My MIL handed my daughter a present for her 8th birthday, then grabbed it back seconds later — I was moments from losing it when my husband suddenly spoke up. My daughter Abby turned 8 this weekend. She had been buzzing with excitement for days — the cake, the balloons, her little friends from school. She’s a sweet kid, the sort who says “thank you” even for socks. So when my mother-in-law, Sharon, arrived with a big gift bag and announced, “This one is SPECIAL,” I didn’t read too much into it. She made sure everyone was watching before she put it in front of Abby.
“Go on,” she smiled. “Open Grandma’s present.” Abby glanced at me first, as if afraid to hope. I gave a small nod. She tore the paper… and stopped. It was a Nintendo Switch. Abby sucked in a breath and hugged the box to her chest like it might vanish. “Is this really mine?!” Sharon leaned in, savoring the moment. “Of course it is. Now… what do you say?” Abby’s face brightened. “Thank you so much, Grandma!” Sharon’s smile tightened. “No, sweetheart. Not like that.” The room fell quiet. “You say, ‘Thank you, Grandma Sharon, for buying me something expensive even though I don’t always deserve it.'” Abby blinked. “What…?”
“I’m teaching you gratitude,” Sharon said loudly, looking around at the other adults as if expecting applause. Abby’s hands began to tremble. “I did say thank you…” “Not the right way,” Sharon replied. Then she reached out and snatched the Switch from my daughter’s arms. Abby froze. Tears welled in an instant. “Grandma… please… that’s my birthday gift,” she whispered. Sharon hugged the box to her chest. “I’ll keep it until you learn to appreciate it.” Abby collapsed into sobs. The party went dead silent. I stood so fast my chair scraped the floor. “Sharon. Give it back. NOW.”
She turned to me, offended. “Don’t undermine my lesson.” When I was poised to lose it on my mother-in-law, my husband did something I never expected. I stared at him, stunned. “Will… are you serious?!” I gasped.
