To find it really distasteful to take photos of your children’s gifts?

[StarfishSandwich]

I’ve noticed a trend on Facebook for mums to post photos the night before their child’s birthday of a big pile of wrapped up gifts. Or just as bad, after the event posting a picture of a big pile of opened gifts.

Since when does anyone want to see pictures of presents? It feels really tacky and showy.

And one of the things was glittery pens, and dd was like 'I LOVE glittery pens'. She genuinely thought that was all she was getting, pens and notepads etc for school. Since she found the ipad, we haven't spoken since lol. That's another thread.

Bloody hell. Let people enjoy things. If they enjoy putting up pics let them! I love seeing photos of my friends doing things that make them happy, if that's a new car, or a lovely holiday, or a pile of presents for their kids, well that's lovely! If you think its braggy or crass, well I think that says more about you.

I was once told I was bragging on fb because I often put pics of my family at the beach on FB. I live beside a beach in Australia fgs, of course there's going to be a lot of beach photos, its not bragging! Some people just like to look negatively on things.

Lol - a pile of presents is crass & vulgar.

Pearl clutching at its finest.

I love this thread and the elf on the shelf and Christmas Eve box threads.

A few days after Christmas this forum wil be full of threads about how MiL took too many roast potatoes so there weren't enough to go round, how SiL only spent a tenner on DS even though we spent a tenner on each of her four, how nephew didn't say thank you gushingly enough for his box of lego, and how DB accepted a gift from us and then went and got us a charity goat.

But before that, there's the fun of shit winter wonderland experiences and, my favourite, threads where people try to strong-arm their childless colleagues into working Christmas Day, because after all, it's for the kids. You childless people can have New Year's Day off instead, and go out and get pissed on NYE.

I love Mumsnet.

I don't know if it's braggy or not, but it's not something I would do. My sister does it though.

Yes, it's the reason the unfollow button was invented. I have found Facebook is better when it's just articles, not other peoples lives.

It is a braggy and pretty crass thing to do,especially when there are so many people struggling.Luckily for me I don't have friends like that so am unaffected

It used to be scrabbling around trying to remember who sent what for thank you letters, now it seem to be lets arrange the pile for Facebook, I bet people only have expensive presents on show though, if it was a pile of colouring books and crayons they wouldn't bother.

People post all sorts of crap, apparently MIL posts her evening meal according to DH. I fortunately do not use Facebook.

Posting pictures of a huge pile of presents - crass and materialistic.

Posting pictures of children excitedly opening a couple of presents or playing with new toys - sharing happy memories.

I only use my facebook account to sync games across different devices and haven't added any of my friends so I don't know for certain which choice they would make, but I really hope it's the latter. I'd feel a bit disappointed if they turned out to be more showy-offy than I think they are.

I take pictures of gifts with the tags next to it. Reminds me who gave what so I can thank them properly. Don't share them though.

Facebook is naff. Why are you surprised. Imagine getting a whatsapp. Bet they think you’re an idiot

Now that is a good idea StephenQueenBooks

I do the pile of presents picture.
If I've bought presents and wrapped them and decorated a tree and cleaned the living room and put a table cloth on the table and bought bloody appletise and pringles to put on it......
You better believe I'm taking pictures for Facebook.
That's an achievement right there!
Still can't quite believe I'm a grown up, pulling off Christmas for my kids
My Facebook friends are nice supportive people, they wouldn't begrudge me my little moment of excitement and pride.

I'm not sure which is worse, the cringiness of people doing this or the sanctimony of others enjoying criticising them for it and feeling like the better, higher-class person/parent.

I bet your fun friends are pissing themselves

“FB”

I think the post above mine is quite a good insight into why people do this - to validate their 'achievements' (no disrespect to that poster intended, just quoting you). I think it would be nice if we had a culture in which we didn't feel we had to put everything in public for it to be real. I don't do FB very much at all myself, partly for this reason, partly because I just can't keep up with the volume of posts.

Yanbu
It's braggy & part of the reason I hate social media. Seeing pile's of gifts under a tree or loads ready to be opened for a bday. Just make's people who can't afford to do that feel like shit parents.
Kids opening their presents, yes I understand, that makes sense you wsnt to look back & see the joy on their faces.
but just loads of presents piled up? No don't get it. It's tacky

That struck me too elderly, what did people do before fb?

I've sent photos of DD with her opened gifts to the givers by email. I think I've done it on Facebook as well, but not to be showy, just to say it's her birthday.

It seems like it's a symptom of the worship of stuff that goes on these days. It doesn't even matter what it is as long as it's a big pile of stuff. Pictures of children playing with their opened presents is totally different I think.

What concerns me more than the ‘braggy’ element of this, is that it might fuel a mad consumerism in others. A need to get into debt, to rush around buying more and more and more JUST so that it can go into the FB picture.
The element of competition is unsettling and I worry that some people might be pushed into debt because of it.
The complete overconsumption of resources (especially all the Poundland crap...never to be used or played with, and destined for landfill) is unsettling as well.
I do understand this is not something I can change in others, but it has made me more conscious about how I shop, what I buy and generally pulling away from a consumer driven day.

Why is it bragging to put it on social media, but telling lots of people individually isn't?
Showing 4 or 5 people a new car when I visit them in person with it is very different to telling 50 plus people some of whom I know from DDs school or work or family I only see once in a blue moon. If I drove round all their houses to show them or sent them a letter or a text with a picture of my car in it they’d think I was weird. SM is the same principle. Owning and buying stuff is not an accomplishment. Running a marathon, passing an exam, losing weight, getting a new job etc. are accomplishments.

You summed it up just about perfectly BadLad. Now what was I grumbling about again?

I don’t post on FB so maybe it doesn’t count but to me that photo is about reminding myself of how exciting it was to walk and see those presents sat there waiting - whether it’s 2 or 10 presents - it’s still exciting.

Also for what it’s worth you can’t tell the value of those presents so what does it matter how big the pile is. My youngest 2 probably get too many presents but most of them are cheaply bought yet my oldest has a smaller pile which is a lot more expensive, that’s not necessarily bragging