Help! I lost the baby quilt MIL made!

[lexbeach]

MIL made each of my babies a little quilt while I was pg. THey are hand-stitched and hand-quilted, and each one took her about 3 months. . . And last week I lost Jasper's! The boys were in the stroller and they each had their little quilt covering them, and then only Luke had his quilt on. We were walking around a really nice park, and I was sure that no one would have taken it, so I wasn't even worried. . . until I went back and couldn't find it anywhere. I've been going to the lost and found everyday, but no one has turned it in. I can't believe that someone would take a baby quilt! On the back, MIL stitched: "To my dear Jasper with love from Grammie." How could you take something like that home and not feel incredibly guilty?

So, how do I tell MIL?

a) tell her the truth

b) tell her it was taken out of the stroller while it was parked (so that the blame of having dropped it is gone. . . this is DP's idea)

c) don't tell her at all

Thanks!

Lex

[hvl25]

I would tell her the truth, accidents happen and when you are looking after more than one child, its easy to not realize a blanket is missing. I am sure she will be hurt, but she should understand. good luck

[lilyka]

I am sure she will see how sad you are about it missing. Who wouldn't be

[Teresa]

Lex,
Have you tried putting an ad in the paper?
I know if I found an obviously special, hand-made blanket in the park I'd take it home and hope that someone would put up a sign or an ad in the paper, and maybe post signs myself!
Good Luck!

[OneTrickPony]

Hi mama - I think you should tell her.

I heard this lovely story from a friend of mine a few days ago, about how his grandmother gave him a TV many years ago, and he sold it for $20. When she asked him for it back (unexpectedly), he lied and said he lost it. Then he said for many years, he didn't feel as close to her as he had been...he said this little lie came between them and he felt ashamed to be around her. And they had been very, very close.

One day he decided to tell her the truth, and he gave her the $20! She said everything was fine, and she forgave him, and when she died, he was the one to deliver the eulogy.

You know, you could frame it as an opportunity to make a new quilt, one your son could help choosing the fabric for, one which could include snippets of clothing he wore as an infant, etc.

Sometimes things like this happen. They are accidents! I think you have a lovely opportunity to help your son and your MIL create a new project to make up for the lost quilt. I guess when I think about it, if it were me I'd like to leave my daughter with an idea of how to make things better when accidents happen - and I don't think that "white lies" would accomplish that.

I don't mean to sound preachy here. I don't know how I'm coming across! Good luck to you, whatever you choose.

[Foobar]

Tell her the truth. It will be the best solution and the best example for your children.