Holiday gifts should never come with emotional strings attached.

The following story involves a single mom who has a 12-year-old daughter.

Her mother asked her what her daughter wanted for Christmas, and she gave her mom a wishlist.

Her mother bought an expensive gift, but she’s making her feel guilty about it.

Check out the full details below…

WIBTA for returning my daughter’s Xmas present from her grandparents?

Or sending them a check for the cost?

I am a 47-year-old single mom to my 12-year-old daughter.

We live on one coast. My parents live on the other.

My relationship with them, particularly my mother, is difficult.

This woman was asked by her mother what her daughter would like to get for Christmas.

So far, they have been vastly better grandparents than parents.

My daughter is the only grandchild.

My mother asked what she wanted for Christmas.

I threw out a bunch of ideas in a variety of price points.

I included mentioning that there was a new Nintendo Switch.

She told her mom her daughter preferred getting one big present.

Less than a week later, my mother followed up.

She asked if my daughter would want one big gift or several smaller ones.

My daughter voted for one big gift.

We coordinated behind the scenes on delivery.

The package is hidden awaiting wrapping.

Her mother started making her feel guilty about the expensive gift.

Yesterday, during a normal phone call, my mother decided to talk loudly.

She talked about how she spent all her money on my daughter’s gift.

She said this over and over again.

She said I should tell my daughter that she spent all her money.

She said this was “because someone wanted a $500 gift.”

She knew that her parents had more than enough money.

My parents are retired. They still receive six figures annually in pensions.

They own their home. They travel frequently to expensive locales.

They spend the same amount grooming their dogs in a month as the Switch 2 cost.

Not to mention, it was their choice to buy that item from the list provided.

Now, she wants to just pay for or return the gift to them.

I never want my kid to feel the way I grew up feeling.

I am too old for the manipulation myself.

WIBTA if I either transfer the cost of the Switch to their bank account?

Or just return it entirely to them?

Her daughter would think that her grandparents didn’t send her a gift.

As a single mom, paying for it would be a significant financial hit.

Returning it would put a damper on my daughter’s Christmas.

She does not know what she was getting.

It would mean no grandparents gift this year.

Let’s see how others reacted to this story.

This user shares their personal thoughts.

Don’t return the gift, says this one.

Here’s a valid point from this person.

Here’s another helpful advice.

Finally, people are telling her to keep the gift.

A gift isn’t a gift if it makes you feel guilty about the price tag.

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.