How to ask without seeming rude

I love my mil. She is a great woman and I am lucky to have her. Every time she comes and visits she brings a box or two of diapers. My fil is military so they get a great deal on them at the commissary/px. She has been buying Huggies because that is what we used with the girls. Well. this time around they aren't as good as I remembered. The swaddlers and luvs we received have been great. I seriously have 4 more huge boxes of newborn (126 count) all Huggies and about 8 boxes of size 1's. How do I kindly ask her to switch brands without seeming greedy. I have already asked her to start buying size 2.
I did find some gift receipts from other people so I am going to exchange out for another brand at BRU but I am willing to bet they would FREAK out and not help me if I come in with my trunk load of diapers to exchange.

thanks
evie

 

I had the SAME thing happen with my MIL!!! Only she got the huggies after I told her in conversation that I really didn't care for them at all. :huh: Not b/c they don't work but b/c they didn't have the flaps on the front sides. It made it really hard to get a diaper on a wiggly baby! and it would drive me crazy! I don't know if that makes sense?
But I would rather pay extra for pampers and get the diaper on faster. It's worth it to me.
So when she got the huggies I said in the nicest way I could (again!) that I really don't like huggies. We don't ask her to buy diapers although it's very much apprecated! I think thats why I didn't really have any problem telling her I don't like them.
It might not be as bad sounding to her as you would think, but if you really chicken out you could have your husband do it. It is his mother, so he might have a better chance.
Good luck! I know the MIL stuff is hard trust me!
Jen

 

You can return diapers, at least around here, at Walmart without a receipt. You can tell them they were a gift but they don't work for your babies so you'd like to exchange them. I did that alot when the twins were first born although I did buy some of the packs at Walmart. Another option would be to sell them on Craigslist or your local moms group. Granted, you probably won't get what they actually cost but since you didn't buy them, it's bonus! Then you can pool that money and buy the brand you want. This is probably what I'd do since I'd hate to tell someone who was giving a gift that I didn't want or like it. GL!

 

I was going to suggest Walmart, too. I just returned 3 boxes of diapers to Walmart without a receipt and they take your driver's license (I think you're only allowed a certain number or non-receipt returns - so I'd return them all at once) and exchanged them for the sizes we need.

Then, if your MIL notices that you have all Pampers instead of the Huggies she buys you could just tell her that you've noticed a lot of leaks with your kids in the Huggies this time and you didn't want to seem unappreciative by telling her, so you returned them to Walmart and got the diapers that don't leak.

 

I'd just nicely ask if they have other brands at the px and mention that the Huggies seem to be leaking even with the bigger size and you thought maybe you should try another brand. If they are nice enough to pick you up diapers they probably wouldn't be offended.

 

A little white lie never hurts. I HATED Huggies and finally told a close family member who was kind enough to keep buying some for us that it seemed my girls had an allergic reaction to them, even though I never opened them! :blush: I know it's awful, but I just wanted to save face.

Funniest part about this is that a while later in a pinch for diapers because I had run out, I opened a pack to use them and within a couple of days my girls DID have a reaction to them!

 

She's probably buying Huggies b/c they are always on sale at the commissary (and if you've used them in the past). There is a big sale right now on Luvs. Just let her know that you've tried them and LOVED them. My mom buys anything that I say I "love", and even more of it when it's on sale.

 

I agree with Michelle- a little white lie here would be fine. I'd either say they don't fit right and leak or they are causing a diaper rash.

 

You'll be surprised at BRU what they'll take back!

Just tell her that they leak like crazy but these other ones...they don't leak. If she is willing to buy them she wants to give you what you need.

Recently my MIL offered to buy a wagon - we have one so I said that she could by this equally priced toy we wanted. I was worried she'd think it was rude. She was fine with it - she just wanted to buy something, anything to help out!

 

Maybe you can say something ike "Geez, these Huggies just aren't like they used to be. They leak and just don't fit right. We tried Papmer ssize 2 and LOVE them. This is a little awkward for me because we appreciate you getting diapers for the babies. If you still want to buy them some, would you mind getting the Pampers?". I'm sure she'll be happy to get them for you!

 

If you say it nicely I don't think she will be offended. I would just tell her they seem to be leaking out of them and you tried Luvs and they don't. Would she mind if you exchanged them. Maybe she will even help you exchange some of them.

 

I always do this... yeah I am on this website for twin moms and we were all talking about which diapers work best and I totally agreed with them that pampers don't leak near as much with the twins... it is weird how different diapers work with different kids. I had to do the same thing with clothes for the kids... old navy is cheap and great!!!! hope that helps

QUOTE(evieand4kids @ Jun 7 2008, 05:46 AM) [snapback]814926[/snapback]
I love my mil. She is a great woman and I am lucky to have her. Every time she comes and visits she brings a box or two of diapers. My fil is military so they get a great deal on them at the commissary/px. She has been buying Huggies because that is what we used with the girls. Well. this time around they aren't as good as I remembered. The swaddlers and luvs we received have been great. I seriously have 4 more huge boxes of newborn (126 count) all Huggies and about 8 boxes of size 1's. How do I kindly ask her to switch brands without seeming greedy. I have already asked her to start buying size 2.
I did find some gift receipts from other people so I am going to exchange out for another brand at BRU but I am willing to bet they would FREAK out and not help me if I come in with my trunk load of diapers to exchange.

thanks
evie