[KylieMin0gue]

About 3 years ago MIL bought my children a sand pit. It is one of the wooden ones with the roof. (Was bought as a Christmas present, and she told me she got it on special for $80)

Anyway my kids used it for about 6 months, and then have showed no interest in it since, so it has just been sat in the corner of my garden doing nothing. We are moving in about a month and I told DP that I am going to go through the house and sell on ebay all the things that are no longer used. He asked if that included the sand pit, and I said yes. He then proceded to tell me that I was not allowed to sell it as his mother would get very angry, and that she had said a couple of weeks ago that if my kids were not using it could she have it for her house for her other grandkids to play with. For the record she also bought the other grandkids the same sand pit when she bought my grand kids theirs, and they destroyed theres within a matter of months. I have also in the past given MIL things when she realised that I was going to sell them(eg I once gave her a dvd player that we no longer used) and then found out later that she had immediately given them to her other son has his family. (Who BTW certainly aren't that short of money that they cannot afford a dvd player)

I told DP that if I wanted to sell the sand pit then I should be able to, and he said that I should give it back to her. DP has always let his mother walk all over him. She babysits her other sons kids on a regular basis, and has not once offered to babysit mine.

So WWYD? We could really use the extra cash, even if it is just $20, but DP basically had a full on go at me and told me I had no right to sell it and that his mother would say the same.

Thanks

This post has been edited by KylieMin0gue: 07/02/2013, 07:29 AM

[farmgal]

For the stress that it is likely to cause you and DH I would not bother selling it. For only $20 it is probably not worth it. I would just give it to MIL and forget about it.

I do understand your annoyance with her giving things away, but in this case as she gave it to your kids in the first place I would just forget about it.

And or the record I sell anything that is not tied down on ebay!


This post has been edited by farmgal: 07/02/2013, 07:45 AM

[B-B-M]

I don't see any issue in selling it. I mean isn't it better to have the money and put it towards something needed than have a sandpit in the yard that is just taking up space?

But - i mean if its going to cause such a big issue with DP then i wouldn't bother. $20 isn't worth the arguments really.

FTR i will give away or sell my kids toys when they no longer use them. I don't have the space to keep things. Any money gets put into bank accounts/used if i really need it. Family member know, i've mentioned it before. They don't care, they certainly don't want "presents" back!

[Glorious]

I would ordinarily say just sell it, but seeing as she has requested it be returned, I would save the headache and just give it back.... not work straining any relationship over $20.

[Peppery]

To prevent family fall out I would give the sand pit to your MIL

I have previously sold items I have received for DD after she is finished playing with them. Given these we from from parents and brother whom I am very close to but they have never been upset that I have sold them.

[elmo_mum]

i would

mil has bought quiet a few things for us, and shes happy for us to sell em if we no longer use em

[spellfall]

Usually I would just sell it but I think in this case that will cause more hassle than its monetary value.

[belsy]

For me, I would always give it away to family first (if wanted) rather than sell it.

IMO, give it to the grandmother instead of having a battle of wills with your husband, doesn't seem worth it.

[Mrs Manager]

Given the fact that she has told you she wants it back if you aren't using it, I think it would be wrong to sell it

[~sydblue~]

Given the fact that she has told you she wants it back if you aren't using it, I think it would be wrong to sell it

But it is not the MIL's anymore. It was given as a gift. So the OP should be able to sell it and buy the kids something else they will use. When a gift is given, the giver has no say any more.