[Bookworm]

My MIL has bought us more clothes than our first baby will be able to wear even if we change her clothes every hour, and she tells me she has more coming. She wants to send us a big box every month, which turns out to mean two large boxes every month.

I tried to (gently) suggest that the baby already has more clothes than she will be able to wear, and she replied, hurt and upset, "SO?!?"

I looked on eBay, and it looks like they are pretty much worthless, even with their tags still on, even in a lot.

Did I mention my MIL have completely opposite taste? I mean, COMPLETELY opposite taste. So while I will keep some of the plainer items, some of them are just too frilly for me to even look at when I open the drawer.

If there is a children's consignment store here in town, they are not in the yellow pages. Also, these are not usually brand name items, they are just whatever was on clearance. It's a buying frenzy. My husband feels weird about just giving them away since his mom gave them to us for our daughter, and I can understand that. I feel a little weird about it, too, even though I donate our own stuff all the time.

What do I do? What do I do? Is there anywhere I can sell these and we can buy something we need for our daughter? Something practical?

 

[karlin]

How about giving them to a women's shelter? Often the women have to get out of situations quickly and take their children with practically nothing. It would be nice for these mamas to have nice, new frilly thigns for their little girls. Plus, it's usually tax deductable (and your MIL really can't complain about such a good cause).

 

[ozzyemm]

Or try the TP here?

 

[boingo82]

Do you have a "kid to kid" there? They buy kids clothes.

 

[ledzepplon]

Aww, I know it's kind of annoying, but it's so sweet that she wants to do this. Since you've already suggested that she curtail her purchases and she was hurt, I'd just accept the gifts graciously. (After all, how would you feel if you showered someone you loved with gifts and they asked you to stop?)

I suggest that you select items to donate or sell, keep the tags on, and take a photo of your dc in them. Send the photos of to MIL with a nice thank you and then weed out the closet. If she's really sending that many clothes, she'll never know that you got rid of some of them. (Come to think of it, put dc in the frilliest, girliest thing MIL has sent and have a cheap professional photo taken of her. Then present it as a gift. MIL will probably think she's died and gone to heaven!!!)

If this is your biggest problem with MIL, then you can count yourself as one of the lucky ones!!!