Rant needed. OT.

[emalou90]

I am so so so fed up with getting bags of toys/puzzles/books from DDs Nanny/great nanny (these are OHs mum and nan)
We moved in October and ever since then, if Dd goes for a visit, she'll be given a plastic bag with old toys or puzzles to bring home with her. Now I let this go a few times and said thanks, but all the toys and puzzles are from car boots (newly purchased) and not from OH's childhood or anything majorly special.
(I'm talking, old mcdonalds toys, half train sets, musty puzzles, old toys from before my childhood etc)

I asked my OH to mention this and ask them not too give us anymore because dd has so many things now and she doesn't even play with her things from Christmas and birthday let alone other random toys from car boots.

(This makes me sound stuck up, honestly I'm not, it's just that if it was puzzles bought for her and not because they're clogging up their houses then it would be ok. They are well known car booters and their houses are usual of kids clutter)

We have finally started getting sorted in this new house, clutter at a minimum, Christmas and her birthday out of the way and last week I shoved all her old "decent" toys she doesn't play with up in the attic so we can keep them for new baby when the time comes.
So I make all this effort and she brings another bloody bag of stuff over and leaves it outside our front door!? Grrrr we are not a charity shop. She has loads of toys. We do not need MORE and we have mentioned it!

How far can I let it go on without me actually having to leave the bags of toys on her doorstep?! I don't want to be rude! But it's so frustrating.

Being hormonal doesn't help, I want to get all the stuff they have given us, bag it back up and show them how much of a waste it is. A waste for us that is, some family may love the stuff, so why can't they stop buying it and giving it to us.


Urghhh, sorry, most of this sounds really snobby, but it's not, I'm very thrifty, love car boots, second hand etc but like I say, DD has loads of things already.

What would you ladies do?

 

[MommyJogger]

Does your dd enjoy getting them? And is there a charity shop/donation center in the area (and are the toys mosty nice enough that someone might enjoy them?)? If yes to both, I would probably just ask the ladies to do something else (very small donations to a college/trust fund perhaps in lieu of toys?) and if they can't manage, it might be a good opportunity to teach your lg charity by taking the toys and having her donate them regularly after she's enjoyed the novelty of them. She's at a decent age for it and it might save you from a battle that doesn't need to be fought. I wouldn't blame you for just standing up and putting a solid foot down, just thought I'd offer a silver lining alternative.
Fwiw, that would probably really annoy me, too, and I'm the queen of secondhand everything.

 

[brownlieB]

To be honest my mil is like this too, every time we oh round she comes home with nick naks, not necessarily car boot but stuff in the sale or a magazine with yet more stickers! I hate the clutter it causes but once LO is fed up with it, charity it or I have split all the toys she doesn't play with between home, my mum, my dad and my in laws so she has different toys to play with at each house xx

 

[Rel]

My parents tend to be guilty of buying my kids what Iwould consider junk rather than toysthatthey maybe able to play with properly, and so recently for their birthdays/ christmas presents, I have basically told them what I would like for them. I have mentionned that they already have a lot and that they stop playing with their stuff if there is too much. This may not help you as it is not for a special occasion, but you could maybe tellthem that instead of buying "new" toys for your kids, you'd rather they got them stuff to go with what they already have, to complete the collections they have... It might slow them down because theywon't be able to get that stuff from car boot sales and it isn't yet another toy but something that already goes with what they have.
Sorry, I'm rambling a bit here, but I hope you get the idea.
Good luck with that though.

 

[MaddyMonster]

You could ask them to keep the toys there so when she goes over she'll have something to play with. My parents did this to my aunt cause she was always buying me toys. So I ended up having lots of toys at her house instead of having tons at mine. It also made it so I would play with them instead of wanting new ones because it had been a while since I had seen them.

 

[emalou90]

there houses are full of kids toys, so it would make sense for them to stay there? you know what they say, its exciting for children to see 'different' toys but it doesnt mean she wants to take them all home! i think thats what they are thinking.

she doesnt touch the toys once they are here... it seems like a waste
regarding giving them to charity, thats more hassle on my part, having to drag them places. just wish they could see it from my point of view.

i understand its kind what they are doing but if i was asked to stop, id stop!
i personally havent said anything yet, my OH has assured me he has. But one more bag and i'll be taking it back and saying stop myself and i wont be as nice as my OH.

i dont need more rubbish in this house needing to be sorted before baby arrives.
we literally just put a load in the attic this weekend, yet ended up with another bag full of crap.

thanks for the replies btw. appreciate all your comments xx

 

[Flower15]

I can see why it annoys you! I HATE clutter!! So it must be hard trying to get your point across without hurting anyone's feelings. I'd just try and explain that although your very grateful for the toys you don't have the space and Amelia doesn't play with them anyway. If that still doesn't work I'd take them to the charity shop. Saying that second hand or not at least they buy stuff for her, my mum treats Ellie all the time, but no one else ever randomly buys her or teats her to anything. Everyone just whinges for us to bring toys from home to keep at their house. Think there needs to be a balance haha x

 

[Night Flower]

Shut give the excess toys away.

 

[tablefor4]

Haha, my DD is old enough to have the conversation with her - "If Nana tries to give you any more treasures to bring home, tell her we just don't have room for them".

Nana tried to give her something last week, and DD8 says "Oh Nana, if I take that home, Mum will just throw it out straight away". Lol.

But it worked!

 

[emalou90]

Haha my DD is almost at that stage!!
She'll certainly tell nanny what to do but is torn between yay colourful boxes and what are those again? Boring.

I'll let it go for now I reckon. We've got another weekend coming up so who knows we may get another sack of crap to sort through, needless to say, I'll take it right back and leave it outside her door!

 

[BabyBlondex]

We have this trouble, but if the stuff are no good just give them to a charity shop or someone that will be greatful for them. DD is 2 and our house already looks like an explosion in a toy shop and we dont need ANYMORE toys lol