When Rebecca’s mother-in-law, Linda, went home to take her grandchildren’s Christmas gifts, she was left totally stunned. Later, she and her husband, Mark, discovered that Linda did this to punish the couple… but karma stepped in, ensuring Linda felt the same hurt the kids did.
I never imagined I’d share this tale. Mean in-laws are common, but what my mother-in-law, Linda, did this Christmas left me completely shocked.
I’m still amazed.
I’m Rebecca, a mom of three lively kids: Caleb (7), Sadie (5), and tiny Mason (3). Christmas is a big event in our house, always has been since I was young. We go all out.
The tree, the decor, and, of course, the presents. Usually, Linda arrives with lots of gifts for the kids, acting like the perfect grandma for one day a year.
This time, Linda really surprised us. Caleb got the new LEGO set he’d been asking for, and Sadie’s eyes sparkled over a princess castle toy. Mason, our little racer, zoomed through the living room on a cute ride-on car.
She even added fancy clothes for all three kids.
“They need to look great for photos, Becca,” she told me. “This way, they match!”
It was… amazing. I’ll say it honestly.
The kids were thrilled. They loved being the center of attention, playing endlessly, showing off their gifts, and strutting in their new outfits.
I thought maybe this was the year. The year Linda and I would finally get along smoothly.
Spoiler: I was so wrong.
Two days after Christmas, the house was still full of holiday joy. Nothing new—we usually kept the decorations up until close to New Year’s Eve. My kids were happy, surrounded by their favorite toys.
I even texted Linda, thanking her for the kind presents.
Hi, Linda! Thanks for spoiling the kids this Christmas. You’re loved!
Then, the doorbell rang.
“Mom, can you answer it?” Caleb asked, holding grapes over Mason’s head.
“Got it,” I said. “Make sure your brother doesn’t choke, okay?”
I opened the door to find Linda standing there, holding three big empty bags. Her face was bright red, looking ready to burst.
“Linda, hi!” I said. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t speak. She marched past me into the living room, where the kids were playing with Sadie’s castle.
I stood still as she started grabbing Caleb’s LEGO pieces into a bag. The ride-on car was pushed aside. Then Sadie’s castle followed.
“Where are the clothes I got you?” she snapped at Caleb.
“In the laundry, Grandma,” he answered.
“Get them, now,” she yelled.
I was too stunned to respond.
Caleb ran to the bathroom and returned with the clothes.
“Grandma, what are you doing?” Caleb asked, his voice shaky.
Sadie’s lip trembled as she held her princess doll.
“Mommy, why is Grandma taking our stuff?” she asked.
I had no answer. I stood there, my mind racing, trying to understand what I was seeing.
But when Linda grabbed the ride-on car, stopping Mason from climbing on, I snapped.
“Linda, what the heck are you doing?” I shouted, finding my voice.
She didn’t look at me.
“You’ll regret what you did,” she muttered coldly, closing the bags tight.
Then, without another word, she stormed out, slamming the door.
The kids were crushed. Caleb cried for hours, asking why Grandma was mad. Sadie sat on the floor, clutching a stuffed animal like her world was gone. Mason wandered, searching for his car.
“Where’s the car, Mommy?” he asked.
I tried to comfort them, but I didn’t know what to say. What had we done? Why would Linda take the gifts she’d given days earlier?
When Mark got home, I told him everything.
“She did what?” Mark’s face turned red as he pulled out his phone. “This is crazy.”
He called her immediately. No answer. He texted. No replies.
“I don’t get it, Bec,” he said. “How could she be so mean to take their toys? And their clothes! I’m so confused.”
“Same,” I said. “I didn’t know how to react when she stormed around. It was nuts. You should’ve seen their faces, Mark.”
Linda had gone silent, leaving us clueless about her stunt.
Three days later, Mark finally reached her on the phone.
I knew from his side of the talk that her reason was ridiculous. He kept rubbing his head and muttering.
“You’re joking,” he sighed.
When he hung up, he looked at me with disbelief.
“You won’t believe it,” he said.
“What? Believe what?” I asked.
“She’s upset about her Christmas gift,” he said.
“What?” I repeated.
“She wanted that fancy handbag she’s been hinting about. Instead, we gave her a $250 gift card to her favorite shop. She thought it was rude.”
I stared at Mark, speechless.
“So, she took the kids’ gifts because of that? What’s wrong with her?”
Mark nodded slowly, still processing the nonsense.
“Yeah, she said we disrespected her with the gift card and gave us days to fix it. Since we didn’t, she took the presents to teach us a lesson.”
I was stunned.
“You’re kidding, Mark,” I said.
“Nope,” he sighed. “She stole the kids’ Christmas gifts over a handbag.”
We were furious, but we weren’t going to let Linda’s fit ruin Christmas. That weekend, we used our savings and bought new toys.
It wasn’t easy on our budget, but seeing the kids’ smiles made it worth it.
But Linda?
Karma had plans for her.
A few days later, Mark’s cousin, Abby, called with surprising news.
I was cooking dinner, while Mark was helping Caleb with holiday homework.
“Did you hear what your mom did?” she asked, laughing hard.
“Oh yeah,” Mark muttered. “We know about her actions. Why’s it funny?”
“Well, she’s been bragging to the family about teaching you a lesson. But her friend, who’s big in charity, found out.”
“Charity? Abby, what’s that mean?” Mark asked.
“Uh-oh,” I said, unsure where this was going.
“Yeah, her friend was shocked at Linda’s actions. The stuff she took? She donated it to charity. Dirty clothes and all! Word spread fast, and now people are avoiding her.”
Mark raised an eyebrow and looked at me.
“So, folks are ignoring her?”
“They are, but that’s not the best part!” Abby said.
“Then what’s the best part?” I asked.
“Becs,” she laughed. “Dear Aunt Linda was dropped from the New Year’s Eve party. The one she loves? Gone!”
Mark and I exchanged glances. Linda adored that party. It was a huge social hit. She’d probably been planning her outfit since October.
Abby ended the call, still chuckling.
“She’ll be so upset,” I said, cutting a lemon.
“Good,” Mark said. “She deserves it. She’s full of nonsense. Donating the kids’ clothes like that? Unwashed! What the heck, Becca?”
“Let’s eat with the kids and forget Linda tonight,” I said.
A week later, Linda called Mark, begging for sympathy.
“They’ve turned against me,” she sobbed. “I don’t understand what I did wrong!”
Mark didn’t hesitate.
“Mom, you took your grandkids’ Christmas gifts because you didn’t get a handbag. Now you’re paying for being petty.”
She tried to apologize, but Mark wasn’t listening.
“If you want a relationship with my wife and kids, you have lots to fix. My kids are amazing. It’s your loss, Ma.”
Later, we talked to our children, explaining that their grandma was mad at us, not them.
“She wanted to punish Mom and me,” Mark said. “You did nothing wrong.”
“Are you sure?” Sadie asked, her lip pouting.
“Yes, I promise!” I said. “This isn’t how we teach lessons. Dad and I will never take your favorites to punish someone.”
“If we’re bad, we get a timeout, right?” Caleb added.
“Exactly, buddy,” Mark said. “Now, let’s grab ice cream cones.”
That’s how one handbag caused a family fight, a Christmas nearly ruined, and a grandma learning hard that karma always hits.
And honestly? We’re in no rush to forgive.
Trust me, Linda’s next holiday won’t be merry and bright.