To Eric, Recently, neither of my two brothers has sent my 12-year-old daughter a birthday present or even a card. On the other side, my wife and I always give their children, our nieces, and nephews birthday presents, cash, and a card.
In a depressing way, my daughter noted that she had not received a gift from them this year. Other than that, she likes her cousins, aunts, and uncles.
My brother recently filed a request for his 9-year-old son to receive a video game as a birthday present. Giving my nephew a gift makes me joyful, but I’m also a little irritated that it isn’t returned. I appreciate your advice.
No Return of the Gift
Dear No Gift Return: Send the gift, but talk separately with your brothers about what gifts mean to your daughter and how it has affected both you and her to not be acknowledged.
It’s crucial that your brothers understand that you’re not experiencing the type of familial bond you desire, even if the niece/nephew gift exchange isn’t tit for tat. For your daughter’s sake, offer to send them lists of gifts or reminders, if you’d like. They might just not be very good at remembering birthdays, so this might not be an intended offense.
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To Eric, There will be a visit from my brother-in-law. He enjoys drinking very expensive alcoholic beverages. How much do I have to supply as the host? In a single night, he can effortlessly finish a bottle. He will be here for a week. Sometimes I’ll have a glass of inexpensive red wine with my hubby. I’m spending too much money on groceries and finding it difficult to be a nice host.
Host Teetotaler
To the Host: Your brother-in-law should be thanking you as the visitor by bringing you a nice bottle of his favorite liquor, not the other way around.
As a courtesy, you may at most purchase one of his favorite bottles. However, visitors shouldn’t bring contract riders. He is able to stock the bar himself if you don’t have what he wants. Asking the host for directions to the liquor shop might occasionally be a part of making oneself at home while there.
For inquiries, contact R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or by mail at P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Subscribe to his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com and follow him on Instagram.
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