To think there's nothing wrong with all the Facebook "look at all these xmas presents" photos

[womblesofwestminster]

As Christmas dawns I'm reminded of numerous AIBU threads whereby people moan about folk that post photos on FB showing all the xmas gifts they've bought for their kids.

Personally, I love it when people post these photos. I'm a self-confessed shopaholic and love having a good gander at the photos to get ideas for what to look for in the January sales. I'm also a nosy cow.

Am I in the minority? Do most people hate these photos?

None of my friends do this do I've never seen one of these photos. I agree with whoever said it seems vulgar and boastful.

In my house the gifts from FC are separate to the gifts from relatives. The FC gifts do not go under the tree, the under tree gifts are from relatives.

DD knows that I am responsible for the FC presents, but that FC gets to decide whether to bring them or not based on good behaviour (touch and go so far this year... )

The teens love to unwrap theirs and display them artfully (splaying the notes of the money out next to the latest I phone etc. With a vomit inducing ' I love Mummy and Daddy sooo much' type quote.

That could be seen as boasty.

Ordinarily this wouldn't bother me but my cousin's wife does it or every occasion - birthdays, Christmas, Easter, etc. Even then I wouldn't be particularly bothered but they are always pleading poverty so it annoys me to see them then boasting about what they have bought their kids. You can tell how much they've spent - one year she even included a list of what the presents were in the caption!

YABU to be posting about it in OCTOBER.

October - better than August though surely?

I would just be interested to know why they post the pictures. What could the reasons be other than-EVERYONE LOOK AT THIS!!

But that's FB all over isn't it?

I can only speak for myself. I do it because it looks lovely, I am caught up in the excitement, for DD to look back on when she's older (as part of the overall story of that Christmas) and also because, as I said upthread, sitting here alone on Xmas eve it is nice to feel you're sharing that specific moment with your friends.

I love seeing pics from others too, I have yet to see anything excessive or boastful though, just a photo shared between friends.

Nothing on Facebook annoys me to any great extent - that's what the "unfriend" button is for surely.

I have no problem with photos of Christmas trees (with or without gifts underneath) Santa footprints and rosy cheeked children beaming up at their parents.
It's just the ones with stacks of presents all piled up usually accompanied by captions like "looks like my lil' princess is getting spoilt this year lol" They get my back up for some reason.

Come on, unless you restrict FB to very close friends and family, there will be always be something on there to inwardly grumble about that's half the fun

Nothing on FB annoys me-I don't have it. But I get annoyed at what the teenagers use it for on behalf of DS1.

I must say I hate these. I'm in a Christmas bargain hunters group as thought it might be useful as I'm expecting DC1 but so many people post pics like this and talk about how they've already spent hundreds of pounds and are still going.

I mainly dislike the fact that it's just so materialistic and excessive - especially as most kids will get all that from their parents plus a shed load of other gifts from friends and family.

I'm probably a bit if a Scrooge tho and this time next year will probably have a spare room full of crap I can't wait to give to my 8 month old dd (who won't notice either way)

I add pictures of Christmas presents. I do one of all the gifts wrapped (all as in every gift I give out not just gifts for my children). Last year I did it to make a joke that my Mum's cat at got the biggest gift. I had wrapped up an empty nappy box for him as he loves a nappy box to play in.

I also do a 'Santa's been' photo of the Christmas stocking hanging up on the bedroom door. You can't actually see the presents, just a wrapped gift poking out the top. I like it because in our old house I could take it at an angle that showed the filled stocking in the front of the picture with my son sleeping in the background which I liked.

They only time I make a point of taking photos of unwrapped presents is when they are something weird. My husband is in to Godzilla and I am an X Files fan so we tend to give each other unusual gifts that can be used to set up funny pictures.

With my son's toys, if they have been given to him by a family member who doesn't live nearby I take pictures of him opening them and playing with them so they can see he is enjoying their gifts. I also send thank you notes but they like to see the pictures.

I love Christmas and do a huge amount of pictures of Christmas and the run up to it. The focus isn't on the 'stuff' though it is on the people. We have pictures of my son sitting on my husband's shoulders at the Christmas light switch on, decorating the tree, my brother wrapped in tinsel with the cat sitting on his shoulder that sort of thing.

I don't do it to show off what we have or things we have brought, I want to show the family who don't live nearby and who we don't get to see as often as we like what we are getting up to.

I love it when other people post Christmas pictures, all that I have seen seem to be in the same tone as mine. Showing what they have been up to and what fun stuff they have been doing. I have never seen any I have thought have been posted just to show off purchases but then I suppose it is how you view them.

I don't have Facebook, the teenagers do and DH does although he rarely uses it.

But...what are you supposed to post on there then?
Because you are not allowed, according to threads on here, to post anything happy. Because that's "boastful" and "rubbing people noses in it"

You can't post anything about your children , again boasting. And showing off.

You can't post anything sad because that's attention seeking and being a drama queen.

Clearly I've missed the whole point of FB. Because I thought it was designed so you could share things with other people. Apparently you are not allowed to share anything because people get annoyed.
God forbid you should be happy.
Sometimes I forget that you aren't allowed to be happy or to be doing well, or to have anything nice, in case it upsets people who do not have any joy in their lives.

We should all walk about being as miserable as possible. Bit keep it to yourself though. Don't share it with anyone

I don't mind them, I like having a nose at what other people have bought/been given and getting ideas for the next years birthdays or christmas.
As long as they are not accompanied by lots of showy offy/stealth boasting comments.

They don't annoy me, I tend to think 'more fool you' for buying shitloads of presents but it's entirely up to them what they spend their money on.

Everything Tantrums said, with sleighbells on

Goodness Moldingsunbeams why on earth would you feel crap? That's a fabulous haul for Christmas. A second hand tablet - genius! I may just nab that one too. Wanted to look at getting one for youngest but couldn't afford it. No idea why I didn't think of that before.

Also, one main, special present and a Santa stocking? That's what most people do you know. Well at his age son get three 'special' presents from us and a Santa sack. When he gets older and the gifts become things like a tablet then he will just get one. The older two get some cash!

My first year in this house, DD was 2, I had no money. My dad had got Argos vouchers as a bonus from work and gave them to me (£25) I saved £30 and bought DD a bike from Argos and a toy giraffe from a local Hospice. The rest of her presents were from charity shops and the Woolworths bargain bin.

She had about 5 presents in total.

I wasn't on FB back then, but I have the "he's been" pic in an album, followed by various pics of her opening and loving every minute.

Never be ashamed of what you've bought, you buy within your limitations and don't get yourself into debt for presents.

My fondest Christmas memory turned out to be the year that mum and dad had no money and all my presents were from a charity shop or bought second hand/were given by friends/family to help out.

I'd no idea.

I have often bought presents from charity shops etc. second hand is brilliant. They get to an age where they are aware of packaging etc but until then make the most of it!

See, this is why I dont like facebook anymore - theres already been a disagreement on here and we're not even on bloody facebook! It causes no end of bother even just being mentioned. Every row our bloody family has, you can guarantee there's FB involvement.

I'm quite glad I dont bother anymore - I don't need yet another thing in my life to get all irritable about. I like seeing our presents under our tree. Couldn't care less how many everyone else has/how big the pile is.