Dear Snarky,
My mother-in-law is literally buying herself gifts and trying to pass them off as presents for my two daughters. She collects Lladro ceramics and every Christmas and birthday she “gives” my daughters a ceramic figurine and then tells them that she is going to keep them at her house and they can have them when “they get married.”
Puh-leez – it’s total BS! First what 3 & 5 year olds want ceramic statues??!! She’s fooling no one. I am so over it that I told my husband we should NOT get his mother a present because she’s yet to buy her granddaughters one.
What would you do Snarky? I have a feeling you would have my back.
Signed, So Pissed Off
Dear Pissed,
Your mother-in-law sounds like a real winner and I think you should get this delightful and caring woman a fantastic present befitting her generosity.
I suggest selecting a gift that her granddaughters would LOVE like say one of those Barbie Jeeps and get your mother-in-law that for Christmas and tell her in a voice dripping with sweetness that you’ll be keeping it at your house and she can visit it anytime she wants.
That will let her know that you know exactly the con she is trying to pull and that this is the way you’re going to deal with her skewed version of gift giving and then if you feel like it flip her the middle finger when she’s not looking.
Oh and don’t let anyone tell you that those figurines are going to be worth a lot of money in twenty years and your MIL is investing in her granddaughters’ futures because I would bet good money, like ceramic statue money, that your girls will probably never get those expensive collectibles.
Snarky in the Suburbs 