Gift-giving is a classic holiday stressor that never goes away. Trying to find personal gifts for everyone on your list — gifts that say you care about them, gifts that harken back to a memorable time you have together, gifts they’ll use, at the very least — is no easy feat. However, there are a few rules of thumb that typically won’t lead you astray, like: Experiential gifts are always a good call. If all else fails, write out a heartfelt card. And, the cardinal rule: get a gift that makes the receiver, at least in some small way, feel special and loved.
That’s the rule a husband broke this year, according to a post from his partner on Reddit. The partner, or OP (Reddit-speak for original poster), took to the site’s Am I the Asshole forum for a second opinion after realizing that their gifts this Christmas were underwhelming, to say the least. At best, you could call them “household items,” at worst, tools for chores. Pro tip: gifting your partner a vacuum cleaner they didn’t ask for is a surefire way to show that you see them as a servant and not much else!
So what exactly were the gifts, and how did OP react when they found out about them? And of course, what did Reddit have to say about it all? (Spoiler: they don’t think OP’s the asshole.) Read on for the full story.