Sister's Cheap Gifts Cause Family Disappointment, Prompt Avoidance Plans

A reader reports her sister repeatedly gives thoughtless or damaged gifts—ranging from a toy car with a missing wheel to too-small, ripped or dirty clothes and out-of-season toys—which leaves the children disappointed. The reader has asked her sister to stop, but the sister brushes off the complaints, saying she enjoys watching kids open presents. Dear Abby agrees the reader is right, calling the sister “a little off-center,” and predicts the children will eventually notice the poor quality and mismatch of the gifts. The columnist recommends practical steps: avoid inviting the sister around birthdays or holidays or intercept inappropriate gifts before the children see them.