Present for miserable brother..

Kitty777

So my brother (he is 9 years older) and I have never really been that close, and since I moved 40 miles away we haven't really been in contact much. He has never really done the present thing (and we met up for my birthday for a lunch, and he 'forgot' his wallet leaving me to pay..) and never said thank you for the presents I have bought him (nor has he worn the shirt that I bought him last year according to mum). Annoyingly last year he told mutual friends that we weren't doing presents that year because *I* couldn't afford it, even though I had already got him a gift...

I am not fussed about receiving in return, what I am fussed about is manners and a nice 'thank you' text or in person would be nice..

Do I just give up this year? I am also concerned that now he is on his own he won't be receiving any presents as my mother is in no financial state to even do something small...yet I am running out of options as I don't really know him very well to buy him anything decent either..

What does everyone think? Give up? Tin of biscuits? Another Shirt? Scratch card? New car? (Or not...)

Upsidedown_Bear

Give up and buy yourself something nice with the money
I would :cool:

springdreams

I think that whatever you do you are unlikely to get a thank you for it.

So I would not worry yourself silly trying to find a suitable present for someone you don't know all that well.

However, I also think that you are like me, and would feel bad not doing anything for your brother at all. So my suggestion would be to get a standard size carry pack of beer - many like Stella, or Sol, or Budweiser and give him that.

Or 5 scratch cards in a card ...

LutonGirl

Buy a gift certificate for some goats or chickens to go to a needy village in Africa. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped

Kitty777

LutonGirl wrote: »

Buy a gift certificate for some goats or chickens to go to a needy village in Africa. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped

I do appreciate the idea of this kind of gift, but he really wouldn't. We are worlds apart with our values and morals and he is more likely to make some kind of distasteful joke..

As for buying a pack of beer or something, I may just do that with a bow and a nice card.

bossymoo

I want to say give up. But having an awkward brother myself, I know there is usually some way or other to make you feel bad about it.

My brother and family live abroad. He usually buys my children something on Amazon, which of course I have to intercept and wrap. No effort on his part really. I on the other hand either have to buy here and ship items for my nieces - at significant cost - or search for the very rare Internet shop on the island where they live. I *always* choose the wrong things, even though he won't help by telling me what they like (we see them rarely they are so far away, and I have no idea what they like or already have!). Nor do I ever get a thank you. We Skype on xmas day but he doesn't ask the children to come over and even say hi, let alone thank you.

We both have 2 children but he won't entertain the idea of me buying mine something from him, and he buying his something from me. Gah. Surely the children would be better off that way?

Now they are moving again, in the new year, I'm going to take the opportunity to just send Amazon credit. They are having to ship all their belongings in Jan so there is no point me adding to that bulk.

Whatever I do gets disapproval, so it might as well be convenient to myself as the result is always the same.

One year one parcel cost £30 to send :eek: wouldn't he rather that money was spent on his daughters? Apparently not. He wants us to go out of our way to get something for them, without having to meet that same standard.

B*gger 'em, I say

Kitty777

@bossymoo I can actually so relate to this!! In the past we have always had to go round to his (and his partners house when they were together) to drop off/collect presents...if we didn't have the time or didnt get round to it we just wouldn't get the gifts (and they lived 10min walk away) including flowers for mothers day for my mom.

This year he said 'the boys are going to write out your card when they visit me after school, I didn't want to write it myself' which was okay, then I got a text 'when are you going to pick up your card from the boys?' Sorry, but no..not this year. he lives 10mins from my mothers were I was, he should of made the effort for once.

Rant over :P

Stevie_Palimo

I'd buy a T shirt with the wording below on it :-


I am a miserable git please carry on past me !!!!!

Kitty777

@Stevie good one!! :P

torbrex

Give nothing to him but if you feel the need to give, there is bound to be an animal shelter close enough that you could serve up a dogs dinner in his name.

Susie_Richards

Not even saying Thankyou is beyond rude! :eek:

Don't bother with him.


Or just buy him something from the Poundshop.

Or better still the 99p Shop. :money:

Maybe a box of Christmas Crackers?