This is actually pretty fair. Unless they bought you like a house or a car or something. Or a pony.Originally Posted by Shauna
The only time I complain about gifts is when people buy me a joint birthday-Christmas present because my birthday falls near Christmas. That's not cool at all, man.
If someone were to buy me a house or a car or a pony I would not expect a present from them ever again.
I may not have gotten as harsh of criticism as you have..
Oh wait. Yeah. My dad pretty much told me I look like straight garbage on a number of occasions after I moved back in with them (at their request). "You used to be so goddamn beautiful. Now look at you - you've let yourself go. You're ugly & fat now." - flat out. While my mom, off in the kitchen, is trying to shovel -more- food down my throat.
And I -swear- part of the reason my sister doesn't want to talk to me or hang out like we used to is 'cuz I gained a lot of weight.
I know, It's nice to get something, but it also feels bad if it just goes to waste.
Because there are some gifts you can give away after too but some people would either feel bad or complain if they knew you gave them away.
Besides that, some people just give you a gift because it's "necessary", it isn't necessary that I get something, that's just some dumb thought people get because they think they'll make someone feel bad if they don't get them anything at all so they just go out and get some random thing that they didn't even need to worry bout.
The only time I complain about gifts is when people buy me a joint birthday-Christmas present because my birthday falls near Christmas. That's not cool at all, man.
Otherwise, yeah, I try to appreciate any gift that people get me, regardless of how dumb/much I don't like it. :3
My dad's birthday is close to Christmas, my mom would get him so many gifts he would tell her to leave some for his birthday.
My daughter's birthday is like 9 days after Giftmas.The only time I complain about gifts is when people buy me a joint birthday-Christmas present because my birthday falls near Christmas. That's not cool at all, man.
Otherwise, yeah, I try to appreciate any gift that people get me, regardless of how dumb/much I don't like it. :3
But she's spoiled kinda so she gets like 8 Giftmases and 4 birthdays. It's ridiculous.
My dad's birthday is close to Christmas, my mom would get him so many gifts he would tell her to leave some for his birthday.
How do you know the rest of us weren't appreciative either?Or alternatively five years old because lord knows we weren't model citizens at five.
You can acknowledge that a gift is not your thing while still being very appreciative for the thought, especially if it was several years after the fact.
Three days before Christmas reporting in, it does kind of suck.The only time I complain about gifts is when people buy me a joint birthday-Christmas present because my birthday falls near Christmas. That's not cool at all, man.
Like I said. I'm not picky. I even like useless gifts sometimes. I have about a dozen of those Asian hand fans. I don't use them at all. But I like them because they're cool and a nice little thing to have. I don't care if something is expensive or not. It's the thought that counts.
But that's exactly my point. It's like someone buying a bike lock as a gift for someone who doesn't even have a bike. Or gloves for a person with no hands.It's like... umm thanks?
If you think I'm genuinely upset about this, you're mistaken.
Complaining a bit about the gift doesn't mean you can't also appreciate the gesture. Geez.
I don't remember many bad gifts like that. When I was 16 or so, my sisters gave me a pillow with a crappy photo of myself printed on it, which was pretty bizarre. If I got that now I would think it campy and hilarious, but at the time I just hid it in a closet. And yes, I still appreciated the gift. I just thought it was a terrible choice of one. xD
Years ago, my ex and I moved into our first apartment right before my birthday, so for my birthday he got me all of this generic apartment stuff like a toothbrush holder, a shower curtain, some kitchen supplies and utensils and general apartment stuff. I knew exactly what was going through his mind when he did it ("this shows that I care about us living together and the decision we just made" etc) and I really, sincerely appreciated the thought process behind it. At the same time, none of the stuff was in my style and let's be honest, nobody wants a toothbrush holder or a shower curtain for their birthday. I was also just a little bit disappointed in that based on the gifts he got me, he didn't seem to know me as well as I thought he did.
But absolutely, I was appreciative of the effort and the message he was trying to send. That's about the only really non-par present-receiving I can think of.
Okay, this is a wonderful gift too. xDComplaining a bit about the gift doesn't mean you can't also appreciate the gesture. Geez.
I don't remember many bad gifts like that. When I was 16 or so, my sisters gave me a pillow with a crappy photo of myself printed on it, which was pretty bizarre. If I got that now I would think it campy and hilarious, but at the time I just hid it in a closet. And yes, I still appreciated the gift. I just thought it was a terrible choice of one. xD
Every year Spuuky's parents give us stockings or baskets around the holidays - Easter, Christmas, Halloween, etc.; and we wish that they wouldn't. They are full of things like expired dollar store candy (that I can't eat even if I wanted to), religious playing cards, cheap finger puppets and items that were selected seemingly at random. Most of these items go straight to Goodwill or the rubbish, and we have tried to opt out of these gifts several times over the years, with no success. Spuuky's parents are very generous and obviously value gift giving as a family tradition, but more often than not it seems like we are being given stuff for the sake of it, with no real curation or thought towards what we might actually use or enjoy. Past Christmas gifts to my husband during his late twenties included a remote control helicopter, and a unicycle - both of which are in storage.
It is unfortunate to exchange gifts when it is obvious that the parties have opposite taste levels and desires. The purpose of the gift giving is to delight the recipient, but in cases like buying my husband a unicycle, that is a waste of money and he could have been easily pleased with something much cheaper and less novel. Watching him open that gift was probably one of the most awkward experiences of my life - he doesn't expect much, but it was obvious that sooner or later he would have to disappoint his parents because he wasn't about to lie and say that he loved it and spent his Saturdays zipping to and fro as if he were a circus clown.
It is a somewhat rare thing for me to receive gifts these days. My family never sends cards or presents, and the ones I receive from Spuuky's family are usually generic items purchased to fufill crossing my name off their shopping list. The gifts I most prize are things like handmade items, cards, letters, photos, heirlooms, books, pieces of jewellery. I thank people for the thought of their gift, but if it is something I truly feel I have benefitted from, then I make a point to tell them how I am enjoying it. I could write a pretty long list of those things, but perhaps that is for another thread.
I got given a clock for christmas last year. I'm normally someone who doesn't mind functional gifts. However this is a shelf edge clock which in and of itself is pointless in my room where there are no shelves per-se. Also, the design is just completely wrong for my tastes. It's a "Salvador Dali" style melting clock. in chrome! I'm currently waiting the minimum time to give it to my youngest nephew.
Ghonorea.
Boldly go.
I didn't realize we had the same mother-in-law! Every Christmas and Easter we end up with a huge pile of candy and dollar store toys that mostly end up in the trash. There's usually an item or two we do like, but it's mostly just stuff given for the sake of giving without thinking about who it's being given to. Thankfully, my mother-in-law insisted we start Amazon Wish Lists for non-stocking gifts so she just gets stuff off that. She's all kindness and generosity, but she really has no skill for understanding the tastes of other people.
I'm too old to get gifts from most of my family, but the usual sources of bad gifts are my grandmothers. For my baby shower, BJ's grandmas got the baby strollers and car seats and clothes and other cute things. My Mema got the baby a blanket that her neighbor crocheted (when she herself is a quilter) and hymn CDs. My Nana got the baby a hat and pink and green tie-dye crocs.
But I still love them and like them and feel like an ass for even complaining about gifts, so thanks a lot, Yar.
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