A new mother has turned to the internet for advice after being made to feel guilty for believing that a 65th birthday wasn’t a big deal and not wanting to buy an elaborate present.
UsernameTalk posted on the Mumsnet forum seeking advice on January 16 saying: “AIBU [am I being unreasonable] to think 65th is not that important?”
The poster mentions that they received a message saying: “[Mother-in-law’s] birthday is coming up and it’s a big one. [A message from the father-in-law] is worded like he expects us to buy something expensive like a weekend away for them or something”.
After questioning whether 65 is a big birthday that requires a more expensive gift, UsernameTalk also mentioned that “[the in-laws] seem to think every 5 years is a big important birthday.”
Senior woman blowing out candles on cake. This new mum has been supported online after questioning whether 65 really is an important birthday. XiXinXing/Getty Images
Research carried out by Inviqa in 2020 identified the key trends consumers are looking for when purchasing a gift. The survey responses showed that for 85 percent of people, gift suitability was the main factor they thought about. Notably, 12 percent also showed concern about price as a factor to consider when making a purchase.
Additionally, research carried out by Entrepreneur.com found that the gift industry quadrupled with an increase of 25 percent between 2015 and 2020.
It also found that personalized presents were becoming increasingly popular among online shoppers, with the industry valued at $31.63 billion in 2020.
As the industry continues to expand, this Mumsnet user isn’t alone in feeling the pinch of buying more and more presents. Users were supportive of the new mum and didn’t feel that she was being unreasonable.
The person’s concerns were made clear as she said: “they certainly don’t get to try to say what we buy for them. Especially something expensive, given the cost of living at the moment and we have also just had a baby.”
Since it was shared, the post has received 121 replies from supportive users who understand the original poster’s concerns, with one user saying: “no, 65th isn’t that special. Personally if someone says to me they expect a present, let alone an expensive one, I don’t have a problem ignoring their wishes.”
However, some were understanding of why the in-laws would think 65 is still worth celebrating as it was once the age at which people would retire in the U.K., where the poster is believed to be based. One person commented: “65 used to be special but now I guess it is supplanted by whatever retirement age is if they are working.”
Newsweek was not able to verify the details of the case.
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