Do you leave gifts bought by grandparent at that GP's house?

jimmyswife220 · November 2012

We have Christmas eve at my moms house every year and she makes me leave all the gifts she bought for DD there, she reasons so DD will have things to play with when shes with my mom. Last year and the year before weren't a big deal, but I think shes old enough this year to remember and want to bring them home. I think DD should absolutely be able to bring them home, they are hers and she spends way more time at home then my moms. So my question is, does anyone elses parents do this? Is it acceptable? Is it even worth the fight I am positive will come from me saying I want her to take them home? Sidenote, my parents were divorced and my mom hated my dad and every year he would make us leave the gifts he bought us at his house and my mom would go bananas. It made her absolutely furious and now shes doing it...

ASmallWonder · November 2012

My ILs want to send everything home because we don't get to visit all that often. We do take most things but leave a few fun things up there for when we visit. I think it's weird to hold gifts hostage at the gift giver's house.

cgr8979 · November 2012

My MIL is buying my DD a kitchen for Christmas (that will stay at her house) she only lives about 2 miles from us. But, my parents are getting her a kitchen as well and it will come home with us b/c they live 8 hours away and will obviously be used more with us here. So, it doesn't bother me. But, the older my DD gets the harder it will be for some stuff to stay at Mi-Mi's b/c "she can play with it when she comes over." I get the logic, but my DD won't. So, maybe let your DD's have the conversation with her and she might be more inclined to side with her that you.

MrsJakes · November 2012

Not all of them, but some of them. I don't want them all at my house anyway, but if my son wants to take something with him, he absolutely can. Toys bounce back and forth a lot depending on what he's playing with that particular day.

Does your daughter spend a lot of time there? If so, I'd tell your mom that the toys can stay, unless your daughter specifically asks to take it home. I can see why your mom would want to keep some toys, but it's silly to keep all of them, especially if it really upsets your daughter.

myself1nme · November 2012

It depends on what the toy is. It doesn't really bother me one way or another. Our nephew lives at MIL's house, so a lot of the time she buys DS the same toys so that they each have their own at her house.

klondikebar · November 2012

The children have always taken their gifts home. I could understand leaving it if it was a gift meant for grandma's that you already had at home, like a playhouse or kitchen.

MJHershey · November 2012

Not usually, but we're going to have to start if MIL keeps buying him huge gifts.

53' bear. seriously.

Sonadora · November 2012

No, but we don't live within easy visiting distance of either set of grandparents. (6+ hour drive and 6 hour flights, respectively.)

If we did live within visiting distance I would still find this really odd. "Oh, you can only play with this toy I theoretically bought as a gift for you on the random Sunday once a month when you come to my house." I would not like that at all, plus kids grow out of toy phases pretty fast so it seems really wasteful to me.