit superior...

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

I have the BEST MIL gift story:

This would have been about 9-10 years ago (and I am since happily divorced, and many of the reasons our marriage failed are to do with his mother, but thats a whole other thread).

My MIL would make lists of things she and FIL wanted for Xmas and the family was to follow these lists and compare with each other so nothing got doubled. She was like the xmas nazi and everything had to be PERFECT. I could go on and on with xmas stories about her....


Anyhoo, we had moved across the country and she did not send her 'list'. She told my DH (EX now - yah making that clear LOL) that rather than making us try and find out from the family what was taken on her list, she would just give us one item to buy for her (yes, she expected that would be the item we were to buy). She told him she wanted "grey socks from Northern Reflections". This woman ONLY shopped at this store, and for those of you that do not know the store, it is a mall type women's clothing store.

So I thought 'Hmmmmmmmm this is easy, I can go into that store and grab 6 pairs of grey socks and mail them to her.....great'.

We lived about an hour from the mall where this store was, and it was over a large mountain road. I had planned a Saturday to go over, grab these socks and some other shopping I needed to get done,etc..
I woke up to a MAJOR blizzard that lasted 3 days and shut the roads down. I knew I had no time to get the socks and get them mailed to her, so I went into a local store.
I found the exact same socks, but just a different brand. I knew the ones I always saw her wearing, and these were identical.
Ok socks are socks right?

Fast forward to Xmas morning. DH calls them and thanks them for our gifts (she always sent out a HUGE box full of crap for us - and literally it was all just dollar store junk and stuff from Avon because she sells it). Then he says 'Are the socks ok? We don't have Northern Reflections nearby.'.
Then I hear "Ohhhhhhhh, Oh..... oh we didn't realize....well sorry, but I am sure you can still use them right?".

He gets off the phone. Apparently she didn't want GREY SOCKS - she wanted this stupid GREY STOCKING - like an Xmas Stocking, and it was like a giant version of her fave grey socks all decorated. LMAO so hard. I was literally almost wetting myself laughing at that one.

Now...fast forward to the next Xmas.
Big box comes full of the usual crap she sends. 10 gifts for DH, 8 for DD and ONE gift for me.
Guess what it was? The grey socks! She sent them BACK to me the next year!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[phinsphan]

I am divorced so take these gifts with whatever thought process you want to use in regards to the gifts my kids and I *the ex dil* received last night*

My kids went with ex-dh and his parents tonight for xmas since ex fil is a new long haul trucker and will be gone until Jan.So my dd gets a bottle of Pantene shampoo/conditioner, a kit of makeup *wrong type for her as she has skin allergy/issues*, opened chocolate bar and a box of micro popocorn.

Oldest son got PJ pants *girls in pink 4 sizes too small* I mean my 14 yr old son is rail thin but even he can't fit a size 2 in womens either in waist or in length as they look like "gay men" capris *no offense*and a 1/2 eaten symphony bar.

Youngest got a slingshot from nerf without any of the nerf stuff to go with it and a 1/2 drank Sobe.

Me.........they sent me their used phone book with my name highlighted in it like I don't know who I am???? Oh and a pair of peds used slippers. Just what a 38 yr old mom wants. Used peds and a used phone book. Good hell no wonder I'm happy single.

 

[gabriellyn]

I am divorced so take these gifts with whatever thought process you want to use in regards to the gifts my kids and I *the ex dil* received last night*

My kids went with ex-dh and his parents tonight for xmas since ex fil is a new long haul trucker and will be gone until Jan.So my dd gets a bottle of Pantene shampoo/conditioner, a kit of makeup *wrong type for her as she has skin allergy/issues*, opened chocolate bar and a box of micro popocorn.

Oldest son got PJ pants *girls in pink 4 sizes too small* I mean my 14 yr old son is rail thin but even he can't fit a size 2 in womens either in waist or in length as they look like "gay men" capris *no offense*and a 1/2 eaten symphony bar.

Youngest got a slingshot from nerf without any of the nerf stuff to go with it and a 1/2 drank Sobe.

Me.........they sent me their used phone book with my name highlighted in it like I don't know who I am???? Oh and a pair of peds used slippers. Just what a 38 yr old mom wants. Used peds and a used phone book. Good hell no wonder I'm happy single.

I think that is pretty much the worst gift story ever.

 

[rascalmom]

I got a can of green olives once. Not anything fancy....purchased at the grocery store. Evidently I like the wrong kind of olives - the salty little cocktail ones, & MIL felt the need to expose me to her favorites (aka as the "finer" things).

Her gift giving talents have been passed down to her son (my dh). Last year he got me a laundry basket - this year I think I am getting a stew pot. He is ever a practical man & means well, but I really need to learn to be careful when I mention it would "be nice" to have something. That "something" ends up being my gift.

Next year, I plan to mention something in the sparkly category.

 

[mirandag819]

WOW! This thread makes me appreciate my wonderful mother in law.....even though I was a little annoyed with her right now for making me move Christmas dinner from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day......well she didn't make me, but she is insisting on going to church and wouldn't have made the dinner I had scheduled.....and wanted us to wait for her until 9:30ish (I have a 3 year old so that didn't sound like a good idea).

However she is normally wonderful and buys me great gifts..... a coach handbag, diamond earrings, a camera....ect.

 

[GJM]

All I can say is "WOW" to some of these stories. How does someone give gifts like these?!

I am laughing so hard at some of these things.

 

[MoniqueU]

I got in a box with some other stuff I don't remember what it was, a bottle of olive oil. I didn't know what it was. I was informed it is to cook with. I don't cook. Been married 16 years and have managed to make it all this time without a bottle of olive oil. She loves cooking stuff even though she goes out to eat nearly every meal, so I get lots of cooking stuff that I don't know what to do with. I also one time got an ice cream maker. It got used one time when she came over and made ice cream with my girls. When I say I don't cook that includes a 20 step process of ice cream making. Also once got an air popper for popcorn. Again, no clue why. thats what microwave popcorn is for.

 

[okeydokey]

I am divorced so take these gifts with whatever thought process you want to use in regards to the gifts my kids and I *the ex dil* received last night*

My kids went with ex-dh and his parents tonight for xmas since ex fil is a new long haul trucker and will be gone until Jan.So my dd gets a bottle of Pantene shampoo/conditioner, a kit of makeup *wrong type for her as she has skin allergy/issues*, opened chocolate bar and a box of micro popocorn.

Oldest son got PJ pants *girls in pink 4 sizes too small* I mean my 14 yr old son is rail thin but even he can't fit a size 2 in womens either in waist or in length as they look like "gay men" capris *no offense*and a 1/2 eaten symphony bar.

Youngest got a slingshot from nerf without any of the nerf stuff to go with it and a 1/2 drank Sobe.

Me.........they sent me their used phone book with my name highlighted in it like I don't know who I am???? Oh and a pair of peds used slippers. Just what a 38 yr old mom wants. Used peds and a used phone book. Good hell no wonder I'm happy single.

What terrible gifts. Please tell me your kids have a good sense of humor and you can all laugh about this together. Who would give someone half consumed food?

 

[phinsphan]

We all laughed until we were sick when the boys got home and we compared crappy gifts 101. We took pictures of my son in his piggy pink too small,short jammies and laughed *even he did at 14* until we were sick

I think this is one of the worst gift years ever even when we were married the gifts weren't this "out there" but it did make me laugh and my kids laughed. It was funny!!!! If I thought my ex inlaws really hated me I'd be sad but I don't think they do............just financially challenged these days.

 

[problemchild718]

Although my ex was here on Sunday and had the kids the weekend before, he never took my kids Christmas shopping for me. Yesterday, DS (16) and DD (9) came to me and asked if I could take them to the bank and the store. They were upset and embarrassed. I took them to the store, gave them my debit card and dissapeared for a while. Essentially I bought my own gifts, but they were so excited. Someday they will understand that dad was either an @#% or cheap.

 

[jfoofj]

Ok... I will preface this by saying that my MIL has retired to a tropical locale..... and she is the first one to say "Anyone want a margarita?". She visits us approx once every two years, so we don't get a lot of time with her, so she really doesn't even know me that well.

Three years ago I got a margarita set

Two years ago I got a coconut style bra thingy and grass skirt...

Last year I got a Santa style bra and panties set....

I'm thinking these are more gifts for DH than me.... I get a hoot out of it. We don't get to see her often, and she has a sense of humor and personality that can be described as "off center", especially by us New Englanders. She always sends a check for all of us for a "family gift" and gives our kids pjs and slippers and their own money. We also make sure that I open my gift while the kids are in the other room, because the past few years have made me a little nervous about what is coming this year!!!!