Wow, I believe that is an ALL TIME LOW around here. Some women just don't get it... **SMDH**

Could he send the presents to her daycare, or preschool, or ANYwhere that she attends where someone else could tell her about the present before BM hides it??

Not a step situation but a similar sad one. Years ago when my GM was in hospice I'd go visit, and when needing a break I'd go to the smoking area usually late in the evening and there was a gentleman there who had lost both his legs to diabetes he was fully capable of getting around in his wheelchair, smart funny and so very nice.
Sometimes when my kids would come with (they were fairly young almost 2 and 6) we would stop by his room and visit. Even after my grandmother passed we would come visit him (my mom worked there as well)His was a sad story. when he was in the hospital losing his legs his kids went and took power of attorney, medical and financial and put him in the nursing home. They took his house, his savings "to pay for his care" and abandoned him. He still went out and bought his grandchildren gifts for birthdays and holidays, they never came to see him. He called one day before I'd met him to talk to his grandkids his granddaughter answered the phone and when he said who it was she said "daddy grandpa's calling from heaven god let him have a phone!" and the phone then went dead. One day on a visit to him with my kids (they loved his stories) he asked me to get in his closet and get the boxes in there I opened it and there were all these wrapped presents! He said to me "you guys are the closest thing I've had to family in 3 years my grandkids think I'm dead these are for my grandkids so let them open them" and proceeded to pass them out to my kids. Nothing expensive lots of cute little things just that said he cared and was thinking of them and he was giving them all to my kids. The joy in his face watching the wrapping paper being torn and the kids showing each item I was a wreak in tears and he had tears of joy.
My kids hugged him and told him "thank you adopted grandpa!" I hugged him shortly and we went home. A week later my mom called to tell me he'd had a heart attack and didn't make it. I was glad that I one day met a stranger for a short time he was in our lives and my kids and I gave him a few months of having a family again. My kids only sort of remember now but they both have a stuffed animal from him and they remember he told them stories about the animals. It is extremely sad sometimes what families will do to each other.

i don't get it, either. i've despised my exmil for many years and i hate her son. i still let bd17 go see her gramma whenever she wants to, even knowing Worthless may be there, because it's about making my daughter happy, it's NOT about my personal feelings. i can't stand one of fdh's uncles, but bd loves him to pieces. i let her spend the night there whenever she wants to. because again, it's about HER, not me. i'm like that with everyone. i may be angry with someone in our family, but i don't force bd into that.

some women will never understand that it's NOT about them.