to think that posting pics of massive piles

[narna]

of your children's Christmas presents on facebook is incredibly naff?
I mean why would you do that?
Why would you think that any of your friends are interested?
Dont get me wrong its lovely to see pics of kids opening them all excited on Christmas morning but who the hell wants to see a picture of a massive pile of presents?

oh and FWIW - if you ask my DS's what Christmas is all about they'll tell you the story of Baby Jesus - they know the gifts are an added bonus.

I thought it was bum piles too from the title. Was intrigued to see how they took the photos.

Gifts aren't all about consumerism though. The vast majority of gifts we receive have been given with love and thought for the recipient. A three for two is a cop out not a gift in the true sense. The cost is irrelevant, homemade gifts are even more precious. I would never refuse a gift because of that, and I would be deeply hurt if one if mine was.

And consumerism pays for an awful lot. Our wicked Western consumerist ways are what make us a rich country. Ultimately you wouldn't have the NHS etc without people exercising their right to spend and producing VAT etc.

That sounds muddled. I know what I mean. If someone slightly more lucid could translate I would be v grateful

I posted pictures on FB of DS1&2 opening presents, however it just looks like someone has filled my lounge with shredded wrapping paper and the kids are sitting in it .

I do think it is a bit naff, there are some people who are obviously doing it just to be all "look how rich and amazing we are that we can buy so much".

I have just looked at pictures of my friends little boy opening his presents on Christmas morning:
Present 1 - Playstation 3
Present 2 - PSP
Present 3 - AN IPHONE!!
Present 4 - Guitar Hero PS3 game
Present 5 - Dr Who Tardis Playset
And it went on an on.

HE IS 7 YEARS OLD!!
And it was all very posed, like Mummy and Daddy had said, now show everyone your Iphone etc.

I am not a scrooge at all and not jealous, I have no problem with a pile of presents for a child, but this is ridiculous in my opinion.

We manage to have presents without forgeting the true meaning of Christmas. We go to church, and the run up to Christmas is all about nativities and carol concerts and advent candles. But it is still nice to have some presents to open!

We certainly don't go overboard, in fact we could afford to buy a lot more but only buy big things if they are needed (eg if one of them needs a new bike). Presents this year included books, board games, family RSPB membership, theatre tickets and homemade sock monkeys. And I put them in a pile

Friends and family (including me, and I'm a nursery teacher so can really go to town on the craft side if necessary!) already spend lots of time with them and do lots of craft/cooking/music/nature walks etc etc. So that wouldn't be anything unusual to give as a "gift".

NW20 that is exactly what I mean. A friend on FB has put a picture of her DS opening a Wii as her profile picture. The present is in the foreground with the paper torn exactly so that you can see the corner of the box that says Wii on

We don't have stockings.

My poor deprived children...

I know what you mean sarah

In a nutshell, you are saying that just because a present costs money, does not mean that love, time and thought had not gone into it. Right?

Agree as well with Jemima, we spend time together anyway, it doesn't have to be Christmas for one of us to spend time doing the thing we are good at with a younger family member.

Posh people reckon piles of presents are crass but their kids ave everyfink anyways, poorer kids tend to get sod all through the year but tend to have the 'big christmas' so for one day they feel rich.

T'is the way it is, and if they want to show off the present pile, lettum, you don't have to look

I think piles of presents wrapped look nice under the tree. If it was an opened pile of loot however ywnbu.

Btw I thought Bum Piles too

I put pictures of everything on fb, including a pile of presents. Nobody was interested, no harm done either.

YEEES curlymama! Thank you. Btw I also thought bumpiles and was initially disappointed.

I think you need assistance SantasENormaSnob, it's a two-man job.

Our family are quite spread out so it is a treat for my dd to have time with relatives. We are also caring for relatives as well as working so time is very precious. I don't give my dd for Christmas a cookery lesson from me because as you say that would be odd. However my neice did say to me last time that she visited that she would love to be able to cook like me and therefore it seemed luke a lovely gift of my time.

My dd is not really into toys tbh. She spends much of her time horseriding and doing arty things. As a family - on my side we are are all very arty and crafty .

I have not said that because something costs money it shows no thought. When my relatives took time to do things with dd they had materials to buy. When I taught my neice to cook I spent money on ingredients . We also do buy dd a present that costs money. We also buy a present for the family - always a boardgame - that also cost money. Last year I bought my ff a dressmakers mannequin - that also cost money.

so does she get given "arty" things during the year? As that would be a Christmas present (or birthday present) for my DS's (indeed they did this year - they got lots of pens and collage stuff]). And they have no family to give them "gifts of time" that option isn't available to them.

Just because other families do things differently to you doesn't mean they're caught up in consumerism and have lost the meaning of Christmas.

But tingletangle, you are missing the point. These gifts you turn down because you dont like consumerism are gifts given by others. It's them, and the potential recipient that miss out. Not you. I have no problem with you turning away gifts, that is your choice. But I personally feel it's not right to make that decision on behalf of others and I think it is wrong to take away the joy of giving from them.

A lot of us, me included, actually love giving gifts. It's a sign of our love, of our thought for that person and it would upset me greatly to be told I couldn't.

It is possible to love your children, go to church and learn about Jesus, do lovely things with them, be non materialistic AND buy shed loads of plastic tat at Christmas. AND take pictures of it and post them of FB because it looks funny.

My 8mth old dressed as an Elf surrounded by piles of opened and unopended presents looked really cute.

But then I am insufferably vulgar.

Turning YOUR gifts away ffs

It is a possibilty that those posting these pictures are just posting pictures, rather than showing off or posing.

That could just be in your head perhaps?

maybe?