To detest FAMILY day out, FAMILY meal, FAMILY fun!

[lulucappuccino]

Why do some people use the word "Family" to describe everyday activities?

I come across it on MN, Facebook and often irl.

I mean, the kind of families who do everything together anyway.

"Oh, we had a great family holiday". You never go on holiday separately and haven't for fifteen years.

"I made a really tasty pasta bake. #familymealtimes." As opposed to any other type of meal you ever have.

"We enjoy family day outs at the local arboretum."

Etc, etc.

Don't get me started on "Quality time".

I'm going to have some quality family time now, mumsnetting.

I have found my people!

I had unfollowed someone on FB earlier today because of one hashtag too far. It was indeed the dreaded #makingmemories that pushed me over the edge.

Previous offences included #nestfullofchicks and #familypositivity

Philo, I get where you're coming from. You had a rough childhood and want to make things different for your own children.

For those of us that had happy secure childhoods, it's what we knew and grew up with and its what we are doing for our children, without really thinking about it. So when people plaster it over social media, we kind of think "well, duh" of course your trying to make happy memories for your child.

No philosophy, you are missing what people are saying. Having the fun and making the memories isn't the issue. It's the constant posting and hash tagging on FB of what are normal family activities. No-one is impressed that you bought your child an ice cream. (Except hopefully the child) it's not noteworthy that you are parenting your children and want them to be happy.

Family day out and family movie have the qualifier "family" because they're nothing like actual real days out or real movies that are intellectually stimulating and involve proper adult conversation and not wiping anybody's bum.

I am not missing the point. I am saying that I don't see why the FB sharing is annoying. I see it and think they are trying to create a happy childhood for their children - that is lovely .

I hate it too.
We went shopping today. As a family.

Bleurgh

I can see it would be annoying if they were posting about creating lovely family time as then not doing that. I just assume that if somebody is my friend that they are honest and doing their best for their children

So philo, if your FB friends don't plaster happy family photos regularly, do you read in to that they are not creating happy childhoods for their children?

Do you really regard photos as evidence of good parenting?

My pet hate is politicians who always talk about 'hard-working families'.

To me family means we did something as an extended family such as my in-laws or if DS1 comes home for it , not just those that live together

You are missing the point, Philo. Of course you want your children to be happy. God, who doesn't want their children to be happy. Promoting everyday occurrences with the word "Family" doesn't make it more special though.

I brushed my teeth this morning. #keepinghealthyformykids #beautifulinsideandout #healthyfamily
See??

I generally assume that people who live together do things together. They don't need to confirm it for me on FB. I trust them

Took my little man to the park. #happychildren #familyfun #outdoorliving #activekid #parentingwin #lovemyboy #proud mummy #familysummer

Aggghh!

So philo, if your FB friends don't plaster happy family photos regularly, do you read in to that they are not creating happy childhoods for their children?

Do you really regard photos as evidence of good parenting?

Of course I don't assume that a lack of photos means poor parenting, Where have I said that. I don't need evidence to judge other people's parenting? I would be the last person who could even dare to judge the parenting of others. But you do assume that your friends are good people and that is why they are your friends. Maybe I am naive

So philo, if your FB friends don't plaster happy family photos regularly, do you read in to that they are not creating happy childhoods for their children?

Do you really regard photos as evidence of good parenting?

Of course I don't assume that a lack of photos means poor parenting, Where have I said that. I don't need evidence to judge other people's parenting? I would be the last person who could even dare to judge the parenting of others. But you do assume that your friends are good people and that is why they are your friends. Maybe I am naive

It's life as something you document and present to others, rather than something you get on with and experience in the moment. You see it with groups of people out for an evening who are so busy taking photos to show what a good time they are having that they aren't actually having a good time....but you'd never know that from the #herecomethegirlzzzzz #ladiesontour #bestnightever bollocks.

What's wrong with 'school run'?

Completely agree with this. The #feeling blessed really annoys me. So, following lovely photos on a lovely holiday this is put. I always ponder to myself: 1) Does it mean that other people are not blessed? 2) Did they not book the holiday or work hard to pay for it? I guess they mean #feeling fortunate, which is lovely. I think that they ate using the word blessed incorrectly!

I am quite a happy person really but making memories really grates too. I go for a lovely day out so that we have fun, relax, etc. Not to make memories! And you can do quite mundane things that become memories! How do you know that you are making memories. I took my kids to London when they were toddlers. They can't remember it at all! Nice that many of you agree on this!

I say 'family day out' to distinguish between Daddy being with us and the rest of the sodding time when he's at work and it's just me and the kids. In my defence, I've never used the phrase on FB etc.

Hashtags on facebook? Never seen this. Why do people do that? I thought hashtags were for twitter - to make the tweet visible to people who are interested in the topic but don't follow you or something. But facebook doesn't work like that (I don't think? Maybe if you've left your profile open it might??) so what's the point of a hashtag?

The examples above do sound exceptionally annoying though so YANBU, whatever.

#hatersgonnahate

I am grateful my grand parents and parents took the time to take so many photos of us when I was a child. They might even have ended up on FB if that had been a possibility, who knows. I don't think I am taking any more than they did, there's a lot less posing nowadays. I can take 10 quick pics and delete 9 in the same time they took 1.

I do love how aggravated posters can get about minuscule things. It really sounds like jealousy if you do care that much and you are that involved!

I have a friend who does all the #makingmemories #mylittlefamily #mumof2 #feelingblessed stuff - and it drives me up the wall. Especially when she will post heavily filtered selfies (the type where the amount of brightness makes it look like you haven't got a nose), completed with a duck face pout, and the two boys glaring at the camera.
I always think that the only memories her boys will have are of their mum taking 200 photos whilst trying to get the winning shot ! Their day trips must just be taken up of selfies rather than any fun at all.

#philomissedthepoint #familyhashtags #lookwereafamily #arealfamily #doingfamilythings #asafamily #hashtagsmakeitreal