- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Baby Showers
sstephen27
member
Rant - Share your bad gifts
sstephen27
member
in Baby Showers
I've been lurking on this board (among others) in my free time and although I'm still months away from my showers (will be beginning of July since I have to travel) I'm already thinking of in-laws and their gifts...
I shouldn't moan because it's nice of them to give gifts at all, but for my bridal shower with my DHs family, most of them gave me crappy gifts with no receipts and when they did try to get something from my registry, they got me the wrong brands in the opposite colors of what I asked for. I'm a very frugal person and put very reasonably priced items on my registries. They are the type of people who think their way is best.
It should be interesting to see what I get this time around!
What are some of the worst baby shower gifts you've gotten?!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Rant - Share your bad gifts
I have to admit, I feel your pain. My shower is not until the 27th of this month but I am concerned with the guests buying me any old thing. My concern is because I have spent a lot of time researching to find the best products for my child. Ensuring the products were made sustainably, Eco- friendly, no recalls, etc. We are doing all organic everything and the thought of having to return something when I am already busy with the baby coming, taking care of my husband and going to school is really annoying. I, like you, am appreciative and understand the "it's the thought that counts" thing, BUT, if you didn't care what people bought you then you wouldn't have spent your time registering. I think it is very inconsiderate for people to buy for a wedding/shower and either purchase off registry or not supply with gift receipts. A birthday gift is one thing, an event that calls for a registry is something different entirely.
Just yesterday I had to return two outfits that a friend kindly bought us for our little boy to Target (well known for having the world's worst return policy) and had no gift receipt, but at least there were still tags. The problem is, w/o a receipt you only get back the current lowest selling price, so on $15 worth our clothes I got $12 back. Not that much of a big deal since they have nothing for my baby there, but still...it's just the point...darn it!!
I didn't say I wasn't thankful and I did say it was nice of them as any little bit counts, but (for example) why would someone buy me towels that were MORE expensive than the ones I registered for in completely opposite colors than I wanted? I could understand getting me towels that were better if she tried to match my colors but she didn't and she didn't include a gift receipt AND she took the tags off!!!
I'm just saying.
What kind of bizarro world do you people live in where it's ok to complain about the trouble of having to return gifts your friends bought you?
Wow.
I live in a bizarro world you couldn't even imagine with craziness beyond belief. If I can't complain a little every now and then get it off my chest...well, the stress would consume me. I figure being pregnant and all I shouldn't hold in my stress and make it worse. Every other post I read is someone venting about something...just figured I would take my turn.
So...WOW yourself.
Child, you are six weeks pregnant and full of entitlement and idiocy. You need to sit down, shut up, and pay attention before you go off all crazy.
LOL the stress of being six weeks pregnant.
WOW.
lmao.
WOW is right!
The worst present I have gotten has been from my in-laws. They mean well and are very sweet people however they hold on to everything and anything. Well we received one fork, one knife and one spoon that they got on a flight to europe in the late 70's. I guess back then you were given real utensils on flights (I was born in the mid 70's so I am guessing here). It isn't baby size or full size - kind of in-between. They even gave us the napkin from the flight "for the baby." The utensils are tarnished and the napkin was torn. I have yet to figure out what one thing has to do with another but I just smiled and said "Thank you."
I was at a shower where a friend got half a blanket, and the yarn and crochet needles to finish it herself!
Just have to say that if returning non-organic gifts is a terrible burden and you refuse to consider accepting anything you did not pre-select, then save everyone the trouble and decline a shower. It is unpardonably rude to consider your registry a list of things to which you are entitled, and not as an OPTIONAL guideline for guests who may or may not wish to look at it.
you're bridal shower gifts couldnt have been that bad: I had a "kitchen shower" that ended up being a fill our pantry shower - so all we received was food. However the majority of food was canned exprired food - so people where just digging through there kiitchens in the back of their pantries and thats what we got. Additionally MIL thought it was the best shower.
So after we moved boxes and boxes of expired food 4 hrs after we were married, we had to throw it all away. And yes i did write thank yous for the cheapest can of tomato sauce that was expired so that my thank you +stamp cost more than the gift.
After reading some of these posts, i'm realizing I really didn't get THAT bad of gifts, ha, ha! I have to say the worst baby gifts I've ever recieved are the "keepsake" gifts. You know, the silver cup, spoon, and baby rattle, that will be put away in a box in my closet forever! Or the starched, lacy, thin little layette set that came in a box, that will remain in the box since I just can't see putting scratchy, starchy, clothing on a newborn. Basically, I don't like getting things I can't use, or things that are not on my registry. There, I said it! I'm grateful and will send a thank you note, but I'll end up returning the gift or give it to a friend that might love it:) Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!
That was from the flight where your hubby was conceived in the bathroom of the plane...they were just passing on their memory! LOL
Wow!! I love the plane utensils and napkin, as well as the half crocheted blanket and yarn...guess someone ran out of time!!!
I haven't received many gifts yet, as there hasn't been a shower yet. My husband's godmother gave us a few cute baby outfits all in blue...this was two days after we let her know we have no idea whether we are having a boy or girl. One outfit had no tags and a big stain on it...I figure we'll use that around the house! His godmother was the same person who gave us a set of champagne glasses after asking us what we needed as a wedding gift..."Do you need champagne glasses?" "No, we have 6 sets of champagne glasses from other folks already." We got the champagne glasses in the mail a few days later anyway. No way to return them/exchange them as there was no receipt/no tags.
First of all, don't call me child, secondly, I never said my stress came from being pregnant. You have no idea what my life is like so walk a mile in my shoes before you judge. At least I have better things to do than sit around all day and judge others.
Thank you for agreeing! I can't believe how crazy people went about saying we are disappointed when people give us things we don't need with no receipt or tags. I don't see a registry as things someone HAS to buy me but I do see it as a guideline for things I need and if you want to get me something other than what I register for, just be kind enough to give a gift receipt. Everyone's tastes are different. I think the people who complain about us being rude are the same people who re-gift or don't include gift receipts. As long as we are thankful and send thank you notes, whose business is it of anyone elses what we do with the gifts?
A Yankees outfit. We are Red Sox fans. I do not think it was a joke, unfortunately.
I gave it to my cousin (she knew it was a regift) and the grandmas had a photo shoot one day.
eta: can't get the link to work! sorry no photo.
Fortunately the worst I've gotten so far is a set of polyester receiving blankets (we are also going organic). I will just never ever use them, and the gift giver didn't give a receipt so they will probably end up going to the Goodwill.
Shower is in two weeks, so we'll see. Even though we are going cloth, and it is specified on our registry, I have a feeling we'll get a lot of disposables....Just a guess though
I hate to break this to you but EVERYONE has stress and has had to deal with something shi@y in their life. No one has the golden ticket so don't go around telling complete strangers that they need to walk in your shoes. You have NO idea what like is like for other people just as they don't know what your life may be like. Someone is always going to have it better and millions are always going to have it worse. You have stress, I have stress, we all have stress. Using the excuse that you are stressed and therefor you are going to complain about something that hasn't even happened is lame.
You are on a public message board. You cannot expect to post anything without expecting others to judge you. Judgment is part of life. You judge, I judge, we all judge.
As for the gifts sometimes you just have to suck it up. Sometimes you get crappy gifts but just be thankful that someone took the time to go to the store and purchase you a gift with their hard earned money. You say that you are thankful but complaining about people giving you things shows that you really aren't. No one is required to purchase off your registry or even purchase you anything at all.
I say that you save everyone the hassle of purchasing you anything by declining a shower all together. You can spend your own time and money purchasing exactly what your little heart desires.
WOW!!!!!!!
Ok, last year when I was pregnant, I registered at Babies R Us, Walmart and Target. I have a lot of friends and family but not everyone can afford to shop at BRU so I did consider other peoples financial consideration. I spent HOURS chosing just what I wanted and needed for the baby. FF to shower time....1/2 of the stuff I got was not on any of my registrys but I was so thankful and grateful that they had took the time, expense and thought to get something!! Stuff like photo albums, socks, hairbows, headbands, footprint molds, just random stuff I received that I didn't register for...but I was soo happy that they took their time and money!! I am not one to put down anyone on here for any of their opinions because I hate getting on here and seeing hateful comments and judgements but I will say this, Be grateful for ANYTHING you get that will save you in the long run!!
Ok I don't get why everyone always gets so up in arms about people saying "can you please just give me a gift receipt with your gift?" No one is saying they aren't grateful for the gifts people give them that are not on their registry they are just saying "Hey if you can't or don't want to buy off my registry can you just give me a gift receipt please, so that I might actually get a gift I can use vs. one that will just sit here and go to waste?"
I get it people like to pick out random baby stuff and buy it, it's fun. But come on, if I took the time to register for stuff either look at the registry and maybe buy the stuff that I actually need off of it or at least give me a gift receipt so that I can quietly and tastefully go return the item you got me that I may not need for one that I do. I don't think people should get all snarky about it because really is it that hard to put the little slip of paper in the box with your gift? Or is it that maybe you in fact just regifting a gift you didn't like either but didn't have the reciept for?
Ya...I don't get the impression that people aren't grateful. I think part of the frustration (at least for me, a first time mom, who built her registry with a good friend who is a mom already) is that (at least in my case) people put a lot of time into a registry - and not just putting whatever on there. I asked a bunch of questions about different items (even freaking binkies) and ended up registering for specific brands/styles because of safety or recommendations or doing research on them (not just because I wanted one of everything on my registry). So, I agree, that it would be frustrating (I haven't had my shower yet) to get a whole bunch of things that I didn't register for without receipts so that I couldn't take them back and get things that I would use. Does that make me ungrateful? No.
And as an avid gift-GIVER; I would feel worse that I spent good money on something that would just go to Goodwill or get returned for less than full price because I didn't provide a way for them to exchange it. The gift isn't about me and what I think they should have or use - it's about them and what they need and will use; and if that means someone exchanges my gift, so be it.
To answer the question...worst gift ever is an IOU for a gift...that never happened.
And to the people who want specific things from their registires... I too have done extensive research on what I want for my LO. I will get things that I do not want/need/not on my registry...the potential difference between me and you is that I am prepared to BUY with MY OWN MONEY all the things that I WANT for this baby. I do not expect others to furnish my child with the specific things that I want to use. I already have a list of items prepared. It is going to take me 20 minutes to add them to a registry.
If someone brings me some crazy lead painted teething ring, I will be grateful that they even brought a gift. Will I write a thank you and throw the thing away? Yes...but that is not the point.
If you want to be picky and specific buy it yourself. I get that the gift giver is potentially wasting his/her money buying a gift that you do not want, but that is on them, not you.
Food Allergies to Eggs, Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts & Beef
Challenged Soy and tolerated it.
I really don't care if I have a shower or get a gift off my registry. But having to deal with unthoughtful gifts like an IOU (did you send a thank you - hee hee), half a blanket, etc sucks.
A coworker that is very very nice, has lots of money and is always talking about how much money she spends on her kids to have the very best, likes to go to a thrift store and fill a box with whatever she can find for a baby gift. She doesn't even make sure it is in good condition (as a lot of baby stuff is), is clean, the right gender. It is almost like she just says, "its for a baby, get it". I have a couple of friends who got these "boxes" from her. I dread the box.
It is really hard to be appreciative when you have to sort (throw out) things that are dirty, stained, have holes in them, don't work,etc...
Heather
A bunch of old photo albums in an old, ripped bag. These albums had to be from the 70's or 80's. All old and crusty and yellow. There were at least 10 of them.
I don't know why MIL and FIL would think that I would want their old junk. They always do that. Giving me all this crap when they know we don't have a lot of space. I guess they were trying to be helpful because people take lots of pics of babies but it just annoyed me. Then again, they annoy me so that probably has something to do with it.
Sarah - 12/23/2008
Alex - 9/30/2011
"I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage
I don't think I received a single bad gift. That's the thing...anything you receive is a gift.
Some stuff may not have been my exact style, liking, or from my registry but for anyone to take the time to come to a party for me and spend their money to buy me anything, my only response is to be thankful.
Different colors, brands, or patterns than you specifically asked for or not getting a gift receipt is never an excuse to be less grateful. You're going to have 2 showers - that's a blessing in itself.
Also, I think you'll find some of that random stuff that you may receive that come from someone who thinks their way is best you may find is something you actually really wind up liking or needing. Seasoned Moms sometimes have a way of doing that, getting you something that you didn't ask for but in reality you really needed and they know that b/c they've been there.
For our wedding showerI got a reciept for a jet ski part. The giver owed us money anyways and knew we needed the part so she thought she would buy the part so it would be fixed for our vacation we take with her family. Fast forward to the wedding and she gave us a check for the balance of what she owed us and worded it that way in the card!
I think the post was "Rant-Share your bad gifts" not "RANT about ungratefulness". But it was entertaining.
I received bad wedding gifts, but the thought was there. All of my girlfriends said they were given stuff for their babies they didn't want, need, or use. But they returned what they could and gave the rest away.
It's all part of life. Just get over it laugh & move on!
I hear you on this one. The owner of our company ($2 million+ in sales a year) loaded up my office while I was on maternity leave with all kinds of things that his daughter outgrew. I have had no problem taking secondhand items off of others' hands but the stuff he left was mostly broken toys, stained changing pads with covers, and sclothes with his daughter's name stitched on that she outgrew. My daughter doesn't have the same name, either. I felt like he used my office as a dumpster. But, I said thank you, sent a card, sifted through the items and donated the good items to Goodwill. At least I get another write off on my taxes.