Early morning useless post thread

[Jamminitin]

0

Not if they tell you exactly what they want

Your post reminded me of my mom and what I wanted at Christmas.
One year, I asked for a leather coat. Keep in mind it's cold this time of year. She buys me this hideous GREEN blazer with poufy sleeves and a tie belt. Open from the neck to waist. I hated it. I must have gone shopping with her a thousand times all year showing her (hinting?) the ones I loved and she buys me this shitty thing. It had no liner. It was meant to be a fashion piece, not a winter coat. I had to wear that thing in a freezing cold winter because she insisted it's a good winter coat.

Another year it was her interpretation of the long brown suede coat with a fake fur collar. I wanted a specific one.... without the stupid fur cuffs on the sleeves. They only get matted, dirty and nasty. Guess what coat I got? The one with the nasty fur sleeves. I couldn't even take the cuffs off because they were not laid over the suede sleeve but an extension of it!

Now I know she tries to mean well but she always tried to snooker me by saying how good these are and better than the ones I asked for. I NEVER complained to her about them. That would be too hurtful. But she knew she put her spin on things. She always said the "line of shit" as I opened the present, "Isn't that nice? It's better than the one you wanted and it took me forever to find it". She did this with all of us too. She always put her weird little spin on things. I must admit, as we got older and moved out, she's been 100% better at this. I've not complained (to myself of course) about a gift from her since I moved out in 1978. Weird how that happens!

TK-This is EXACTLY what my mom would do to me except without the explanation. I remember I wanted the leather saddle bag purse when they were popular. I got one, but two years later when no one was using them. I think I used it once. With clothes, she would buy me "outfits" with the matchy top and bottom....when I was in the 7th grade!!!! Same with shoes, jackets everything. It would be "kinda" like what I wanted but totally different.

That is why it is hard for me to shop. I make the kids make a list for me, then number the gifts in order of importance. I HATED getting things I didn't want/like so I don't want to do that to my kids. I always also give explicit instructions that they better tell me if they don't like something so we can return it. I tell them, "I would much rather have you tell me you don't like it and take it back, then for me to pay for something you will never use"