Woman pays grandma back for grandkids' gifts because she won't stop complaining. AITA?

It's awful when someone does something nice for you, only to hold it over your head. Buying someone a gift, or doing them a favor, is only nice if it's actually an act of generosity. If it's a passive-aggressive act of martyrdom, or a ploy to get favors in return - then it can quickly sour.

In a popular post on the AITA subreddit, a woman asked if she was wrong for paying her boyfriend's mom back for gifts she brought the kids. She wrote:

"AITA for paying the in-laws back for gifts given to my kids?"

Today my boyfriend's family came to see our twins. They do not visit often (usually four times a year) even though they live close by. They do not support us financially in any way. Recently they went on vacation and wanted to come by because they had gifts for the children. I've never stopped them from visiting so was happy to set a time today.

They came today and my twins (who are two) did like their gifts which were two teddy bears. They were uncomfortable because they don't know their grandparents. They were pushing themselves on the kids and forcing hugs etc. Nana mentioned over and over that the toys were $15.00 each. As if she felt they were unthankful or something? I am sure these toys will be played with and I said so several times.

I said thank-you repeatedly. My kids are behind in language so we're unable to say thank-you but I think they liked them. She continued to go on and on about the gifts that were not asked for. It got really uncomfortable for me so I got up and took $30 from my purse and paid for the toys. She took the money, and didn't mention the cost again. She said the cost at least ten times in two hours.

While I think I shouldn't have to pay for anything I didn't ask to be bought I could not listen to it any longer. My boyfriend is mad now that they have went home saying I embarrassed them. Did it make me an AH for paying them back implying that they are too poor to buy an inexpensive gift?

The comment section soon filled up with people's hot takes.

namesaremptynoise wrote:

NTA.

They were embarrassing themselves and you got them to shut up.

btsterrie wrote:

Not the AH. S#$%y grandparents who think $30 worth of teddy bears makes them good grandparents whom the kids don't even recognize.

LowAdvisor9274 wrote:

NTA. If they didn’t want the money, they would have refused and said they were a gift. That they didn’t say that suggests that those weren’t gifts from the grandparents, they were just delivery drivers.

Gaiagaang wrote:

So they mentioned the price multiple times. It's either they wanted money/wanted to make themselves seem superior to you/call you poor. You did great by giving them money. So now it's not like u owe them or anything. Idk why your boyfriend is upset, but that's a red flag. Good luck OP! ❤️ NTA btw.

lmchatterbox had one key question:

NTA. If she didn’t want to be reimbursed, why did she bring it up? My only question is why you allow them to force hugs on your children? My child is a hugger by nature, but if someone ever forced a hug on him if he didn’t want it, I would intervene immediately.

And OP answered:

I did. I told them several times to stop and it's happened on repeated visits. I had to take both kids to sit with me to stop it.

Clearly, OP is NTA at all - her boyfriend's parents are pieces of work.