Parents who asked for handmade gifts for their daughter’s christening have been branded “cheeky, ungrateful fuckers” by a friend on Mumsnet.
The disgruntled christening guest turned to the forum to gauge other parents opinions of whether they were “being unreasonable” for feeling unhappy about being asked to craft a present.
“Clearly they want lots of unique and personalised gifts for their DD [Darling Daughter], which is lovely,” they wrote.
“But I’m shit at crafts and also find the request a bit hmm. If I was to go for it, I really would turn up with something monumentally shit that would get chucked away, and would be a waste of my time and effort.”
The post continued: “I suggested to DD’s mother, my friend, that I bring something else and she choked through the words ‘something shop bought is fine’ and ‘precious DD has everything she needs’. Clearly it’s not.
“Am I being unreasonable to think cheeky, ungrateful fuckers?!”
Within five days of posting the query on Friday 2 September, it had received nearly 250 replies, with lots of people commenting that while homemade gifts are “amazing” they’re not something you should expect from your guests.
“It’s a cheeky request anyway. They should just get what they are given. Blimey,” wrote one.
Another added: “Since when is it ok to actually ask for a gift?!”
Although others were more charitable suggesting the parents were just trying to stop guests from having to spend a lot of money on gifts.
Commenters offered the poster suggestions of things they could make despite a lack of artistic ability.
Some of which were serious: cookies; a mix CD; pressed flowers; or a poem.
Others less so: “stick glitter on something”; “do a Blue Peter and get some stickyback plastic, a coathanger and some tinsel”; “shoe box. Cover it in wrapping paper. Call it a memory box. Job done”.
One answer that proved immensley popular encouraged the christening guest to “exact revenge”:
“Give a gift that will require a lot of work from the parents. Maybe a blank journal into which you write the first day and then write in the front that her parents will add something everyday until she is 18.”
The christening guest was grateful for the multiple responses: “What started out as an am I being unreasonable, pissed off thread has turned into some really lovely ideas,” they wrote.
“Thank you - only Mumsnet could think of lovely gifts with an undertone of revenge.”
Justine Roberts, Mumsnet CEO told The Huffington Post UK she agrees with those shocked by the christening request.
“You can pretty much always rely on Mumsnetters to let you know what’s what - and specifically whether or not you are being unreasonable,” she said.
“In this case, as usual, I think they’ve got it spot on - it’s definitely unreasonable to demand handmade gifts. I for one wouldn’t know where to start.”
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