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Would you bother??

(85 Posts)
Astitchintime Thu 12-Dec-24 08:17:58

My OH has a niece who we have always bought Christmas and birthday present for since she was born. Years ago - she is now 17 - we used to get a lovely thank you letter shortly after Christmas - her birthday is just before Christmas.

For the past 4 or five years we have had no messages or anything by way of a thank you and now, when we see her she just ignores us. Last year I messaged her dad to check that the cash I had transferred had gone into her account, he said he would ask her but we still heard nothing.

Am I being unreasonable in feeling inclined to not give at all this year? All our other youngsters message or phone to acknowledge our gifts.

What would you do?

notnecessarilywiser Thu 12-Dec-24 08:36:40

The fact that she ignores you when you're there in person is the clincher for me. One could make allowances for teenage gaucheness if not for that. (I wouldn't involve her father in it at all.)

Cabbie21 Thu 12-Dec-24 08:42:17

Maybe you might want to continue until her 18th birthday and stop then. ( You have come this far…).
But I gave up on my nephew long before that. Not even knowing if gifts had arrived, no thank you, not even a text.

25Avalon Thu 12-Dec-24 08:43:25

I would definitely stop when she is 18 and just send a card. You could stop this year but 18 is a good cut off point. I am doing that with great nieces and nephews. I felt a bit awkward at still sending to the younger ones only at first.

Smileless2012 Thu 12-Dec-24 08:44:35

No you are not being unreasonable and when you see her, say hello and if she ignores you then don't bother trying to communicate with her any further.

Jeanathome Thu 12-Dec-24 08:45:24

What do you mean.... she ignores you? Thats sounds awful.

dogsmother Thu 12-Dec-24 08:46:36

I quit after school age, if said kids can’t be bothered why should we. Been there with so many, they are more than capable of manners enough to say thank you. I have a very large family of nieces and nephews.

Sarnia Thu 12-Dec-24 08:49:11

My Boxing Day morning was writing thank you letters for my Christmas presents. No argument. I would not be inclined to give any gifts or money to someone who is rude enough to ignore me. Why have basic manners disappeared?

Skydancer Thu 12-Dec-24 08:49:26

I stopped giving to my nephews after not being thanked.

NotSpaghetti Thu 12-Dec-24 09:01:58

I would go up to 18... but what happened with her father's manners?

Primrose53 Thu 12-Dec-24 09:06:42

I stopped with my nephews and nieces when they all got to 16. Most of them had part time jobs in cafes, pubs etc and got great tips and were well paid.

Georgesgran Thu 12-Dec-24 09:30:57

Everyone is echoing my thoughts. I’d give up at 18, but have you continued beyond 18 with other young’uns and would that create a bigger issue?
I have 2 adult nephews (DH’s) who have never acknowledged anything. I sent both small cheques when they were 50 which remain unbanked and now out of date - their loss.

TerriBull Thu 12-Dec-24 09:32:46

It's a hard one, on the wider subject of being ignored, I was watching the programme on Channel 4 about the school children, Year 8, who were taking part in an experiment of relinquishing their smart phones for a couple of weeks, and what so many parents said once they entered the pernicious world of Tik Toc etc., it was as if they had lost their child as to the lack of communication. Possibly your niece has entered that stage of her life it's pretty endemic sadly, and annoying the lack of engagement with the "real" people in their lives. It is basic manners, a thank you costs nothing. I do sometimes think maybe when such young people stop getting money from relatives they may make a correlation between that and their non acknowledgement of previous gifts.

I do remember sending one God son money for his birthday, when he was dragged to the phone by my friend, his mother, rehearsed to say "thank you very much for the birthday money" and once followed by "who are you?" we hadn't seen him for a while.

Witzend Thu 12-Dec-24 09:55:32

Funnily enough, I was lying awake with a similar dilemma last night. I still give to one niece/nephew pair, who are late teens but still in full time education, and have always sent a thank you note. I’ll just be giving them cash in a card this year.

The other pair are 20s, , both now working, and I never
had a thank you from either, so I stopped a few years ago, but this year I know they’ll all be together, so it feels mean to give nothing.
We are all only doing small edible presents for family adults now, so I’m going to have to get a couple of small boxes of chocs or something. And I need them by tomorrow, to take up North, and I have a mountain of cooking to do today….😩

annodomini Thu 12-Dec-24 10:01:20

My sister and I have never sent presents to each other's children - now all grown up. We do send birthday and Christmas cards however. Special birthdays like 18th are exceptions. Which reminds me that I need to buy and send birthday cards to a nephew and a niece today!

BigBertha1 Thu 12-Dec-24 11:52:24

I have a really lovely nephew who never thanks for his gifts from us. He is 24 now. I send because my sister would be offended if I didn't and he is always hard up. She tells me its because he has ADHD that he doesn't send thank yous or acknowledgements. DH thinks I have given up sending but I still worry about him and think he would like a gift. He is my only nephew. I'd be glad of anyone's thoughts on this situation as well.

Granmarderby10 Thu 12-Dec-24 12:28:18

There are myriad ways to communicate.
This 17 year old is old enough to take responsibility for her own conduct and may be so accustomed to being showered with gifts that yours means little. The fact that she ignores you! 😾Sorry and all that but my advice is give the money or gift to a good cause or someone close who may appreciate and actually really need it.
OR
Save it for yourselves. No brainer.

Ladyleftfieldlover Thu 12-Dec-24 12:34:07

I stopped sending presents to my nieces and nephew when they reached 18. I sent a present for their 30th. I now send presents to my great niece and great nephew. My nephew never sent me a thank-you neither did his sister. They are my sister’s children. My brother’s two daughters always send a thank you.

J52 Thu 12-Dec-24 12:38:41

We stopped when they reached 18. If the Godchildren were off to University we’d give a one off monetary gift to help with settling in.

sukie Thu 12-Dec-24 14:19:38

In your situation, BigBertha1, I'd continue to send to your nephew. You state he is really lovely and your only nephew. You say your sister would be offended if you didn't send and that the young man is hard up and has ADHD. All great reasons to continue. The only reason to stop is if the "thank you" that is lacking weighs heavier with you than the good feeling of gifting him at the holiday.

Calendargirl Thu 12-Dec-24 15:22:27

Like others, I was going to say stop at 18, but re-reading the OP, I think I would stop now.

If, even after asking her dad to check with her about last year, and you still heard nothing, well, that says it all.

Ungrateful little madam.

Astitchintime Thu 12-Dec-24 16:41:55

Thank you all so much for your comments.....I really appreciate them all and have to admit "was I being a bit mean" but when you visit a family and everyone communicates apart from this niece (she is an only child), when you transfer money and don't get an acknowledgment you have to wonder if that account was incorrect don't you? Over the years I have made her some beautiful gifts - a reinforced custom made laptop case one year by special request from her Mum, with extra pockets and a detachable shoulder strap, took me hours and actually I could have sold it ten times over..........did she thank us??.....No she didn't so after reading all your advice, I am done now.

Salti Thu 12-Dec-24 17:00:10

I have taken my sister's advice on board: Two strikes .... and you're out.

Gummie Thu 12-Dec-24 17:54:55

What a rude child if she ignores you never mind the bad manners of not thanking you for a gift. You should stop giving her anything at once. She doesn't deserve you.

Allsorts Fri 13-Dec-24 07:03:17

Its extremely rude, I would give no more cash, just a card, it's worse after asking parents if she had received it, no reply. Just do cards. None if them seem interested anyway, but to be ignored is rude and hurtful.