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AIBU

Rejected gift AIBU to be offended

(101 Posts)
sazz1 Tue 19-Dec-23 11:49:49

When my 3 Dgc come to stay I always give them £10 each to spend as we live at the seaside so it usually gets spent on machines or little toys sweets etc. Yesterday I did the same to my youngest DGD who promptly pushed it back at me saying 'I don't want that' I gave it to my daughter to keep for her and later that evening she left it on the sofa saying DGD doesn't want it.
I'm feeling quite upset as I think it's quite rude to reject a gift. What do other's think. I just put it back in my purse. Do others give spending money when DĜC visit? Child is 8 yrs old.

Ali23 Tue 19-Dec-23 16:14:07

If I, or anyone else, give my GDs money, they often pass it to their mum to put on their card! It’s a different world…

I can see that the refusal would have hurt though.

Maybe next time, open your purse and say ‘Does anyone want a £10 note for the sea front?’ Then each one can accept or refuse without any awkwardness.

sazz1 Tue 19-Dec-23 19:15:56

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Debbi58 Tue 19-Dec-23 20:53:12

She probably didn't know what is was, most of the younger generation don't carry or use cash. My 6 year old grandson asked me what my house phone was for the other day because Mummy doesn't have one 🤷‍♀️
Joking aside though, I would have popped it back in my purse

Allsorts Tue 19-Dec-23 20:59:31

I’ve never had money or a gift refused, I would just say OK and not make a big deal of it.

Allsorts Tue 19-Dec-23 21:01:54

I must add though, I never gave it without checking with parents first. If they said no, I wouldn’t give it.

Patsy70 Tue 19-Dec-23 21:35:14

Bad manners, in my opinion.

flappergirl Tue 19-Dec-23 22:46:10

Very bad manners and very hurtful. I wouldn't have lived to tell the tale if I'd done that as a child. Even if she didn't know what it was (and I'm not totally convinced about that) it was obvious granny was doing something nice. Your DD was culpable too, if not more so.

biglouis Wed 20-Dec-23 12:20:12

As a child I had it drummed into me to accept all gifts with a word of thanks, regardless of whether or not they were to my taste. I loved getting money because there was always something I was "saving up" for. I was born with a collector mentality. If I didnt immediately say "thank you" some adult would prompt me.

wildswan16 Wed 20-Dec-23 12:25:39

Goodness me, she’s 8. Children do these kind of things. I would have smiled at her and let her know I would keep it for next time. Maybe she should have accepted it politely, but it isn’t worth getting upset about.

downtoearth Wed 20-Dec-23 12:52:27

I would have said I will give it to mummy to look after in case you change your mind.

Witzend Wed 20-Dec-23 18:53:00

I have an 8 year old Gdd and I would hope she’d never be so rude and ungrateful.
My Gdcs enjoy putting any donated cash in their money boxes.

Hithere Wed 20-Dec-23 22:57:26

She is only 8 and she is young
She could have phrased it better but she is the child and OP is the adult.
Usually the adult is able to regulate the emotions better than a child
I am glad her mother supported her decision

I wonder why OP considers this is a big deal, isn't the company and having fun with the family more important?

Why taint the relationship for just a present?

Greyisnotmycolour Wed 20-Dec-23 23:04:35

Try not to take it personally. My six yr old GS hardly knows what cash is. You used to be able to children to the shop with coins but my AC hardly ever go shopping, it's all done online. When I go to the shops with GC (and that's rare) I pay by card. Cash is fast becoming a relic from the olden days for the young.

Louella12 Wed 20-Dec-23 23:08:15

I'd just have offered the other two an extra fiver.

Harris27 Wed 20-Dec-23 23:19:56

Would be offended but lesson learnt wouldn’t offer it again!

crazyH Wed 20-Dec-23 23:25:56

She is only 8 and money probably means nothing to her.
I always take a little something everytime I see the GC - sometimes it’s just a little bar of chocolate, sometimes it’s a little toy, but I never go empty handed. The little 5 year old always asks me ‘what have you brought for me Nan?’ (much to his mum’s annoyance)- they are not little for long and I will not be here forever - so why not?

Shelflife Wed 20-Dec-23 23:56:50

I would be angry! My GD is 8 years old and most certainly would know what a £10 was !! She would also be delighted to be given cash like that. I do think your GD was ill mannered and should know better. Her mother should have pulled her into line. If my GD refused my gift in such a rude fashion I would make quite sure she knew how cross I was. I would put it in my purse and say " if you don't want it I will have it back and buy myself a treat" I would certainly not give it to her mother to keep for her to spend later. At 8 years old she should know better. Very ungrateful.

nadateturbe Thu 21-Dec-23 04:08:13

Sounds very strange, but I would just have said OK . I only had money refused once because it was only a pound (15 years ago). Children are funny.

NotAGran55 Thu 21-Dec-23 05:14:29

I would have had a chat with them to see why they didn’t want the gift. At that age they should be able to explain their feelings, as it is very odd behaviour particularly as they have had the same before.

Doodledog Thu 21-Dec-23 09:18:11

Hithere

She is only 8 and she is young
She could have phrased it better but she is the child and OP is the adult.
Usually the adult is able to regulate the emotions better than a child
I am glad her mother supported her decision

I wonder why OP considers this is a big deal, isn't the company and having fun with the family more important?

Why taint the relationship for just a present?

I agree with this.

Why be angry without knowing why she rejected the money without knowing why she did it?

Doodledog Thu 21-Dec-23 09:18:43

That sentence went awry, didn't it? grin

sazz1 Fri 22-Dec-23 00:42:06

Thanks for all your replies. She asked for it the next day but I said no
She's quite spoilt and gets bought everything she asks for as she's an only child. I think she was quite shocked that I said no. Lesson learned there

BlueBelle Fri 22-Dec-23 04:04:46

I m glad you resolved it but honestly I think it’s a big fuss about nothing she said she didn’t want it (for whatever reason) I would have accepted her decision put it back in my purse and waited to be asked if she changed her mind but I don’t think I’d have felt so rebuffed as you I also don’t see it as her being rude apart from she should have added a thank you but she’s only 8 who knows what was going on in her head
Not the end of the world

Hithere Fri 22-Dec-23 04:48:03

So instead of asking why she didnt want the money the first day and understanding where your own grandchild came from, you judge her upbringing and scold her

I wouldn't be surprised if she never accepts anything from you ever again

Lovetopaint037 Fri 22-Dec-23 09:31:38

Delila

Some young children have quite a conscience and perhaps your GD had an idea you might not be able to afford to give her money you really need for yourself? Perhaps saying “no” tactfully was tricky for her, so she just resorted to an unadorned rejection.

My first thought was along those lines. I remember my gs at about that age insisting that I didn’t buy him something as he said “it was greedy”. He remained like this and would only accept so much and no more. His brother wasn’t like this and loved having money given him. I remember about that time after having relatives giving him money he came to me and asked if I would put it into a savings account I had opened for him. I suggested he bought something he wanted first. He replied it was too much money “for a kid like me”. I was amused at the time. He has grown up and remained very balanced and sensible with money. He spends and he saves. He works in finance now after studying financial economics at university (first class degree). He is the only one in the family like this. He just thinks things through.