UO Thursday - 1/9

stlbuckeye132

Leave your unpopular opinions here!

stlbuckeye132

I cannot stand when people are talking about something their kid did and say "we" instead of just referring to the kid. "We learned to crawl today!"  No, Jessica, your baby learned how to crawl. If you didn't know how to crawl before this point, I am seriously concerned.

mischief-managed

This is late since it’s a holiday themed UO but I dislike adult gift giving/receiving.  I can’t get my mind around it.  I totally understand why you give kids presents, but not other adults.  I find the whole thing stressful.  Plus, half the time it’s gift cards.  So you give me a $50 gift card and I give you a $50 gift card.  What is the point of that?  I’m also a total minimalist and hate stuff.  I feel like I end the holidays with tons of stuff I would have never bought.  I feel like I can’t donate it since I’m sure my in laws would notice if these things aren’t around.

modoodles

@stlbuckeye132 same when people say "we're pregnant." Nope. My husband doesn't deal with morning sickness, crazy hormones, a changing body, or labor and delivery. WE aren't pregnant. I am pregnant.  We are expecting a baby in July.  (This comes from my mom telling someone >DhName< and modoodles are pregnant. ) 

JessDG

@mischief-managed
YES.  THIS.  I hate it.  My in laws give me stuff I do not need or want and I would rather have an experience rather than stuff and that is how no one I am related to rolls.  It's just a huge waste of money.  

JessDG

My UO:  I hate Dr. Seuss.  Like, have you read one of those books cover to cover recently?  DS got a few for his birthday (green eggs and ham, cat in the hat) and I HATE THEM.  They immediately got hidden.  haha

stlbuckeye132

@mischief-managed I'd also much rather go out to a nice dinner or go experience something new with MH on holidays, anniversaries, etc. My ILs are always asking what I want for holidays and I never have any good ideas. Like, just give me your money if you want to give me something and I'll put it in our vacation savings account. Thanks.

@modoodles yes! Agree 1000%. We're having a baby is fine, but we're pregnant is not.

@JessDG lol my daughter requested Cat in the Hat last night at bedtime. I started reading it, got like 7 pages in, skipped about 15, read another page, then skipped to the last 2 pages. Luckily she's too young to notice for now!

bluguitarhannah

@mischief-managed My BIL who is a whole story unto himself just mailed both my wife and I matching leather gloves.  They fit neither of us and have no gift receipt.  It has gotten so ridiculous in terms of cost I get bitter ever year.  I did make photograph items on shutterfly for the part of the family with a new baby this year.  But simple things like a grocery bag or pack of cards.

blaf322

@JessDG I used to hate the 3 we have (green eggs and ham, go dog go, and hop on pop) and would skip huge chunks of pages.... then, one day, I overheard DD reading the book to herself when she was 2... so still learning a lot with words and such. Apparently, DH always read the whole thing and she was paying attention! She was reciting a large part of the book and loved it. 

We read go dog go a few times a week before bed and she loves it so I don't mind anymore I also remind myself that those are actually early reader books. So I don't think they're totally intended to be read to kids as much as to help kids when they're learning to read.

blaf322

@mischief-managed I love gift giving when it's for someone you want to give to... and especially if you have a fun idea of something they'll love. We don't really do much in the way of obligatory gift giving.

That said, my MIL used to be a terrible gift giver (she follows Amazon lists now, which is a whole other gift giving discussion) and neither DH nor I felt even the littlest bit bad about getting rid of the random shit she picked out at Marshall's. Sorry, I've never had a moscow mule. I certainly don't need my own 4 pack mug set for them in my home. Thanks for the thought, and we really appreciate it.... but much of what she used to get us went straight to the yard sale pile as soon as we got home from their house on Christmas eve.

stlbuckeye132

@blaf322 I do love Go Dog Go, and read that one to her yesterday haha she loves that one too. Switching to the random junk gifts... my SIL sends DD gifts for literally every single made up holiday. It drives me crazy! Valentine's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, etc. Every single one DD gets a little package of plastic junk that makes noise and lights up and is just obnoxious and it goes straight in the trash. I appreciate you thinking of her, but please stop trying to fill my house up with junk.

modoodles

@blaf322 you've never had a Moscow mule? Shameful! 

Gift giving with my family is the worst. My mom gave me a gift card for a psychic reading one year. My step grandma gives me decorative dish towels every year- and not cute ones. I'd rather not have them spend their $$ on that kind of stuff when it is not something that will ever be used. If anything- I like nice socks. Hah. 

blaf322

@modoodles I really think I'd like it! I'm just never willing to risk it and order one because I just love my wine so much. I keep waiting for someone who's out to dinner with me to order one so I can taste it One day I'll try one!

Also, the dish towels... MIL used to give me holiday specific ones allll the time! Like, lady, I already have 7 other Easter themed dish towels. I don't have room for anymore! Also, they're always shitty quality. We call them our waterproof towels b/c they don't absorb spills and they get used as a last ditch/I need to do laundry and we need a dish towel lol

nursejenn5

our family strictly relies on amazon wish lists for gifts. We also do an exchange where we’re only buying one other person a present. Easy, and we get/give what we want and what they want. 

Otherwise we’ve gotten embroidered pillow cases. Sorry. But pass. 

mischief-managed

The dish towels!  It’s crazy.  Why a pack of Christmas dish towels every year?!  Such a waste of money.  And my BIL literally gives us a card full of cash.  So we give him a card full of cash.  Super weird and pointless.  I also try to use only natural, organic products and my MIL gave me a very expensive box set of perfume and lotion that I would never, ever put on my skin.   It just makes me feel so bad that they wasted their money.  I’ve dropped so many hints about the fact that we don’t give adult gifts in my family, just for the kids, but no one listens.  I guess I need to resign myself to years of getting junk I don’t want and trying to figure out what other grown adults might possibly want.  

JessDG

Re: Gifts...My MIL will nag the ever living crap out of us for a list of what we want for Christmas in like JULY.  So we make a stupid list and then she buys a bunch of crap I will never use and nothing on the list.  

modoodles

Thought of one. I actually really look forward to hearing celebrities give their speeches at awards ceremonies. I enjoy the different perspectives, and seeing who supports what. I think saying they don't have a clue what it's like in the real world is dumb. Not every one of those celebrities was born already famous. Many of them put in a hell of a lot of work and sacrifice to get where they are, and the politics of our country affect them, just as they would anyone else.

modoodles

I also love Harry & Megan Markle, and when I saw they were taking a step back my first thought was, "good for them."

meanjellybean

Wow, I’m 100 percent here for all of these UO’s today! The “we-ing” is embarrassing for all involved. Gift giving and receiving stresses me out, I’m always the first one to text my siblings leading up to the holidays to remind them we made a pact where we would only do gifts for kids. My MIL is so sweet but she always wants to buy me and my husband clothes... WHY?? This year she bought me a turtleneck. I haven’t worn a turtleneck since I was maybe 7? There’s nothing wrong with them, it just shows that she has no idea what we actually wear lol.

Dr. Seuss books are wayyyyy too long. @stlbuckeye132 I skip pages too and it’s going to be a bummer when she figures it out lol

and_peggy

For as much as our society claims tolerance, I actually think we are the least tolerant generation.

zande2016

I’m just here to say that Go Dog Go is not written by Dr Seus! It’s PD Eastman. My 3 year old used to be obsessed with that book but he doesn’t let me read to him anymore. 

Pascal86

You guys need to read "Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?" - I agree that Sam I Am is not super exciting, but there are some truly great Dr. Suess books out there.

Also, people can "we're pregnant" all they want, I don't give a shit. I don't think anyone's confused about who is actually growing the baby inside of them, and at least in my relationship, my husband feels the impact of the pregnancy. I make sure of it.  We were at a party lately where a friend was giving my husband crap because he said "when I had a baby" instead of "when my wife had a baby" and that kind of irritated me. Sometimes I complain about semantics too, but when a man wants to talk about the experience of having a new child, I'm not a fan of people trying to turn the conversation into a complaint about not giving the mother due credit.

And last one - I think Amazon wish lists are the worst for adults! Like, I'm going to go to the effort to pick out something I need / want, go online, put it on a list... so I can send it to someone else and they can be the one to click "add to cart." I would hands down always prefer something cheap/free but thoughtful  - like a hand-made card or coffee date, over someone doing my Amazon shopping for me.

Side note - my MIL gives me the most terrible presents, but this year gave me a box of gluten-free Chex mix cereal for Christmas... and I was like, finally, something from her I actually like / will use! I'm going to start gifting people cereal from now on!

kristinl492

@modoodles I agree with you on the celebrity opinion thing. So many people say they don’t get to have opinions/za peak their mind, but last I checked they were human beings. Yes, they live a VERY different life than most of us, but the majority of them come from “normal” backgrounds. 

As for Harry & Megan, I feel slightly conflicted. I get wanting to step back. The British media have treated her like total crap. Screw them. But also, they are still part of the royal family and will continue to reap the benefits of that, even if they try to become more financially independent. It’s a very interesting situation all around. 

rachelredhead

@Pascal86 I’m with you on the « we » statements regarding pregnancy. My husband was just commenting on how unfair it is that I have to carry all the physical burden and he’s just helpless when it comes to do anything to support me. I reminded him that he has been doing the lion share of house work, grocery shopping, cooking over the last 3 months plus he rubs my feet every night and always tells me I’m beautiful. I am 100% behind him saying « we’re pregnant » because he is absolutely key in this experience and I want him to feel responsible and engaged. Nobody wonders which of us is pushing out a baby. 

On the flip side I DO think it’s funny when parents say « we learned to crawl. » It doesn’t annoy me per se, I just think it’s silly. But I could totally see myself saying it someday so I’m reserving judgment. 😂

knockupthestock

@Pascal86 and @rachelredhead i'm another in support of the "we" statements in pregnancy. sure, he doesnt have a lot of the physical symptoms i do, but he is so supportive and has basically done all of the work around the house, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, etc. for the last three months. he has come to every single one of my appointments (i was reading my clinical visit note from my appointment this last week and it said "husband/FOB present and supportive" and it made me cry haha i'm so grateful for him). he even cleans up my vomit. he's a total rockstar and i'll happily say that "we are pregnant"