Every grandparent loves spoiling their grandkids by splurging on gifts for them and doing whatever they can to make the little ones happy. This only becomes a problem if the parents don’t approve or use the gifted items for their own personal gain.
This is exactly what was happening in one family when the mom kept selling her children’s expensive toys and gadgets, much to her mother-in-law’s disdain. Eventually, the grandma took matters into her own hands by cleverly making her gifts impossible to sell.
More info: Reddit
Some parents put their own needs and wants above those of their children, which can eventually affect their relationship
Image credits: gpointstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster explained that her son worked on cargo ships and wasn’t home most of the time, so his wife would secretly sell their children’s gadgets for extra cash
Image credits: beststudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The grandma wanted her grandkids to have nice stuff and didn’t like how her daughter-in-law just sold their video games and consoles for her personal gain
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster was asked by her daughter-in-law to get the kids iPads for Christmas, so she decided to put passcodes on the gadgets so they couldn’t be sold
Image credits: Ipda-throwingawaying
The woman also warned her daughter-in-law that she’d get in touch with the cops if anything happened to the gifts
The poster was mainly concerned about her grandchildren because their mom kept selling their possessions whenever she had the chance. The grandma couldn’t do much about her daughter-in-law’s behavior because her son was working on cargo ships and would often be gone for weeks and months at a time.
According to lawyers, in most places, parents are considered to have custodial rights over their children’s possessions. That means that they can legally take away and store the things their kids own, but are required to give the stuff back later on. Even gifted items come under the ownership of the child and can’t just be sold without their consent.
That’s exactly why the grandma was so concerned about her daughter-in-law’s actions and wanted to put a stop to it. She knew she needed to do something about it soon because the other woman had recently sold her children’s Switch games on eBay and claimed that she had only done it to punish the kids.
Many parenting experts state that when parents are doling out punishment to their children, it should be an appropriate response to what they’ve done. If kids are treated in an extreme way, they might either act out or be afraid of their parents to a much greater extent, which can later be counterproductive.
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The OP was flabbergasted when her daughter-in-law asked her to buy the children iPads for Christmas, and she had a feeling that they would likely be sold later on. So, she decided to put a passcode on the devices so that the other woman wouldn’t be able to wipe them clean and give them away.
Many folks advised the poster to keep the gadgets at her house and let the kids use them whenever they came over. She eventually decided to “loan” the devices to her grandchildren and made sure to tell her daughter-in-law that she would call the police if anything happened to the iPads.
Experts state that minors don’t technically have property rights, but they can call law enforcement for help if their belongings are sold without their permission. That’s why the grandma also told her daughter-in-law that she’d get the cops involved if anything happened to the gifts.
Although the mom has the right to set consequences for her children in whatever way she sees fit, she probably didn’t realize how much her actions had been impacting her kids. Luckily, the grandma had her grandkids’ best interests at heart and was doing all she could to make sure they enjoyed their toys and gifts.
What action do you think the OP should take to prevent her daughter-in-law from selling her children’s things? Let us know your thoughts below, and if you’ve ever dealt with a situation like this.
Folks were shocked by the other woman’s actions and urged the poster to tell her son about the issue
