My Sister-in-Law Despises Our Christmas Gifts & Sends Demanding Wishlist to Entire Family This Year

A woman and her husband looked forward to hosting her parents, her siblings, and their kids for Christmas. However, she became livid when her sister-in-law sent out a group email including her and the whole family with a Christmas list, insisting on accepting presents only from that list. Please keep reading to find out how the woman reacted to the situation.

In early November 2023, an anonymous female contributor turned to Reddit's extremely popular and widely read "AITA" forum to share her story. The 30-year-old woman and her husband, also 30, planned to host her family members at their place for Christmas.

The guests included her 34-year-old brother Chris, his 33-year-old wife, Amy, their two sons, aged 6 and 4, the woman's sister Lucia, aged 27, and her 30-year-old boyfriend Alex. Before delving into the main story, the Original Poster shared a little background about the family drama that overshadowed her Christmas 2023 celebrations.

According to OP, her brother's wife, Amy, had a recurring issue and was never satisfied or pleased with the gifts she received. Instead, she chose to despite them. Last Christmas, OP and her husband gifted Amy a top-notch coffee maker, the same model her brother Chris had admired during a prior visit.

OP expressed her disagreement in response to her SIL's email, saying she wouldn't buy anything from that list.

But instead of thanking OP and showing excitement about using her new present, Amy responded, "[Oh] well, this isn't really for me, is it?" After that, she expressed annoyance at not receiving a separate Christmas gift.

A Startling Discovery & OP's Reaction

A few days before sharing her story online, OP was taken aback when she was included in a group email from Amy, who had shared a Christmas list for herself and her children. Amy had abundantly clarified that "she would only accept gifts from this list."

According to OP, Amy's list comprised "expensive perfumes, links to expensive clothing items, and designer handbags." OP felt a surge of frustration after reviewing her SIL's gift list. Her parents shared her sentiments and were offended but chose to stay silent. However, OP knew she couldn't control herself in the face of what she deemed "grossly entitled behavior."

OP expressed her disagreement in response to her SIL's email, saying she wouldn't buy anything from that list. She suggested that if Amy were interested in a Louis Vuitton wallet, she would happily connect her with a salesperson. "I also said that if [Amy] didn't like what she received for Christmas she was welcome to just leave it at my house," explained OP.

The Confrontation

To make matters worse, Chris confronted OP, expressing that his wife was attempting to facilitate things for everyone by offering suggestions. Disagreeing, OP told her brother that the Christmas gift list was nothing but Amy's plan to cleverly obtain items she typically couldn't afford without spending a dime.

In OP's opinion, Amy's behavior was highly immature and didn't align with the true spirit of the holiday season. Although OP's parents believed she shouldn't have spoken up, her sister Lucia supported her, noting that she didn't plan to spend too much money on fulfilling Amy's demanding wishlist. Still, OP couldn't help but wonder if she was in the wrong for refusing to follow her SIL's Christmas wishlist.

Prioritizing the Kids

Responding to people's queries, OP revealed that her SIL loved coffee and used the coffee machine she had received last Christmas. She also explained that Amy and Chris had never given anyone in the family items of significant value from the wishlist.

OP's brother handled the Christmas shopping, and their family wasn't big on "adult gifting." Instead, they liked purchasing big presents for the kids and gave more importance to thoughtful gestures, such as gifting Christmas hampers to couples. Other gift options included cozy jumpers or a teapot that OP once gave her mom.

What Do Redditors Think?

OP's narrative gained significant traction online, with most commenters deeming her "NTA." One person asked OP about the presents her family members exchanged on special occasions. They wondered if OP's SIL liked giving pricey gifts and became livid when she didn't receive Louis Vuitton items.

"My family isn't big adult gifters. We all normally get each other jumpers, or gift sets, a Christmas hamper if it's a joint gift etc. Some things cost more than others but I can't imagine any of us giving or receiving a single (meaning not joint with spouse) gift of the value of most of things on Amy's list [sic]," replied OP. Here are a few more comments worth mentioning:

What do you think about this story? Do you feel OP was justified in declining to follow her SIL's Christmas wishlist, or should she have handled things differently? If you enjoyed reading this story, click here to discover the ten worst Christmas presents people have ever received.