This is my pet peeve. My MIL is giving my daughter a really nice little teaset for easter. Beautiful. White with silver edging in a pretty little box.

"You'll probably want to put it up somewhere," she said.

Argh. Why buy it in the first place?

I know there are some kids who appreciate this sort of thing but not my girl. She likes stuff she can use, that's not too girly. After several china dolls and precious watches, I had hoped my MIL knew this. Apparently not.

Not that my MIL isn't great and doesn't buy gifts my daughter does love but this isn't a gift for Catherine, it's a gift for an imagined grand daughter that doesn't quite exist. It will get lost. It will get broken. Or it will get ignored.

I hearby swear that I will buy good fun toys for my grandchildren. That I will keep my grandchildren's personality in mind when I buy them gifts. And I swear that if some I succumb to some temptation and just have to purchase an adorable and expensive little tea set or charm bracelet for them then *I* will put it away myself and be responsible for it.

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 04:01 pm:

Personally, if it isn't too expensive, I'd let her play with it anyhow with special tea parties with her dolls stuffed animals, siblings, cousins, friends, whoever. My kids are the same way. Now, my dd does have a collection of some antique glass that she keeps in a cabinet, but she has gotten cute porcelin tea sets, and she has played with them. They've gotten broken or lost, but she sure has enjoyed them. Much more than she would if she just looked at them.

By Tripletmom on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 08:14 pm:

We always use the good stuff.Why do people save things for special occassions.Everyday is a gift, so we dont save anything we live day by day.

By Annie2 on Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 09:52 pm:

I would let her use the tea set. If she doesn't make memories with it then it won't be special to her when she's older.

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, April 13, 2006 - 08:12 pm:

Ditto everyone else! Use it. If something breaks, then it will have broken while being used and enjoyed. The alternative is never using it and forgetting it's even there. I just don't *get* having things that are *too good to use*.