Intercepting Presents

What do you do when the present is inappropriate? I peeked at a present today that was sent by my SIL who has really never sent presents before. It is a 600 piece puzzle. . .for my 5 year old. She is working on 100 piece puzzles right now. What do you do/have you done?

[fluffhead]

Re: Intercepting Presents

I absolutely screen presents and put them away or toss them if they're inappropriate. DW's crazy GM sent 5 lb bags of M&Ms, one for each kid.
uhhhh.....They got sent to our conference rooms at work.
You can also just put it away for next year.

Re: Intercepting Presents

OK, phew. I was hoping that I wasn't the only parent who peeked into the presents. Do you replace it with something appropriate? I just don't know what she will say when we talk to her on the phone "So how did you like my present?" Uhm. . .well. . .

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Re: Intercepting Presents

The family that I used to nanny for had an uncle who somehow found the most inappropriate gifts for the kids. He got the 3 yo (at the time) "Midge" - Barbie's pregnant friend.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industrie ... doll_x.htm

This "Barbie" has a magnetized belly with a baby inside of it. E would play with the belly-piece and the baby as if they were two people! Just a very bizarre gift. I know the mom wishes she found out about it beforehand!

I would agree with what has already been stated - hide it for the future!

Good luck!

[madeintaiwan]

Re: Intercepting Presents

I don't prescreen gifts, but my kids know that I have no problem telling them that a toy has to be returned or given away if I find it to be inappropriate for us. They know that we are the final say. And they know which toys are "allowed" and which are not; even my 4 year old. And they are really good about it. They smile and say thank you and when everyone has left, they voluntarily hand the toy over stating that it's not allowed in our house. If there is a gift receipt we exchange it, if there isn't we donate it to a local charity.

ETA: If your SIL asks, I would just tell her that the gift was great but X is not quite there yet so you've put it away for when she can play with it without getting frustrated.

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: Intercepting Presents

Oh, I've think I've got the ULTIMATE age-inappropriate gift for a four-year-old from his ADULT, old-enough-to-know-better uncle (my DH's ever-feckless brother):

My BIL (who spent most of the year in Syria, as a self-promoted rogue Christian fundamentalist evangelist--not kidding) got DS:

a Palestine keffiyeh (the black-and-white checkered headscarf popular among young male Palestinians, often understood to symbolize the Palestinian resistance--and, of course, the associated terrorism.( And, BIL was thoughtful enough to also get DS a headrope (I don't know the correct term of this item), the twisted black cord used by some to affix the keffiyeh to the headcrown.

SO NOT IN ANY WAY APPROPRIATE!!!!!!

I confiscated the keffiyeh right after we unwrapped presents this weekend. I will keep the headrope for next year's Gospel Pagent on Christmas Eve at church--DS will be old enough to play a shepherd, and it can be used in the outfit.

But seriously: a Palestinian keffiyeh??? For my preschooler??? I think not. There's no way I am allowing him to wear or even play with such a potent symbol...even if he doesn't know the underlying politics. I wouldn't allow him to play with a militant Israeli symbol of any sort either!!

But BIL can be a real idiot. Two years ago, he got my then-two-year-old a pair of foam num-chucks. Again, CONFISCATED!!

[MrsK]

Re: Intercepting Presents

I remember my parents confiscating an age-inappropriate book that my grandmother gave me -- I believe it was a Cosmopolitan magazine compilation book complete with fashion, beauty, and sex tips. I was 11. We didn't see her often, she was European, and always bought things that were too mature for me -- like when I was 6 and she bought me the complete novels of Jane Austin. That sat on a shelf until I was in high school. Nana had good intentions but was so clueless.