Really annoyed.....am I over reacting to this?

Erm... I can see why you are annoyed especially if its not meant to be a Christmas present but I wouldn't get too annoyed over it. If you are really unhappy then just mention to your mum maybe that its not meant to be a Christmas present and would prefer if you just passed it on now ? Not sure how accomodating she would be. If they are anything like my family that could be really hard !

Take it back off your mum and give it to her yourself.

Hugo Brambles I am not reading anyone elses replies before putting mine down as I'm not going to be a sheep on this.

This is your mum. She is older than you and gave birth to you and I think you are being disrespectful.

For starters you say she thought she saw something that belonged to her in the bag and wanted to look through - totally understandable.

Secondly did she tell you she was leaving it until boxing day or ask your opinnion on what you thought? Going round to relatives can be a really boring thing and finding something to entertain kids equally as hard so I am sure she just had that in mind when she wanted to put it off until boxing day.

I think you had another post about your mum on here the other day. I dont think its these little niggles that are annoying you its some major issue from your upbringing that you should probably sit down and look at as to me it seems you are trying to find fault with what she does now.

I am sorry if I come off as being harsh, its just how it is coming across to me. ?

I think I'd probably be mildly irritated rather than very annoyed. I'm afraid my mother would probably do exactly the same so I would either give the bag myself or let my mother do her own thing- I've learnt to be chilled out over the years.

I would be very annoyed, my mum has done this in the past when I've given her baby clothes to pass onto someone, she's taken out the best bits to give to someone else. I was furious, actually.

It doesn't matter that she's your mum or gave birth to you, that doesn't give them carte blanche to be rude does it. The bag wasn't hers to go through after all. I'd be ringing up and explaining that you'd rather she passed the bag on to the child today or take it round there myself.

I don't think I'd be that annoyed. I would go back to my mum ask for the bag back and go through it together to see what she thinks is hers and what you know isn't. I also couldn't care less when she gets it, if my child was given something like that on Boxing Day that wasn't wrapped then I wouldn't think it was a Christmas present. Especially if you stress to your mum that it's not. Also I'm sure everyone has some stuff like that sitting around the house so isn't going to think any less of you for having it.

I think you're worrying too much ?

My mum went through a bag of charity shop clothes I'd put together and gave some of them to one of my aunts. I didn't know until I saw the aunt in a pair of old trousers. I can see why you're annoyed. Not sure why people feel the need to interfere.

It could be worse, you could have my mother. she found a bag of old jumpers which had clearly been lying since the eighties if the styles were anything to go by, and tried to force me to take them home as they were my size. she also tried to force me to take bedside cabinets which she couldn't give to charity as they were "done" ie not fit for anything.

thanks mum, you make me feel really special.

and i have to say, whitetiger, your post was bizarre. not everyone has a nice, kind mother, some are evil (mine is) and you don't have to let her do what she wants just because she is your mother. you earn respect, you don't demand it.

Thanks all for your replies, no offence taken at all! It is just a minor niggle I guess, partly stemed from what I said in my OP but also my mum is a complete horder and I always trying to get her to get rid of stuff so the thought of her getting anymore annoys me!! I know it's partly not my business but when I helped them move house a few years ago it tooks us weeks and weeks of going through stuff (it was like that Life Laundry programme if anyone remembers that) and we still have boxes at the new house that she wants help with sorting!!

Just for the record she is a fabulous mum, couldn't wish for any better so I know I am really lucky so I should just chill out and forget about it. Wasn't me posting the other day??

I'd be a bit annoyed too, not so much at the Boxing Day thing but at your mum rifling through it to cherry pick the best bits for herself! Not quite the same but my gran used to ask me and my sister for old clothes for her neighbour to take to the charity stuff her daughter worked in, one day gran let slip the daughter was taking out the clothes she fancied for herself before taking the bag to the shop, that really really pissed me off and I stopped giving clothes after that!