I get along with my ILs fairly well and given that interactions are spread out I actually do enjoy spending time with them. The one issue (ok - maybe there's more than one : ) is my MILs gift giving. She's never worked to pay bills, my FIL has always covered the necessities, so my mil essential works for "fun money" which she spends on herself as well as everyone else! DH and I are adults, yet every Christmas we still get a stocking and at least 15-20+ gifts a piece (some from "Santa") from my ILs (mostly useless junk - DH got comic books last year, he's never read nor been interested in comic books). If it sounds like mil has an addiction, well that's because she does! I've spoken to DH about this and he said she's been like this since he was a kid and that he's tried to talk to her about it in the past and nothing changes. He spoke to her again last year and she agreed to do a smaller Christmas, but I did not notice a difference at all. DH and I had our first child this past spring (who got Christmas presents last year before even being born!.....and Easter gifts, and 4th of July gifts) and we really don't want/need my mil showing her with all of these gifts. We feel like it sets a bad presidence and I am not ok with grandparents giving more gifts than parents. So, we were going to have a talk with her this weekend and set limits on what she can give. I guess I just wanted to get an idea on a reasonable # or gifts we should limit her to? We were thinking we would let her do a stocking and then 3-4 gifts max (with the understanding that they be labeled "from ILs" not from Santa) Anyone else had to set limits? Thoughts on this?
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