To think this was a bit of an odd gift

[Bilingualistic]

Lighthearted, but DSIL gifted us a framed photo of each of her sons this year for christmas.

Just framed, individual school/nursery photos. We’ve put them up in the hallway but every time I walk past them I think it’s a bit odd to have them there, they are our nephews but I don’t have individual photos of any other kids, including my own 😂 But we are more of an artwork family and don’t really have photos up because I think they change so quickly, so maybe that’s why it feels so out of place.

Anyway, as I said lighthearted but

YABU - this is a normal thing to do in most families
YANBU - it’s a bit strange

It is an odd gift in that it isn’t a gift at all. Presumably they bought a package deal with the school and they’re just giving you the leftovers. Fine to just give them - I used to give my parents a copy of our children’s school photos - but not as a Christmas present. That’s just cheap.

YANBU to think it’s strange op but YABU to put them on the wall.

This sounds like a combination of a token gift (can’t think of anything, here’s a framed picture of my kid/s), and an assumption that everyone worships her children. Does she have form for idolising her kids? Many years ago we got an A4 sized framed photo of our nephew from my ex’s brother & gf, we decided that they felt compelled to give us a Christmas present but couldn’t think of anything so decided the photo was better than nothing. They are the types to give nasty toiletries sets at Christmas, a box of smelly stuff that you never use, that goes to the school fair for raffle prizes.

I hate this kind of gifting, I’d rather be given nothing than tatt that will just clutter up my house.

People think their own children are the best thing since sliced bread. She doesn’t get that other people don’t view or love her children in the same way she does. In her mind you’re going to love looking at these photos of her adorable little cherubs everytime you walk by them.

I thought you were suggesting OP cross them off as they were eliminated!

Possibly a joke present to see if you'd put them up 😃

Those school photos often get sold in multi-packs with mounting cards included. I remember having my cousins' pics up at home when I was young, and I think my parents sent our ones out as well. I give them to my parents/PiL and my DSis, they don't have them on the wall but all have a family photos shelf where they go - my graduation (2006) and wedding day (2011) photos are still on there so at least these ones are up to date!

So no, I don't think it's a very weird gift, just one that's not usual in your family.

I cringe when I remember the Christmas I gave every family member a photo of my son. The photo was rather lovely as was for his ‘agent’ as he acted. But… everyone together opening presents Christmas morning and the looks on people’s faces as one after the other said, less and less enthusiastically, ‘ooh a photo of son, how nice’
honestly so cringe

Oh god love you that’s absolutely painful 😅

I used to get photo books and what not from BIL of his children and it seemed very odd to me (they were sweet etc but I was a bit like what am I supposed to do with this) - I’m Irish and it wasn’t common there to give photos (or at least not in my family) and while my mum would put up photos of us sometimes there was no gifts of other people’s children in photograph form.
I don’t like photos of people in my house and only have a few of DD.
It is something to do with the fact people change so much I think.
I know lots of people who love family photos on the walls but it’s not for me.

The weird part is the gift aspect - why is it a gift exactly? If MIL requests (as she does every couple of years) a photo of DD to update her wall/hall photos I’ll oblige but it’s not really a present. Or maybe I’m hard-hearted!

I just don’t think it’s a gift at all!

My sister lives abroad, she has quite a few of my Dd’s photos around the house framed. And I has photos of her son (my nephew) up in the living room. We sent photos to each other through WhatsApp routinely, then print out photos we like and buy frames themselves. None of displayed photos are school photos - they are too formal and boring. And photos are never a Christmas present.

So even if putting up nephews/ nieces photos is very normal in our family I still think your SIL was unreasonable to gift you individual school photos as a Christmas present. I would strongly suspect money issues. I wouldn’t blamed her for this but I would be careful for it not to become a traditional Christmas present. There is no way of saying it to her nicely so fingers crossed for something different next Christmas.

My MIL bought us a cushion with our own faces on it and I can’t bear it so I totally get you 😂

My SIL used to do this. They would buy a pack from the school and gift them to all the family. I thought it was sweet but a bit ott. I never put them up though, I don’t like school photos.

I used to buy the pack of 3, one for us and one for each of the grandparents, they would put them up.
if I received one of a nice or nephew I’d maybe stick it in my office but I probably wouldn’t put it up in the main thoroughfare of the house. I love all my nieces and nephews but I have 16 of them across both mine and dh’s families, I have photos of them up in the house as they are in joint family photos but no individual school photos.

I received a similar gift from my aunty about 8 years ago... A large framed photo all the grandkids (the kids of my cousins), including the two step-grandkids. Both very nice kids I'm sure, but I'd only seen them perhaps 4 times during that time, as part of larger family gatherings.