When it comes to buying gifts for in-laws, it invariably gets left to the woman to do the gift buying. This can be fine if she has a good relationship with them and knows what they like. If she does not, it can be disastrous.
There is nothing harder that trying to buy a gift for someone when you don’t know what they like. Often you don’t know what they like, so you wander around the shops. But it’s near to impossible to know what to buy if you haven’t got a clue what you’re looking for. You can spend a lot of time that way and still end up with something you’re not happy with. Alternatively you can end up buying something you really like and hope they will but you’re never 100% sure.
Even perfume or men’s cologne or after shave, can be fraught with problems. Unless I knew the name of a perfume the person in question liked, I‘d stick well clear of that one. It’s a mine field. I know people who’ve bought perfume for in-laws and invariably it’s been a disaster. Perfumes are an individual thing.
Would a better idea be to ask them for suggestions of what they would like? That can be a sensible solution. It helps to ask well in advance of the time you need the gift for, so they have time to give it a bit of thought. The person could suggest a range of gifts they’d like. They might even put down the brand if it’s a perfume or where the item can be bought, which is helpful.
But some people don’t like offering suggestions. You could ask your husband. But that’s not always a solution. Much as I hate to say it, sometimes guys don’t have a clue what their wife or parents would like any more than you do. Yes, that’s a generalization and there are exceptions. I even know one or two but they are in the minority.
So you’re back on your own trying to think of the right gift to buy. You could tell them if they don’t like it to let you know and it can be changed. But some people are reluctant to do this. Yet I think it’s more offensive to give a gift and never see it worn or used. What do others think?
The alternative is to give a gift certificate. What do others do? How to do you solve the problem? Have you had any disasters given to or from in-laws?
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