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Original poster

To hate smug round robins at this time of year

221 replies

lastqueenofscotland · 14/12/2017 13:45

Seriously, do people really think I give a shit if their insufferable teenager passed their GSCEs, their vile adult children haven't been fired from their jobs or their toddlers have successfully mastered the art of occasionally shitting in a potty.

Why do people send these? Does anyone care? Surely they are only the object of ridicule?

OP posts:
IfNot · 14/12/2017 14:12

Are they still really middle England sort of thing? I have never seen one in real life!
Perhaps i will send one.
This year i have managed to mostly stay under my overdraft limit, Ds has (almost) mastered the art of getting all his piss into the actual toilet bowl. Before he's 12 too!
So proud. My mother continues on her exciting adventures. She went to a TKMax last week! ( But it was too busy to get round).
Well, that's it from us until next year. Merry Christmas!

honeylulu · 14/12/2017 14:13

A lady I used to work with always used to send them with her cards. She was actually a nice lady who I liked but the round robin letters were cringeworthy. All about their lovely holidays, next phase of redeveloping their huge house how well their daughters were doing at school (private, naturally).
One year there was a brave version confirming their eldest had dropped out of uni and their youngest had dropped out of sixth form "but is really enjoying herself working at nandos". It was almost like a spoof of what had gone before.
There wasn't another one after that.

eenymeenymaccaracca · 14/12/2017 14:13

We got one this year, although it was actually addressed to the family who used to live here in 2005. It was disappointingly likeable and non-smug.

Not sure why they're sending it to people they've clearly not heard from in 12 years, though.

GrouchyKiwi · 14/12/2017 14:14

We get two of these each year. One is from my cousin (mid-30s) and it's very braggy and smug. I enjoy hating it.

The other is from DH's Aunty and it's always very interesting because she travels a lot and her letters talk about the places she has been. She describes them very well and it often makes me want to go where she has gone.

user1495451339 · 14/12/2017 14:14

My parents seem to get these. They enjoy reading them out to us and taking the mickey! I have a horrible feeling that we are the main topic of the one they send out!!!!

BenLui · 14/12/2017 14:15

Aww, don’t be mean. I think they are nice.

My wonder, eccentric friend sends me a beautiful one each year filled with poetry and I get a lovely update on her whole family. She isn’t on Facebook and lives in a different country so we aren’t in touch too often any more. Reading her annual letter helps me feel like we haven’t lost touch, it’s just so very “her”.

My parents receive a few of the braggy type, they make us smile every year.

chocatoo · 14/12/2017 14:15

crunchermuncher I agree - I'd far rather a humorously put together little update on news than a load of smug people taking selfies on facebook!! We haven't received any yet but WE SENT ONE this year ha ha. Haven't seen lots of old relatives for ages so included a photo and a couple of lines of news (didn't send to all, just the oldies). I think at least we posted it in a real card rather a cyber message.

NotMeNoNo · 14/12/2017 14:16

DH wants to send one this year- all his family do them! We have had a crap year so it will have to be so heavily edited it will sound smug because it only has the good stuff. "Notme still enjoying her job" rather than "Notme still hanging onto her job despite 3 months off sick with stress". Then we get a mention in the PIL's letter too which always interesting. So I apologise in advance to society at large for inflicting it on 40 of you.

expatinscotland · 14/12/2017 14:16

They always contain wank about people you don't know, too. They are entertaining. I wrote a joke one one year and my mother was not amused when it got back to her - it contained tales of woe about my incarcerated lesbian lover, my infected tattoos, the failings of the American welfare and court systems, my job as a stimulation consultant in an adult entertainment world and featuring a photo of me kissing a female friend who liked her piercings. It had the desired effect that the following year I received not a single one of these things. Result!

BoredOnMatLeave · 14/12/2017 14:17

I've never received one but every bloody year my MIL makes me read one from someone she knows in the US. I'm not even sure if its a friend or distant relative, I have never met them and couldn't tell you their name but I am made to read this 4 page magazine about their year every Christmas day.

DP has tried saying "Bored isn't interested mum, she doesn't even know them" but is met with "oh of course she's interested, aren't you? It's so lovely blah blah blah "

crochetmonkey74 · 14/12/2017 14:17

I love the one we get for the unsaid stories- mine's from a cousin who is VERY religious, and they will say things like " Sarah has struggled this year with her choices, but we are hoping that her return to the Youth Mission will help her remember her life in Christ before she goes back to University in the New Year"
It makes me giggle to think what Sarah (name changed to protect the innocent) has been up to!

TwitterQueen1 · 14/12/2017 14:17

I can send you all mine if you like? I've had a shit year and I've told everyone about it Xmas Wink.

They are one of my guilty pleasures I'm afraid... I actually like them.

Thisnamechanger · 14/12/2017 14:18

I may send one myself this year:

Dear friends of NC,

My mother died and I still hate my job.
Send Wine.

Regards,

Thisnamechanger

WonderTweek · 14/12/2017 14:19

Lol. I didn't know what a round robin was so genuinely assumed that op was miffed about fat and healthy birds feeling superior to, say, thin and scruffy city birds. Grin

I now realise that it's the Christmas letter thing. I've never received one but if I did I'd probably put it in the bin if it was just smug self-hype. I unfollow people on Facebook for boasting so I'm sure it works in real life too. Smile

IrritatedUser1960 · 14/12/2017 14:19

i've never had one, possibly because all of my friends and family are too busy posting this stuff on facebook.

ParadiseCity · 14/12/2017 14:20

I have an acquaintance who does 'The Smith Year In Pictures' all with captions. The same every year: Tarquin playing instrument at school. Family walked up x in the Peaks. Cat that got run over. Tarquin birthday cake. New replacement cat. Tarquin passed another exam. Family picture with grandparents. The end.

2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney · 14/12/2017 14:21

@ifnot, I have sent out several in that style. Even insulting the reader telling them that they were only worth 1 side of A4 . All my friends loved it , my eldest DD was not best pleased though! Blush

whippetwoman · 14/12/2017 14:22

I got sent one early this year by a family I know who seem to spend their entire lives on amazing holidays. It is full of umpteen pictures of the whole family in glamorous locations, teenagers looking awkward. I don't think they mean to be braggy, it's just their (very rich and privileged) lives but it amuses me excessively.

The reason they sent it early? They are off to Australia for Christmas....

Original poster
lastqueenofscotland · 14/12/2017 14:23

Expatinscotland I've just actually howled at that. Amazing.

OP posts:
Whippet · 14/12/2017 14:23

PreFacebook we used to send them and I'm now embarrassed at how bad they probably were Blush Fortunately it was before we had kids, so at least it was just about us and our holidays and jobs - not bragging about the kids.

We did used to get one particularly awful one from some friends who were keen to tell us what 'high achievers' they all were: Distance MBA; Yoga qualifications; Pony Club; Music exams etc.
At some point, they must have been told, or realised, that their letters were mostly made fun of, so they changed it to just an A4 photo montage instead. All well and good, you might say, except they now go out of their way to 'tell the story' without the words, so the photos will always feature pictures of the certificates or whatever!

2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney · 14/12/2017 14:24

Oh reading these I really need to do another . Might be a bit late this year though and would like to maintain good relations with offsprings until at least new year

Paddington68 · 14/12/2017 14:24

I was saying how I loathe them to my au pair when she just returned from taking my two darlings to the Maldives as they wanted to experience a night flight. Obviously, this was in Italian that I have spent the year learning.
It was difficult to hear her reply over Penelope playing the Steinway as she is now grade 8 and was practicing for a concert to raise money for one-legged hamsters in Peru.

Anyway must dash my Apple 26 i-phone is riniging.

expatinscotland · 14/12/2017 14:25

Believe me, last, the round robins in America before Facebook were dire, full of smug boasts and utter wank.

BenLui · 14/12/2017 14:25

expat Grin I bet you were talk of the washhouse!!

I bet your Mom was fielding faux concerned phone calls for a week! Grin

julessussex · 14/12/2017 14:26

You have to laugh at them. We get one every year from my aunt, it’s hilarious, so pompous it’s ridiculous.

Facebook is just a year round extension of it...

myfamilyhomeblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/18/christmas-cards-are-just-so-last-century/