Mum receives serious backlash after she criticises a gift given to her daughter
A mum who branded a six-year-old a cheapskate has received some serious Internet backlash.
After her daughter’s birthday party, a mum turned to Mumsnet to express her unhappiness at a gift given to her child.
Asking the forum for their opinion, the mother explained that:
“It was my daughter's birthday recently and she wanted a party. Her friend turned up with a free toy from a magazine as a present.
The card was a crumpled folded over bit of scrap paper that was drawn on. (It was a scribble that I couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be. The girl is 6).”
The mum continued to explain, that the birthday girl had been gifted other homemade presents and cards, however, she feels the free toy is a "cheapskate.”
“I know it’s the thought that counts. When my daughter makes cards for her friends I say it’s to be neat and you’ve to make it your best job because a birthday is special. I wouldn’t allow her to pass off a scribble that would take her 5 minutes. I know all kids abilities are different but I know her friend and have seen her drawings etc.”
“And as for the free toy, I feel it’s cheapskate. I honestly don’t care the value of gifts! Another friend made her a friendship band and I think that’s lovely to give homemade gifts. And another gave a colouring book. I Am interested to know who you think is BU? Thanks.”
The question was met with a lot of passionate responses from angry parents.
One user commented: “Wow. Grabby, unpleasant and downright mean! You, that is! The child gave what she had to give…”
Another added: “Yes you are being unreasonable. And snobbish, mean-spirited and shallow.”
A lot of other users sympathised with the six-year-old and raised the point of if the mother considered the personal circumstances of the child.
“The child gave what they had to give. Maybe the child's parents couldn't afford a present or a shop bought card or maybe they just weren't organised to get one in time. The 6-year-old still turned up with something to give to your child for her birthday. What would you have wanted him/her to do?” said one person.
Another user added: “Do you know her personal circumstances? Perhaps they are short of cash before payday and this was the only option for them? Maybe they’d come from somewhere else and forgotten the card/present so needed to improvise? They came to your child’s birthday and brought a card and gift, I think it’s a bit mean-spirited to sneer about the quality of it.”
One parent acknowledged her feeling of being disappointed in the gift but when on to comment that it was probably the best the family could do.
"I think it's reasonable to be disappointed with a free magazine gift. If however the family is on the breadline/attending food banks/waiting for Universal Credit or something then it's probably the best they could manage at the moment. They might have deliberately bought the magazine/comic so that they could give your daughter the free gift.”
Do you think the mum warranted the response she received?