What is your reaction to gifts that you either don’t want, don’t need, or don’t like?
As a child, I had a grandmother who LOVED to buy us dresses. Every Christmas and Easter, she would go to the Ugly Dress Shop and purchase for my sister Bean and I the most horrible creations ever produced by the early 70’s designers. The dresses were always itchy, uncomfortable, God awful patterned monstrosities that sometimes actually fit us.
My mother had no trouble telling us how butt ugly these dresses were. But she told us AFTER we got them home, away from my grandmother. My mother never made us wear the dresses, but when my grandmother gave them to us, we had to be polite, be gracious, thank her, and act as if she were handing us an original Dolce and Gabbana couture collection gown. So we did.
It was that way with any gift we received. If it was something we didn’t want or didn’t need, my mother would help us find someone to re-gift an item to. If it was something that didn’t fit us, it would get passed on to someone that it would fit. But NEVER did you tell someone you didn’t appreciate the thought behind the gift by telling them to their face that you didn’t want the gift.
Well, apparently, this particular lesson was lost on my husband. He sees absolutely NO problem with telling someone to just give him cash for an occasion (which we were NEVER allowed to do in our house), or telling them once they’ve given him something “Thanks, but I don’t want it.”
I cringe everytime someone gives Jim a gift. I think it’s so rude to show anything but appreciation that someone has taken the time and effort to purchase something with you in mind.
So, someone tell me I’m right! Those that side with Jim will have access only to my blogs about bad restaurants, boring movies, and rotten kids.
Hi, I am a MFL “friend”, but I would have to agree with you. Always thank the person graciously. I love that now there are gift receipts, so that if something doesn’t fit or you don’t like it, you can take it back without the other person knowing. I am not found of giving money or gift cards, but I know that is what some people truly want,. My Brother in law always asks for gift cards for a particular place and then uses them to get something that is more expensive than what we could afford, but with all of the gift cards he can get it. Also, teenagers are a pain to shop for when they need clothes, better to give them a gift card so that they can get something they like. I guess maybe I am siding with both you and your husband a little. But always be gracious and accept the gift with gratitude.
I’m with you Anna, I also tell my girls that they have to be grateful for gifts even if they don’t like them or already have them and we’ll sort it out later. Never would we say yuck that present is horrid LOL
How do your girls react do getting clothes for gifts?
I’m with you, Anna. Even if a gift is not your style, size, or whatever, someone has taken the time to think of you, shop for you, wrap for you, etc. By not being gracious, you’re basically telling them “screw you”. I could never deliberately hurt someone’s feelings by turning down or ragging on a gift they gave me.