Imagine spending a lot of time and effort curating an elaborate box full of gifts for your in-laws every year for Christmas, but they never even say “thank you.” Would you keep putting together the personalized gift boxes, or would you eventually stop and get them something else instead?

In this story, one woman is in this exact situation, and she doesn’t feel motivated to put together the gift boxes this year. Yet, she is feeling kind of guilty about not making the gift boxes.

Let’s read the whole story.

AITAH for sending my MIL/FIL a generic gift basket for Christmas.

I (32/f), have decided this year that I will be sending my husband’s (30/m) parents (56/f and 58/m) a “generic” gift basket this year.

Before it feels like I’m putting down anyone else who buys these as gifts I don’t mean to and they are totally nice baskets.

However,in the past 5 years my husband and I have been married I’ve constructed beautiful care packages that take me months to plan out.

These care packages are pretty elaborate.

They are huge boxes full of homemade baked goods,gifts that they have wanted but never would buy for themselves, each year a Christmas ornament that represents something significant that happened for them that year.

They are very expensive to ship but I loved the thought of them receiving it and imagine how happy it would make them.

My husband although he contributes to their gifts financially is in no way involved in this process and before I came into the picture bought his family absolutely nothing for the holidays or birthdays.

Her father-in-law said something that made her rethink the boxes.

A few months ago his parents came for a visit. At dinner they made a reference to how since they were in town they wanted to stop at a specialty store they loved to spend a gift card I had bought them this past Christmas.

I missed what FIL said and asked him to repeat himself, he said “We’re going to spend the gift card that (husband’s name) got us for Christmas.”

That stung a little bit because as I mentioned I put together every piece of their gift boxes.

Her husband would never create a gift box like she does.

I love my husband but he’s definitely not the type to curate these packages or bake 3 types of cookies and 2 types of candy so I feel like they know he’s not been the one behind these boxes for the past 5 years.

I know it’s not the spirit of Christmas or why you should do things for others but I’ve never received a thank you or even a gift in return from them.

So after that I don’t feel like trying anymore.

She thought she would change her mind.

In the past I would have started planning their gifts weeks ago, setting each piece back.

As the weeks went by I thought I’d eventually feel like starting but I don’t.

It takes a lot of time and energy to make all the homemade baked goods and candy that I send them each year. Weeks of searching and waiting for each item to arrive because I want everything to be in one box when they receive it.

She plans to do things differently.

I don’t really feel like giving that energy away this year when my efforts feel unappreciated.

So this year I’m thinking a very non personalized Amazon gift basket.

AITAH? How would you feel in my shoes and what would you do?

The reason she has probably never even gotten a thank you is probably because her husband’s parents don’t appreciate these gift baskets and possibly don’t even like them. An Amazon gift basket might even be too elaborate. They might appreciate an Amazon gift card more. She should save the elaborate gift boxes for people who will appreciate them.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

There’s an even easier option.

Another wife weighs in.

Seriously, men can handle it.

This woman has made gift giving really easy on herself.

She has been trying way too hard.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.