Re-gifting….appropriate or not?

Have you ever re-gifted something that someone bought you?

From time to time, we all get gifts we don’t like. I remember when the kids were little and they received something that they already had, they honestly and bluntly told the gift giver that they didn’t want the gift. And, I would scold them saying, “it’s not nice to do that. People buy gifts because they want to. Accept the gift, say thank you and walk away.”

But maybe being brutally honest is the right thing? Maybe it is better than re-gifting the item?

My sister gave a gift to her father in law one father’s day about two years ago. Her in laws gave the gift back to my father in front of my sister the other day. How embarrassing is that?

One time I found the cutest little statue of a pig. I thought my sister would really enjoy it. I gave it to her and she laughed, “you’ve got to be kinding?” she said. So, I took it back. Gave her something else and then when she was at my house, she saw the pig statue by my couch.

“That is so cute,” she said. “I think I want it back.”

That evening when I looked for the little pig, it was gone! A few weeks later, we were in her house and there was the pig. My husband hid the pig and we left. The little guy went back in his place in my house. (Thereafter, my sister and I have been exchanging pigs to each other as a remembrance on every birthday or major holiday.)

Like most people, I get gifts I don’t like. When I do, I usually hold on to them for a while because of who bought them for me and then end up donating them to a charity for a raffle prize. It may not be the right thing but at least it makes me feel better…