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Baby things

(46 Posts)
whogoesthere Tue 11-May-21 10:48:59

My son and dil are getting divorced and today I received a message from her asking for all the baby stuff I have stored in my loft as they did not enough space, some of this things I bought for them, should I give them to her.

Hithere Wed 19-May-21 19:34:19

Whogoesthere

Would those items help your son or dil? Now they need 2 of everything (2 households)

You can also pack them and put them away, donate them, give them to a set of parents with a child, etc

whogoesthere Wed 19-May-21 19:30:56

Following on from this what should I do with the toys and clothes I bought for the child when he use to visit me at my house.Just looking at this things reminds me of how close we were as I used to look after him every week, and all the photos I have of him around my house.

3nanny6 Tue 18-May-21 13:06:29

It can be difficult to be put in the middle of your son and DIL
Tell your son you are refusing to take sides and encourage
him to enter into some communication with your DIL in regard of her request to have the baby clothes returned. They have a child together so some communication has to start as they must co-parent the child.

You may have bought some items but that was a gift from you to them, clear your loft and return the items and forget about it. Hope all goes well with future contact with your GC

grandtanteJE65 Tue 18-May-21 11:59:10

Are these things that your son and daughter-in-law bought for their child and had no room to store?

If so, it might be wise to mention her request to you son before handing over the stuff.

If it is things you bought, then it depends as another poster said, on whether there are other young parents in your family who might need them.

BlueberryPie Mon 17-May-21 22:38:26

If it's not already settled, I'd probably drop all the stuff off at your son's place as soon as possible. That lets you slip seamlessly out of their mess before you get more entangled in it. He is your direct contact and dividing up their marital property and the communication it takes, that is their problem. smile

OutsideDave Mon 17-May-21 22:29:08

How incredibly petty of your son. Give her everything back. If he wants to fight her for every pram toy and babygro, he can do it in his divorce settlement.
You should have nothing to do with it.

LovelyCuppa Thu 13-May-21 13:41:43

What a difficult time. I feel for them both.

Personally I would suggest he just lets her have them. There will be bigger issues to resolve later and perhaps it's best for him to set the tone that he will be amicable and therefore so should she.

LizziesMom Wed 12-May-21 21:22:01

It does not matter if it's newborn stuff or stuff for teenagers. The stuff belongs to their child and needs to go to them. Stay out of it and get it out of your house. Good luck

Maggiemaybe Wed 12-May-21 10:12:51

whogoesthere

This are new born things. my grandson is 3 years old

In that case your son and DIL need to decide between them how it’s all divided up, if they both hope to have other children in the future, or even if they don’t and the stuff is to be sold. It belongs to both of them, surely?

Shropshirelass Wed 12-May-21 09:45:55

Yes, not worth the hassle of hanging onto them. They are only stored with you, they do not belong to you. I would let your son know but don’t get drawn into their battle, it is for them to sort out between themselves.

NotSpaghetti Wed 12-May-21 09:40:27

If they were gifted to your son and daughter in law then they belong to them.

Maybe tell your son that this is what you intend to do as technically they are half his.

If there are a lot of expensive no-longer-used items from the first 3 years they need to decide what to do with them. Maybe they need to discuss selling them and splitting the money?

I'd personally be wary of keeping them though. It's really for them to negotiate between them. If your relationship is good with your son you should let him know that if he does nothing to sort it out it, in a few days you will hand them over.

Even if they are worth a couple of thousand pounds, the heartache is not. As someone suggested, maybe your son would like a keepsake or two from the loft - but otherwise I think let go.

M0nica Wed 12-May-21 09:39:14

Yes, you GAVE them to them. These items are theirs to decide what to do with them and who should have them.

A gift is a gift is a gift, not a loan with strings attached.

All of you seem very money orientated. tell the pair of them to go away and sort out btween them who will have what and when they have decided that hand it over as agreed.

eazybee Wed 12-May-21 09:31:19

Is the 'baby stuff' things which the child has outgrown and are being kept in case of another child, or things bought in anticipation for this child's needs? If the former, is the wife planning to sell it?
If you are able, I would remove it all from my loft and return it to the parents' home, and let them sort it out.
Your son's attitude does seem rather controlling.

whogoesthere Wed 12-May-21 09:27:23

This are new born things. my grandson is 3 years old

Shelflife Wed 12-May-21 08:25:54

If she has the baby she needs the baby stuff. That is the decent and obvious way to go .

Maggiemaybe Wed 12-May-21 08:14:14

I can’t see any reason not to, unless of course they have joint custody and your son needs baby items at his home as well. In which case they need to sort out between them who gets what.

Nonogran Wed 12-May-21 07:43:59

Keep her on side! Show it all to your son & say he can keep certain items (for sentiment?)but the rest is going to her.

CafeAuLait Wed 12-May-21 04:16:37

Assuming she has primary care of the baby, I think I'd just give them to her and tell my son that he needs to work it out with her. They need to start communicating sometime, even just because they share a child and are going to have to co-operate on co-parenting.

welbeck Wed 12-May-21 03:26:03

does he want half the nappies out of each packet if they were paid for out of a joint account.
i think maybe you need to give him a talking to, and tell him to man up.
not a phrase i generally like, but in this case seems appropriate.

Hithere Wed 12-May-21 03:08:42

May I ask why they are divorcing?

Your son seems very petty - he paid for providing for his own child? What a weird concept! (Sarcasm on only for this)

This divorce will be complicated if he behaves like this

welbeck Wed 12-May-21 03:04:12

what does he want to do, cut all the blankets down the middle.

welbeck Wed 12-May-21 03:03:17

presumably the baby will be residing with his/her mother, in which case of course she ought to have all the items that might be used by/for baby.

welbeck Wed 12-May-21 03:00:57

he is being ridiculous.
this does not bode well for the future, where so many things will have to be discussed and agreed, hopefully in a rational, adult, let's-both-do-what's-best-for-baby way.

whogoesthere Wed 12-May-21 02:51:39

Thank you all for your comments, but she has asked me and not my son who she is not speaking too, he feels she needs to ask him as he paid for some of this things.I seem to be caught in the middle.

Shelflife Tue 11-May-21 19:58:08

Yes !! Give them to her . If you don't it may well backfire on you, don't give her or your son for that matter any reason to think badly of you. Good luck !