To think sending postcards is a massive chore?

@WhatsMyDream They are thanks! I'm now an old retired lady and could afford to go abroad (unencumbered by DC) if I wished to, but thank you.

I used to love sending postcards as a child, it was an essential part of the holiday. It was fun to see different countries stamps and wait to see whether the postcard would arrive before we got home.

If sending an electronic photo and message or giving them a card when you get back won't work, then get/send a postcard at the airport or just the first one you see on day one. Add a short and very general message about the wonderful/hideous weather. post it ASAP and then forget about it for the rest if the holiday.

As others have said, just set up a family WhatsApp groups and post regular pictures, it's so much better than postcards. I think old people especially say "send a postcard" but don't actually really care that much, especially if they're getting regular updates of the family.

I remember my parents insisting that we sent postcards as young kids as if it was some sort of duty. It was tedious.

I haven't sent one for about 40 years.

My goodness, how did the human race ever survive before email?!

Moonpig (other services are available) do exactly this: send a picture as a postcard. ‘S brilliant.

while my techno Phoebe mother was still alive, I’d send he one and she was always thrilled. Sigh.

Haven't sent a handwritten one in years. Changed to sending electronic ones that get printed off in the UK and posted. Now don't bother as can use WhatsApp.

Came here to recommend Postsnap, and see someone beat me to it. Really easy.

2 small nephews who love getting post. I try and take a pic of something they'll like and send it every few weeks. The hardest bit is trying to find interesting things to take a photo of.

I'm not the OP, but I don't, it is a chore and a waste of paper. I also wish people wouldn't send them to me!
OP, I don't blame you. Next time, just don't send this relative a postcard. Don't get into it with them, just don't do it.

Both sets of grandparents display their postcards from their grandchildren on their fridge/notice boards. Can’t do that with digital photos sent on WhatsApp 😊

They’re fab! Totally stress free, you can use your own pics and the rellies love them 😄. We use them for birthday thank yous now too 😊

Or, they felt obliged to keep them as that was the practice of the time.

And now the practice of the time is to share photos electronically.

we also went to Mallorca this year and sent postcards. We practiced asking ‘where can i buy a stamp’ in Spanish. Then ‘where is the post box?’ And looking up what postbox to use. No drama. Just learning and experiencing a bit more of another country beyond the pool. We loved Mallorca as everywhere I got the children to practice a bit of Spanish, supermarket / cafes / shops, the people were incredibly accommodating.

OP sounds like the type of SAHM who breaks down every chore she has into drawn out multistep processes and does everything far more than is necessary to prove that she's just as busy as people who work outside the home.

We've just come back from Mallorca and there were several shops in the coastal town we stayed in that had huge racks of post cards, along with all the other usual holiday supplies like water toys, sun cream etc. So there must be a market for them. They probably sold stamps too and if they didn't they could have said where to get them, or it's easy to Google - where to buy a stamp in X country.

Post boxes not hard to find either and usually quite prominent - in Spain they're bright yellow. But with a smart phone, none of this is difficult or time consuming.

https://www.postsnap.com/postcards

I've used PostSnap for years. Take some nice photos of the view/DC having fun, upload to the app, write a message and check out to the various addresses. No stamp hunting. Recommended 👍 Here's my referral code if you want to try it (we both get free credit): 23574C

I used to hate the faff of postcards too. My poor mum never got one from me/the kids. I think i still have some unwritten ones from family hols from 15 years ago (with the stamps).

But with my MIL we got into the habit of sending via Moonpig. Couple of pics of the holiday and 3 lines. All done and sent by 2nd day of hols.
She loved them and we sent them from all sorts (even just a day trip if it was interesting)

Yes people do "still really do that". The people who are likely to enjoy receiving a card are often the ones without the internet and without much else going on in their lives. I wouldn't have dreamt of going away for more than a long weekend and not sending a card to my mother, for example. The card would then be on display for a long time afterwards. It gave her enjoyment and showed we were thinking of her. If she was still around, I would still be doing it, however inconvenient it might be. So you can stop with the faux incredulity.

I don’t know a single person who does this.

And op, you are making life harder for yourself. No one is forcing you to do it. You have complete control over saying NO or not doing it.

I hope you get some down-time on holiday OP and that Billy Big Balls does his share with the kids. SAHMs need to relax too.

As for the postcards, just lightly say that you won’t be sending them but you’ll send WhatsApp photos of anything interesting. Job done. No big deal.

Our 4 year old grandchild loves receiving post. Don’t bother for anyone else.

Use the TouchNote app! All done from your phone and relatives get a pic of the kids in the location rather than just a generic location postcard! Win win!