What to Give Someone You Don’t Like, According to Reddit
The r/GiftIdeas subreddit is a goldmine not only for gift ideas, but also for drama. There is a mother-in-law who rejects every gift , but she also rejects the idea of not giving gifts. “Somewhat obnoxious” brother-in-law . Posts that begin with “sorry, I still have to give this asshole a gift.” If you have a nasty gift in your life too, Redditors has suggestions for you.
Donations
“Make a donation on his behalf, then he won’t really get anything,” wrote one Reddit user . This is probably the most diplomatic solution, regardless of the person or problem you have with them.
There are two ways to choose a charity. One of them is to find something that is in the interests of the recipient, so that at least it looks like a personalized or relevant gift, even if they are not happy with it. To quote the same Reddit user: “Oh, you love working with computers, so I donated $50 on your behalf to this organization in your town that teaches kids to code or whatever.” If you can’t think of an appropriate interest, just donate to a food bank. They need it .
Another option is to choose a charity they hate or something that annoys them at least a little. Girls who code , if the coding brother is a bit sexist, for example, or a nuclear blast with the Center for Reproductive Rights for someone who is openly opposed to abortion.
Self Help Books
Whatever is troubling you about this person, there is probably a book on how to fix that flaw in yourself or how to deal with it in others. Once you choose the high road, you will read this book on your own and discuss it with your therapist. But if you want to be petty , you can just give it to the donee directly .
There is a book called Toxic Mother-in-Law . Please.
Unpleasant gift
Itchy socks or an itchy sweater. A candle with a strong but unpleasant smell. The ugly picture you ask about every time you visit.
A gift that’s really for someone else
One of the most vicious suggestions I’ve seen for the worst half of a couple is to give them a gift card to their partner’s favorite restaurant . Your sister gets delicious food and your brother-in-law has to suck it.
Or go one step further and just buy them stuff for their pet . Look at this beauty:
What I actually bought was an auto-feeder for a cat that was sold on Amazon and an annoying puzzle toy. Technically, he’s the type of person who gets up to feed the cat in the morning, so I thought I could make it very thoughtful, but really not for him at all. It’s also an Amazon brand and has shitty reviews.
Something impossible to criticize
If your problem with a gifted person is that they complain about everything, give them framed pictures of their grandchildren . Or heck, print photos on a blanket .
Something dirty for their kids
If your gifted has children, especially small ones, focus your energy on them. Treat the kids to something loud, or better yet, make a giant mess. (My brother once gave my toddler something called a “shiny sand explosion”. This is the gift you need.)
As several parents have pointed out in these threads, loud gifts are not always appropriate. Children are constantly making noise; noise is nothing new. And if it’s a battery operated toy, they can end the misery by removing the batteries when the child isn’t looking. As a parent, they deal with these things on a daily basis.
In fact, we have a complete list of passive-aggressive gift options for kids here . You want something that will take up space, like a giant dollhouse or a couple of outfits that your child won’t be able to wear until next year. Or something that creates a chore or expense, such as an art kit that needs to be looked after. Preferably with slime in some way. And glitter.