The Worst Christmas Presents Grandparents Gave NoCo Kids This Year

Seriously, Grandma and Grandpa. What were you thinking?

It's a time honored tradition, I suppose. You spend the entire year slowly trying to rid your house of the noisiest, most dangerous and/or destructive toys your kids have accumulated and then, bam, it's Christmas again. Here come your parents or your in-laws, again, giving the gift of things you told your children -- or quietly told yourself, anyway -- you would never, ever buy for them.

Much like that little gerbil from Amazon that repeats everything your child says -- or that your baby screams at it -- some gifts are best left at Grandma and Grandpa's house for when your kids go to visit.

Here's five actual "bad" gifts given to children by their grandparents this year, from a thread on Reddit started by u/sahria365. Sure, the kids might have loved them, but their parents were quietly steaming inside when they opened these gifts.

1. A pet that hasn't previously been discussed.

It's really so obvious that you should never, ever, ever gift a pet of any sort that we'll just drop this in at number one to get it out of the way. One set of grandparents actually gave a kitten to their granddaughter, without discussing it with their parents first.

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2. Toys that are too big for the space you live in.

One child received a toy kitchen and a piano with a microphone attached. They live in a small, one-bedroom apartment. That's gonna be fun tripping over on your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

3. Drum set and/or other musical instruments.

Not just a huge space taker upper, but a drum set is the single most annoying musical instrument if kids don't know how to play it! You may as well have given them bagpipes. On second thought, bagpipes would probably be the single most annoying musical instrument you could give.

4. Too much chocolate, sugar or other things that send kids to the moon.

Sure, Grandma, let's load 'em up with a bunch of sugar and then I'll drop them off at your house later today when they're bouncing off the walls and screaming at the top of their lungs, while they should otherwise be taking a nap.

5. Slime, kinetic sand, non-washable paints, markers and other upholstery destroyers.

Unless this stuff is specifically requested, here's a mantra to live by: I will never buy unsolicited gifts that make a special kind of mess that can't be easily cleaned up.

At the end of the day, I think we can all agree that buying and giving gifts is done out of love, and all gifts are truly appreciated. But when it comes to children with many different family members, in some cases across the country or even the world, it's best to coordinate with their mom and dad on what to get the littles. You save some money and your sanity while shopping, they save the headaches and hassles on how to integrate it into the household routine. It's a win-win scenario for everyone!