Am I Too Ungrateful after My Kids Got Their Christmas Presents?

A woman's demanding sister-in-law made it crystal clear that her teenage children preferred money over toys or gifts for Christmas, allowing them to purchase whatever they desired. On Christmas Day, the woman presented each of the three youngsters with an envelope containing cash. Nevertheless, upon observing the Christmas gifts given to her own children, she immediately left the dinner.

On December 25, 2022, an anonymous female contributor turned to Reddit's highly popular "AITA" forum to share her story. Over the past three months leading up to Christmas, the Original Poster's sister-in-law consistently communicated with her brother (OP's partner) regarding gift preferences for both their children.

The SIL conveyed that her teenage children had no interest in toys or traditional gifts; instead, they explicitly wanted cash to have the freedom to purchase whatever they desired for the festive season.

OP agreed to the arrangement. Subsequently, she received calls from her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and her partner, all dropping "not-so-subtle hints" that they expected substantial cash gifts from OP while passing odd remarks about her religion.

Even more shocking was how she chose to treat OP's children.

Feeling pressured and coerced, OP ended up giving $200 to each of her sister-in-law's three kids, as per the specific demands. Throughout this process, she noted that discussions about her own children's wishes were minimal, with the focus being predominantly one-sided. Despite reassurances from her partner that reciprocity would occur, nothing like that happened.

What Happened on Christmas Day?

On Christmas Day, OP gave each of her sister-in-law's three kids $200 in envelopes. Much to OP's dismay, her SIL happily took the $600 in envelopes and didn't even say thank you. Even more shocking was how she chose to treat OP's children.

In the end, she was left wondering if her feelings of resentment were justified.

In contrast, the SIL gave only a $20 Smiggle gift card to each of OP's kids. Frustrated and feeling unappreciated, OP left the Christmas dinner with her children. "I know your supposed to be grateful and all with whatever you get, but I worked for 3 months saving that money that I felt I had to give, and I thought was excessive, in return for a joke [sic]?" lamented OP.

Seeing her kids receiving very little compared to her sister-in-law's children, who seemed to be spoiled, fueled her frustration. OP had already expressed her discontent to her partner for pressuring her into complying with the situation. In the end, she was left wondering if her feelings of resentment were justified. "AITA for storming out of Christmas lunch being ungrateful for SIL cheapening out on my kid's Christmas gifts," thought OP.

The Online Community's Reaction

OP's narrative resonated widely online, garnering an extensive response from Redditors across the globe. Numerous commenters expressed support for her perspective, empathizing with the challenges she faced and criticizing her sister-in-law for being excessively demanding, ultimately spoiling Christmas for the woman and her children.

"NTA. They get $20 next year and you need to stand up to your partner," one user wrote. "Regift the smiggle cards back next year. Bonus points if they are already part used," a second person suggested.

"I love the idea, but I don't think you can just partially use those gift cards. Looking at their site, anything a kid would even want there is over $20! The SIL did not even put enough on the card to buy the kid a present!!!" a third user replied.

"Nah, they get nothing for Christmas next year. They can do Christmas without you because they don't respect you. NTA!" a fourth commenter expressed. "They should be getting nothing but Christmas cards for the next few years. That's $20 per year in advance. NTA," a fifth user quipped.

What are your thoughts on this story? Did OP do the right thing by taking her kids and leaving the Christmas dinner? Was she being ungrateful, or did her MIL, SIL, and partner treat her and her kids unfairly?

Click here to read another story about an elderly couple who wanted to deprive their son and granddaughter of Christmas presents.