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  1. #1
    PunkyBoo is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Default The Annual Complaint- kids wish lists

    Ugh. My sister and mom asked for wish lists for my kids. I texted them both a list, clear enough they could easily type the item into Amazon and hit Buy. Done. But no. They ignored the list when I sent it. Then my mom sends me Amazon links to other things she wants to know would my DS2 like. I tell her those specific items aren't compatible with his current robotics stuff, so no it won't work. Then she says she doesn't know what to get him. I send 3 specific items RIGHT FROM THE FIRST LIST I SENT HER and she says, oh those are good ideas, I'll check on them.
    Sister then sends me "I have no idea what to get your kids, I'm thinking of just Amazon gift cards but I know that won't be much fun for them to open." Ummm, no! My kids are the youngest grandchildren. I spent the last 23 years picking out gifts for her kids to open on Christmas, I'm not letting you off in giving a gift card to my 12 year old who still believes in Santa and WHO PROVIDED YOU A LIST! So I told her we bought our boys a Switch so she could pick it some games for them, like Minecraft (which was in the list I send previously). She responds she doesn't know where to buy switch games or which ones to get. . She has an 18 year old she could have asked. I sent her Amazon links for 5 different games they'd like. No response.
    I text her I need ideas for her kids, 2 of which live out of state now, and I get no response. Driving me nuts.

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    Last edited by PunkyBoo; 12-10-2021 at 03:25 PM.

    Mama to DS1 Punkin (2/04) and DS2 Boo (1/09)

  2. #2
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    Default The Annual Complaint- kids wish lists

    How frustrating!

    My dad will ask for a list, and I will send him links. But then he waits until 3 days before Christmas and discovers the item is out of stock or will arrive a week late, but he thinks that he can just tell my kids “sorry it was out of stock. Sometimes that’s what happens.” It was IN stock and would have arrived on time if you just purchased it when I sent you the link (that you specifically asked for.)


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    DD (3/06)
    DS1 (7/09)
    DS2 (8/13)

  3. #3
    essnce629's Avatar
    essnce629 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Do your kids have actual Amazon wish lists or are you just providing a list of things named? It sounds like the latter and that they don't want to put in the work of typing it in the search bar and figuring out if it's the right thing. I would just create an Amazon wish list for each kid and send the link to their lists. Both of my kids have had Amazon wish lists since they were infants basically and luckily the grandparents never deviate. If you download the Amazon Chrome extension you can also easily add things from other websites to their Amazon wish lists.

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    Latia (Birth & Postpartum Doula and Infant Nanny)
    Conner 8/19/03 (My 1st home birthed water baby!)
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  4. #4
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    Would it be less frustrating for them to send you money or gift cards, and then YOU use that to buy the kids gifts that are “just right” and then put “from (money giver’s name)” on the outside?

    It’s similar to what my grandparents did. Older grandkids got money. Younger grandkids parents were given the exact same amount of cash with the instructions to use it to buy they KNOW the child would want to be given, wrap it, and put “to name of child, from grandma and grandpa” on the outside, then bring it to the family celebration and tuck it under the tree.

    Our family was mostly local to each other at that time, and Christmas was always whenever it lined up for everybody as quite a few did shift work.

  5. #5
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    I stick items on my kids' Amazon wishlists and let aunts/uncles/grandparents order from there. I understand your frustration though. I wasn't fast enough this year because my kids are all harder to buy for and MIL kept texting me her ideas for DD. Only problem was she kept suggesting the toys she was buying for my niece, who is almost 3 years younger and I felt badly telling her DD wouldn't want any of it. And I know my kids love to get GCs for their favorite stores (or xBox) so if you don't hear back about your sister's kids, I'd grab a GC and call it a day.
    Mom to Two Wild and Crazy Boys and One Sweet Baby Girl

  6. #6
    jgenie is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I so know this problem! I give gift cards to everyone now that they’re older. I wish we would get gift cards as gifts. It kills me to add all this stuff that my kids won’t play with to my donation pile. A $10 would be so much better. I have two $100 gift cards in my drawer for a store where I don’t shop. Such a waste…

  7. #7
    hbridge is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    You are NOT alone! I.have taken to texting photos of DC’s lists so it is in their handwriting. Then I get a call questing every item, discussing Amazon reviews and “do they really want this”…. Argh!

    The worst was when grandpa stated he always purchased the first snow suit and to send him some ideas and he would make sure to buy it. So I stupidly waited and he forgot; everything was sold out after Christmas. Argh!!!

  8. #8
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    Yes to all of this. My mom was great at gift giving. MIL--arrgghhhh. She would wait until the last minute and then it was out of stock. And then she would buy some crazy, wonky, not at all wanted/appreciated gift and be upset that the kids were not thrilled with it. And I sent links, not names of stuff. It didnt' help that she still had AOL as her internet provider and dial up so it was all slow as molasses. So glad those days are done.
    Mom to:
    DS '02
    DS '05
    Percy--the wild furry child!!! 2022----
    Simon--the first King Charles cutie 2009-2022
    RIP Andy, the furry first child, 1996-2012

    "The task of any religion is not to tell us who we are entitled to hate but to teach us who we are required to love."

  9. #9
    wendibird22's Avatar
    wendibird22 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I feel your pain. My mom starts asking for what the kids want in October claiming she doesn't want to wait. When the kids eventually have lists to give her she then complains of aches, pains, too tire, too cold out, etc and waits weeks to go get the items. This year I found her specific things that were in stock at stores very close to her to make it super easy. Did she go buy them? Nope. So I ended up having to order them online, pay for them myself (because she refuses to online shop because she's too nervous about identify theft), have them shipped to her house, and then have her write me a check for how much they cost. I did her gift shopping for my kids, me, and my brother's kids! Then my ILs don't even bother to ask for lists, just wing it, and my kids always end up never using or wearing half of what they are given because my ILs are out of touch with what they like.

    Neither set of grandparents will give them GCs or money because they claim they like shopping for them and watching them open something and yet neither does a good job at it. Sigh.
    Mom to two amazing DDs ('07 & '09) and a fur baby.

    Gluten free since Nov '11 after non-celiac gluten sensitive diagnosis. Have had great improvement or total elimination of: migraines, bloating/distention, heartburn, cystic acne, canker sores, bleeding gums, eczema on elbows, dry skin and scalp, muscle cramps, PMS, hair loss, heart palpitations, fatigue. I'm amazed.

  10. #10
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    Sing it sister! every year with 3 sets of grandparents!

    My mum is the worst though, she keeps asking what they want despite having direct links. It gotten such that she send the boys a parcel that cost her 30-50 bucks to ship of useless stuff one get from dollar tree store that the boys have no interest. It isn’t in their type of interests or play. So it always goes in the trash. She writes me a check to cover items from vendors I have to shop, physically wrap and put under tree.

    My in laws get same list and ignore to buy different version then complain it’s out of stock or not happy the boys don’t seem into it or want to play with it again.

    My father at least orders from Amazon list but generally leaves it very last minute. Until this year, as he was nervous of stories about shipping delays so he ordered “early” and I got them under the tree this past week. Hooray.


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    Mummy to DS1-6/11 and DS2-1/14

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