To think this is unnecessary and a bit braggy?

[ThingInTheAttic]

Mum in my son's year whom I'm Facebook friends with has posted a gushing congratulations message to her DS on his GCSE results, details of said results and how proud she is of him etc etc.
The DS lives in the same house. She can literally just speak to him and tell him how proud she is, as I've done with mine. I can't therefore see any reason for posting to him on Facebook, other than it's a stealth brag.
I get that some people have hoards of RL friends/relatives all over the world etc and FB is a then a good way to let them all know family news, but she isn't in that situation.
She does tend to do this for every single thing the DS does well, and
I fully accept I may just be old and out of touch with how people use FB as I'm not one to splash every bit of my life all over it. I just don't get why she address congratulations to the DS? Just tell him to his face

She’s proud of her son. Parenting is hard so why can’t she be openly proud? I’d far rather see my friend’s happy posts than political nonsense or insincere stuff.

Thank you @ThingInTheAttic and @Lovetoridemybicycle for your kind words, they are truly appreciated

It’s not for me either OP, but I don’t see the harm in saying you’re proud or whatever on there. It’s the same with wishing people in your house happy birthday on there, it makes little sense really but it’s what people like to do.
The posting about the details of the results is weird is a bit much though, I agree. It’s a bit like when people post birth announcements - nice - but then detail the exact time, weight, measurements etc. that’s over sharing in my opinion.

Some people document their entire lives on Facebook.

I think that’s fine if that’s what people want to do - it’s kind of what it’s for I guess - what I think is bizarre is when people document their children’s lives. And I don’t mean ‘proud of’ posts, just general ‘Bobby enjoyed the park today’ followed by 58 pictures of the child on various play equipment or ‘Bobby loves watching Peppa Pig’ followed by pictures of Bobby sat in front of the TV.
I have friends on FB who have in the last 5 years become parents - no idea what they look like now or what they are really doing with their lives. But I weirdly get to know a hell of a lot about their child’s interests along with playing, eating and toilet habits. It’s just bizarre. And I then unfollow them, because I originally made friends with Lisa, an adult, from accounting in my old job 10 years ago, not 3 year old Bobby.
I think in 50 years time this will be looked back on as crazy parenting of the olden days - a bit like just haphazardly popping a Moses basket on the back seat rather than using a car seat. It’s being completely irresponsible with your child’s privacy, documenting their lives for some randomer you met on a night out and befriended on FB 12 years ago and never spoke to again to see.

I know what you mean - I didn't post about A levels because it's a bit shit fir anyone who's DC didn't do well but I don't judge the few mates who did post this sort of thing - they are just proud of their kids! And I do post congrats about other personal achievements - partly so I don't have to contact all the family one by one - cba!

That was fine until I just found out she's in the local papers blog as the school sent their high achievers to be interviewed by the reporter who was at the school.

The press release from my DS's school (he is about to start Y10, so not directly impacted) made it explicit that although as a whole they achieved excellent results as a school, and staff are very proud of the students, they were absolutely not going to share any details about top performers, individual results etc. because they recognised that everyone's journey is different and success looks very different for different students - especially after the disruption of recent years. I quite liked that.

I dislike that it appears to be wrong nowadays to be proud of achieving anything in case someone else hasn't got the same, as it is 'insensitive'. It isn't possible for everyone to achieve the same things equally at the same time in every way and I'm not sure why people think X posting on Facebook that her DC passed all their GCSEs is something to be taken personally or is in any way a reflection on their own situation. If people haven't got the resilience to read the post and be pleased for their 'friend', and that may be the case for any number of understandable reasons, then they possibly need to stay away from Facebook themselves.

None of my friends has posted results on FB, and neither have I, but I wish they would as I’m desperate to know and congratulate people but everyone is being too polite to ask (in case of bad results) and too polite to say (because they have good ones).

You don’t sound happy for him at all. You sound jealous.

I hate FB too but starting a thread about a rightfully proud mum is so mean-spirited.

She raised him and is proud, good for her.

Oh come on. He's done well in his exams, his mum's bursting with pride, let her tell people. It isn't about you.

So a woman wants to publicly congratulate her son for his successes and share her pride in his achievements and you want to tear her down for that? Well don’t you sound lovely?

What is the point of FB ifs it’s not to tell all and sundry your news or to have a moan? All I get in my newsfeed are posts congratulating family members, school pics, peoples food, complaints about dog crap/cat crap, never ending holiday pics, videos of some kid murdering a song, cats missing, people parking in a street when they don’t live there, a competition to see who has the biggest pile of Christmas presents, birthday wishes….

Some I give a like - even a comment, on occasion. Most I scroll past and look at the groups I’m on, that interest me.

FB will be full of congratulations on GCSE results today. It’ll be back to the usual inane posts tomorrow.

I can’t get het up because parents write a post to let people know their offspring is a genius tbh. Each to their own

It's just a form of rhetoric. Some people would think that's less braggy as it puts the focus on him. Is that really the nuance you're complaining about?

It makes more sense than starting a mean spirited thread on here about it.

I don't see the problem with results day and being proud, but what annoys me is people that post every single minute of their day on Facebook with a million pictures, I have unfollowed someone for that in fact I wondered how on earth she found time to do all these things lol

But it's not the parents news to tell, smacks of living vicariously. My cousin just finished their degree, thankfully neither of his parents are embarrassing enough to post it as THEIR news.

It always makes me think, what if social media had been around when I did my a-levels, I completely screwed up and got shit grades, what would MY mum have posted? All my friends did brilliantly and got into their first choice unis, it was awful for me. Facebook would have made it so much worse.

But it's not the parents news to tell, smacks of living vicariously.

Oh my God. Parents were sharing their kids' exam success with other people long before social media. They share the first time they roll over and stand!

I understand what you are saying, but by the same token, should someone not post pictures of their newborn, because others have lost their babies? Should they never post a photo of their mum, because others have lost theirs? No anniversary photos because others are divorced or widowed? No holiday photos because some can't afford? Likewise new home? There will always be the possibility that someone may be upset by a post.

I myself had a miscarriage and when a friend had her baby at the same time mine should have been born and posted photos, of course I was sad, but on the other hand, I was so happy for her...

I'm a big believer that happiness doesn't have to be your own to be worthy of making you smile...

This.

Yes, all those years of school runs, packed lunches, and helping with homework was nothing at all.

That's not their fault. Why should those who do well hide their achievements over the feelings of those who didn't?? The worlds gone mad.

Totally agree, I have one “friend” on Facebook who only seems to go on to brag about her incredibly lucky and gifted children - which is wonderful for them but I just don’t get why she advertises it so publicly

Attention.

The same reason people wish happy birthday to their toddlers or deceased parents.
I have a facebook friend who posts details about her teenage sons medical conditions, and tags her husband and parents as if she is just sharing this info with them. I don't get why people feel the need for so much attention but each to their own I guess.

How exactly is an MN thread, posted by an anonymous person about another anonymous person tearing anyone down?

But that’s the point of Facebook isn’t it?