How to ask your ILs for stuff

Re: How to ask your ILs for stuff

• WasNotWas member

  July 2014

  Bleachy14 said:

  Could you offer to split it with them to be polite, but with hopes that maybe they'll just say they'd buy the whole thing? We have done splitsies like with my ILs... if there is something bigger we want, DH's parents chip in what the can and want to, and then we pay the difference.

  That's exactly what I want to do. Do you bring the offer to them or did they bring it to you and you offered to split?
  

  

                                                                #Bodymber14 #Bodygate #itsMillerTime

   

                                                                     Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13

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• ColieAnn31 member

  July 2014

  Just say that B keeps bringing up how much he'd love to have play house for the backyard and you were thinking of getting it as a gift for him. Put the idea in their heads and they'll probably just get it for you. That's how my grandma is.

   

  
  

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• WasNotWas member

  July 2014

  awesome guys! Thanks. I struggle so much with asking for help but gosh darn we just don't need anymore random toys!!

  

                                                                #Bodymber14 #Bodygate #itsMillerTime

   

                                                                     Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13

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• daffy2k member

  July 2014

  My ILs are super generous too. Usually if I say "we were thinking of getting xxx for DD, but it's pretty expensive. I'm watching for a sale" mil chimes in and says "Oh, we'll get that for her". We have a little back and forth as I argue that it's too expensive. She shuts me down and says, no, we're buying it. And that's the end of it. Lol.

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• ASmallWonder member

  July 2014

  Yeah I'd probably go with "I know it's so early to be thinking about this but I know you guys are always looking for gift ideas for Christmas and DH and I know they'd love a play structure.  We haven't looked at them too much but I think they can be pricey so maybe we could go in on it together if you're interested."

  Formerly known as elmoali

  
  

  
  

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• daffy2k member

  July 2014

  Omg!! Not to hijack Was's thread, but @andreamarie77‌ I just noticed our LOs have the same name, first and middle! But my Madeline is with an -ine

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• LaBellaVida member

  July 2014

  I don't think I could every hint, let alone ask for such a big expensive gift. :-<

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• WasNotWas member

  July 2014

  So I e-mailed them. They are moving up here (about 20-30 min away) and will both be retired so I said I was recruiting them for "hard labor and design help" because I want to do some landscaping and set up a whole outdoor area for the kids.

  MIL responded by sending me a link to a $1k playset!!! I'm like thanksbutnothanks...I just want them to buy us like a $250 play house!!

  

                                                                #Bodymber14 #Bodygate #itsMillerTime

   

                                                                     Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13

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• daffy2k member

  August 2014

  My ILs (and my own parents for that matter) would probably do the same. My mom honestly tried to buy Madeline a $250 gorgeous wooden play table for her play room for her 1st birthday. I'm like, ok mom,it's beautiful, but you do know that the play table in there will get coloured on and painted on and scratched, etc. I had to beg her to buy the $20 Ikea table so I don't feel so guilty when my kids vandalize it over the next couple years.

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• needanustart member

  August 2014

  The million random toys is what I struggle with too! I know MIL puts a lot of money and time into doing stockings full of stuff and a bunch of trinkets for the boys and it drives me batty.  I have not figured out a way to politely have this discussion but it has been getting a bit better in terms of gifting us (the adults) with noticing we could use or appreciate the money invested in something else for our house and I'm hoping by Xmas she'll want to do the same for the boys. My parents give DH and I a big fat check for Xmas and put equal amounts into each grandkid's 529 account and then get everyone one token fun item and it is so much easier for both them and us. It sounds like your MIL is open to splitting it which is awesome.

  I'm obviously having some IL problems today. Sorry!

  

   

  

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• GraceInCA member

  August 2014

  Both sets of grandparents would spend too much money on stuff we can't use or don't want, so I've learned to at least give them some guidance before they run out and buy anything for the kids.

  
  
  
  

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• JessicaKS member

  August 2014

  @subliminalrabbit I have an amazon wish list for DD but how do you add things from other websites? I had no idea that was possible.

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• JessicaKS member

  August 2014

  @kames12 @subliminalrabbit‌ thanks so much!

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