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.

Yes too true Sadik.

I like # as 'not'.
#lovingsiblings
#havingfun
#qualideetime
#caring

Glad I found this thread, thought I was just getting older and grumpier with my inner rage at the FB hashtags.

And don't me started on Facebook Live either...not only is there the hash tagged photographs but we get to see them live having their family time. Someone had their child 'going live' showing everyone how wobbly their tooth was. Another camping one where the whole live thing had a background of #memorymakingmummy barking instructions on what they should be doing so that it looked like she wanted it to

God sake, why are people confusing cringing at Family time, #mummymagic lovemykidstothemoonandback shite, with actually having fun and knowing others are too?

I can't help but think that those defending this sort of tripe must be feeling a lack of cohesion in their family.

I don't do the hashtag thing but I do share pictures of days out etc. The pictures do reflect the fact that we have had a great time or otherwise. Just because it is on FB it doesn't mean it hasn't happened

Jesus. Someone's just written "Lovely evening with the fambo" on Facebook.

Exactly! The pictures are enough! No need to add crap inane explanation.

#feeling blessed
Makes my teeth curl

But adding the hashtag means it hasn't happened?

It suggests that they 'protest too much'. Why feel the need to convince anyone? Fakey and desperate.

Ugh. Motivational memes are the only thing worse than #blessed or #familytime. They seem to be cropping up all over Facebook at the moment. This is my comment on each and every one of them.

What they want you to imagine: perfect day out in beautiful weather to picturesque and non-crowded location with delicious picnic in wicker hamper with proper plates & cutlery. Gingham cloth. Family dressed in co-ordinated clothing (Boden or similar), e.g. adorable moppet daughters in immaculate broderie anglais frocks & wellies. Mothers in perfect white linen trousers with cute top (poss nautical). A lot of cuddling & laughing. Children chirrup 'thank you for a lovely day, we love you Mummy & Daddy' on traffic-free drive home in immaculate SUV car.

The reality: they got up late, stuck in traffic jam, squabbled over directions while Dad got into a foul mood. Location was heaving & the loos were third world. Kids moaned, whinged & bickered all day. Daddy seethed with fury. Somebody wet themselves. Somebody fell in muddy water & no spare clothes. Picnic was curly hamwiches & a bag of wotsits. Kids nagged for extortionately priced ice-cream then somebody was sick in the car in the traffic jam on the way home. Nobody laughed or said thank you all day. Mummy ended the day with a migraine or a bottle of Pinot.

I can't help but think that those defending this sort of tripe must be feeling a lack of cohesion in their family.

The fuck?

I defended it because descriptors other people use about themselves don't hurt me so I barely give this kind of FB update a second thought.

That doesn't mean you get to judge my family and pronounce a lack of cohesiveness, lulu.

I think people who are spending quality time with the whole family play Monopoly. With the younger kids tantrumming about losing, the teen in a hypergrump because he wants to be on his iPad and mum and dad putting on a brave face whilst getting sloshed. Only they can't put the game away and say fuck that, they are having family fun.

Ha! A parent from my son's class is the worst offender of the hashtag wankery.
Everyday at least 6 banal photos of her children with #mykidsaremyworld #makingmemories #family #blessed #lovethem, plus random hashtag fuckwittery such as #idontcarewhatyouthink #pancakesforbreakfast, etc.

I am a full-on idiot though, as I have unfollowed her due to her hashtag crimes, yet go back weekly to have a look at her latest bollocks. I can't help myself.

She also has a habit of having private conversations wit her husband on FB, shite like: Ronnie Brown, I love you so much, thank you for a lovely family weekend, me and the kids are blessed to have you in our lives. Love you always. #wifey #lovemyhubby

No no no no no.

To briefly explain hashtags.

At the most basic they are for Twitter - so if you watched X Factor tonight and you tweeted about it by adding the hashtag anyone who is searching for people also watching it can see your tweet and you can see theirs. It's a useful tool to find people you want to chat with and follow on Twitter

Instagram also has hashtags. When you press on the hashtag you can see all the other pictures on Instagram that have that hashtag.

The reason why it has spread like a disease onto Facebook is because Facebook bought Instagram and the two are now linked so people posting their hashtagged photos for instagram are also posting to Facebook.

I know someone who is the hashtag queen and it is extraordinary and punchworthy - like her cats name, that's not a fucking trend love - it's not a conversation topic it's YOUR cat and your cat only, fuck off.

Functional hashtags are useful on Twitter. Pointless hashtagging and inventing ones own can fuck right off

I like both Twitter and Insta so # has its place, in the main I let the likes of #blessed et al wash over me although it does serve as a helpful identifier for those likely to be #alittletoomuchlikehardwork

I have to take exception at the challenge to the school run dress #essential

She also has a habit of having private conversations wit her husband on FB, shite like: Ronnie Brown, I love you so much, thank you for a lovely family weekend, me and the kids are blessed to have you in our lives. Love you always. #wifey #lovemyhubby

That made me spit my tea . Facebook certainly shows up some quirks but that is extreme.

I use #livingthedream but thought that it was just used ironically, y'know for that business trip to scunny etc.....

#movienight... You watched a film.

Oh Peppasnanna - the word "lush" makes me want to slap people. (I know that's not what the thread's about but I'll have a rant anyway :)) As a boyfriend once said, "lush" should only be used about meadows, any other usage should be a capital offence. My sister uses it all the time about meals out and snacks and I just cringe myself inside out. Aaaaarrrgggghh.

The thing about making memories and "family time" and hashtags etc., for me is it's all so self-referential and constructed. You can't just have fun for its own sake. Either it's for the sake of showing everyone on FB/instagram etc. that you're a great family, having fun etc, or it's your kids in the future who are required to oblige you by having the memories you're deciding to "create". It's so controlling.

Ronnie Brown, I love you so much, thank you for a lovely family weekend, me and the kids are blessed to have you in our lives. Love you always. #wifey #lovemyhubby

See maybe I'm just an old cynic but I can't see something like that without thinking "He's knobbing his secretary".

Yeah that really gets on my nerves when people don't understand the point of hashtags, or use them with a space or emoji and the whole link is broken anyway! The whole point of hashtags, as others have pointed out, is so that a place or activity, or hotel, or person, can be clicked on and found all in one place. We often search Instagram hashtags before deciding on a holiday destination etc. Urrrgghhh and don't get me started on #blessed and those private conversations between couples #thanksforbabysittingyourownfuckingkidsmyhubbymyworld - What also gets me riled up is using the word hubby when they aren't married or using it at all I end up feeling like I have to explain sometimes, that my family ARE lovely, my husband isn't a pig and my kids are definitely cute, I don't hate them, and we do loads of cool stuff.... I just haven't done all of that #myfamilymylife or #myhubbyisthebest #soblessed type of crap because it's wanky. Oh God, nearly forgot, a mum that tags herself #supermum without the slightest hint of tongue in cheek! I've just read through my post and sound like a right misery. Hey ho

Have only read the op but I say family film night, it's code to the kids to get off their fecking gaming things and spend some time with us.

And I might post it on FB because the films are normally shit and I'm bored (and yes, I see the irony in that )