This June for my sons birthday he received so many toys we had no idea what to do with them.
My FIL called during my sons party and asked what he should get my son (who was already a walking pro) for his birthday and I told him some heavy duty kick-balls for outside because he loves playing outside and the thin ones get popped by our Beagle. Sippy Cups with Straws and clothes.
My FIL was at the store at that very moment and tried to tell me everything he was looking at.
He bought a Ball Popper (you know the ones you get for kids learning to walk), a bag of 100 ball pit balls (no ball pit) and paccis (which we had told him we were taking away from my son). My son never touched the Ball popper.
So I had the idea to make an online Christmas list of what my son needs for Christmas with pictures. I was going to make it kind of like Dear Santa...Love Ethan. Like Non Fitted toddler sheets, underware, etc. Not very many toys at all.
(For Christmas last year we told him please no big indoor toys because we didn't have room at the time..and he got him a huge indoor play gym that took up half his play space)
Do you think I should do this or is it tacky?
2009-10-05T14:36:49Z
When my father in law called I quickly told him what my son needed and got off of the phone since I was in the middle of my sons party...thats when he made his item choices.
2009-10-05T15:18:34Z
Giving the items to Goodwill is NOT an option. My FIL is a Horder and askes to SEE the items be bought every time he comes to visit. In his mind he doesnt believe anything should be tossed and throws a huge fit and blames me for giving away a gift.
ladedamom2009-10-05T17:22:29Z
Favorite Answer
I've always done a list for my son to give to family. We do one list for my husbands side and one with different ideas for my side so when they ask they have ideas of what is appropriate and what our child would like. We do different lists of about 10 things and nothing really expensive so that we don't end up with the hassles of duplicates or someone buying something and getting into a fight about "I got it first take it back" before the holiday. Our list of the bigger things is for US to get for him from either mommy/daddy or Santa. It is not tacky at all it actually saves hassle.
If you're getting things that are inappropriate or that you have no room for then you need to just bite the bullet and donate what your child has lost interest in and has outgrown. If your FIL blows a fuse then he needs to understand not everyone wants to hoard everything like a pack rat until they die or everything their kid ever got as a gift. There has to be a point when enough is enough. I usually help my son go through his stuff in November each year and we donate anything that is "gently used" that he just doesn't want anymore. We donate to our churches nursery or to Goodwill depending on what we have. The other thing is make it very clear what is NOT okay for gifts and if you end up with them ask for the receipt to take it back and exchange it for something more appropriate or for a refund and just put the money towards your sons wants through the year. If FIL is so unreasonable he won't listen then tell him any items you don't have room for can stay at HIS house because you simply do not have room for them and will NOT turn your house into a hoarding pit of mess.
Well, me and my brothers decided that as long as all our kids were under 5 years old, each parent would buy 3 gifts (since we are 4 brothers) plus our own, and then we exchanged gifts without the children to know. Well, each one after that, felt a little guilty so then, they bought a small thing like chocolate or something like that. Doing a list is a good idea but it is a little tacky...I kind of understand your problem because the same thing happened with my son Sam for his birthday.
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I think it's tacky. It's one thing to make suggestions to family members when asked, but you should be grateful for any gift or gesture given to your son. If it's not something you have room for, or not something he can use anymore then you can give it to the Goodwill and no one has to know.
Sounds like a great idea to mae an online list, making it a dear santa letter is even cuter! people dont usually know what to get kids because they dont know what you already have or what kids like or need! goodluck!