Mom Complains That Her Family Is Buying Her Newborn Too Many Clothes After She Already Created an ‘Awesome Capsule Wardrobe’

A new mom says she’s reached her limit with family members who keep gifting her baby son more clothes — even after she’s repeatedly asked them to stop.

In a post on a parenting subreddit, the mom admitted she hates to “sound ungrateful,” but said she’s exhausted by the constant stream of baby outfits.

“I have been so transparent with family and especially my parents,” she wrote, explaining that she’s tried multiple times to set a clear boundary. The problem, she said, isn’t just the money spent — it’s the chaos that comes with it: an overflowing closet, mismatched sets, piles of laundry, clothes in every size, and items that don’t make sense for the season.

She shared that her son recently outgrew his current wardrobe, so she used a rare quiet moment during naptime to wash, sort, donate, and store what he no longer fit. After that, she built what she called an ideal capsule wardrobe: everything matched, everything fit, it was appropriate for the weather, easy to wash, and designed to hide stains. She told her mother how much relief it brought her and how much it eased her mental load.

But then, she said, her mom turned up with four new sleepers — and they weren’t just unnecessary. They were two sizes too big, made of velvet, and printed for Christmas.

The mom said she couldn’t believe it. Christmas was just days away, and the sleepers likely wouldn’t fit until spring. When she pointed that out, she said her mom’s response was: her baby could wear them in the summer.

“Wear velvet Christmas sleepers in summer. What the f—?” she wrote, adding that she had no interest in storing more clothing she never asked for. She wasn’t going to cut off the tags, wash them, reorganize the closet, or make room.

After she told her mom she didn’t want the sleepers, she said she immediately felt guilty — especially because she’s been dealing with depression since weaning and said she needed support, not another emotional burden.

“Instead I had to tiptoe around acting grateful, but feeling bad for refusing a gift,” she wrote. She added that her family then dismissed her feelings, telling her she couldn’t be depressed because she gets “so much help.” To her, she said, this wasn’t help at all.

What she wants, she explained, is simple: someone to watch the baby for 15 minutes so she can shower — or to ask for an Amazon link for items they actually need. Instead, she feels pressured to travel to their house, disrupt her baby’s schedule, accept things she doesn’t want, and then be told it’s a big favor being done for her.

“The favor here is im going out of my way, so you get quality time with your grandchild,” she wrote, ending her post with: “And thats my rant.”

In the comments, many people shared how they would handle the situation.

One commenter urged her to stop taking on the responsibility that comes with unwanted gifts. Their advice: don’t bring the clothes home.

They suggested she thank her family, leave the items at their house, and let them store it — especially since she already communicated clearly and they chose to ignore her.

Another commenter said they went through the same thing as a first-time parent. They explained that it took time, but they eventually became direct: they had enough clothes, no room for more, and didn’t want additional items. When clothes still showed up anyway, they quietly set them aside and donated them later.

Their conclusion: don’t waste energy feeling bad. If people don’t listen, someone else will be grateful for the new clothes — and donating them can turn the frustration into something helpful for another family.