Grumpy old man syndrome, or do I have a point?

Soldato
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Just give them a photo of yourself as a Christmas gift, they'll soon realise the disappointment it causes :p

This is clearly the solution

In fact, not just you, everyone in the family should do this, buy each other nice presents, and then just give said nieces photos of yourselves.

For bonus points make it a group photo of all of you, and each give them a copy of it so they end up with a load of identical ones.

(wrap them in different size boxes so they don't click on after the first one or 2)

Make sure you have plenty of popcorn on hand for the drama which ensues
 
Soldato
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La France
This is clearly the solution

In fact, not just you, everyone in the family should do this, buy each other nice presents, and then just give said nieces photos of yourselves.

For bonus points make it a group photo of all of you, and each give them a copy of it so they end up with a load of identical ones.

(wrap them in different size boxes so they don't click on after the first one or 2)

Make sure you have plenty of popcorn on hand for the drama which ensues

Double genius! Positively Machiavellian!
 

RxR

RxR

Soldato
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Double genius! Positively Machiavellian!


Indeed. I had a step-parent once give me a birthday gift like that - 5 layers, made a big hooha about it, with nothing inside.

e: It provided a very valuable life lesson, of course, for the giver. What goes around comes around.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
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Have you, and @johnny6, asked your respective mothers what they feel about this practice? Many people like having photos of family and loved ones.

Already mentioned this earlier in the thread.

My mother lives in a really small one bed bungalow, she's fiercely independent but as she's getting older she's struggling to do a lot of things, so a small property was the only real solution. She's literally running out of wall space due to the photographs, and when I have brought it up she agrees with me, but is afraid to mention it to the girls due to how they're likely to react. It's to the point where she'll have to take down photographs of other family members just to make space. I wasn't being hyperbolic earlier when I said that if she doesn't immediately put their 'gifts' on the wall or somewhere that can be seen easily that they pitch a fit. The tears turn on and there's claims of her not caring (she was an incredibly active grandparent, they stayed with her at least two weekends a month ontop of regular through the week babysitting, she even took all three away on holiday for at least 2 weeks a year so their parents could have a break) about them, that or a tantrum demanding to know where their wonderful gifts have went.

My mother doesn't say anything because she isn't up to dealing with the drama, and their parents certainly wont bring it up.

I just find it very aggravating.
 
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Nieces in their early 20s throw a hissy fit when their latest photo isn't on the wall? Granted it's a real wall and not a Facebook wall, but I still think that they need to be put onto a course for digital wellbeing. Social media addiction is actually worse than World of Warcraft addiction was back in 2006 imo.
 
Associate
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Have you, and @johnny6, asked your respective mothers what they feel about this practice? Many people like having photos of family and loved ones.

As stated my mother would never say anything and potentially upset him. She’s quite happy to keep the peace and say nothing. However my wife and her talk a lot. Go out quite regularly and have a really good relationship and it has been mentioned that she (my mum) finds it a bit weird. All in a don’t say anything and upset your brother kind of way though.

So what you gonna do, upset my mum and say something or ‘ignore’ it (and post about it to people on the internet).....
 
Soldato
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Give them the same back, sounds like they deserve it

So much this.

I had an ex-brother-in-law give me a Christmas present of a complimentary box of miniature aftershaves he got as a freebie at his workplace.

This after my ex insisting we get all of her family relatively expensive pressies (at my expense, natch).

Cue me giving him a complementary Wilkinson's Sword razor next Xmas. :p

I would so give these people gifts in kind.
 
Caporegime
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Love the idea of getting them pics in return !

Not a big fan of Christmas presents anyway. Personally I'd rather skip it completely and just see family. It causes so much hassle
 
Associate
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Already mentioned this earlier in the thread.

My mother lives in a really small one bed bungalow, she's fiercely independent but as she's getting older she's struggling to do a lot of things, so a small property was the only real solution. She's literally running out of wall space due to the photographs, and when I have brought it up she agrees with me, but is afraid to mention it to the girls due to how they're likely to react. It's to the point where she'll have to take down photographs of other family members just to make space. I wasn't being hyperbolic earlier when I said that if she doesn't immediately put their 'gifts' on the wall or somewhere that can be seen easily that they pitch a fit. The tears turn on and there's claims of her not caring (she was an incredibly active grandparent, they stayed with her at least two weekends a month ontop of regular through the week babysitting, she even took all three away on holiday for at least 2 weeks a year so their parents could have a break) about them, that or a tantrum demanding to know where their wonderful gifts have went.

My mother doesn't say anything because she isn't up to dealing with the drama, and their parents certainly wont bring it up.

I just find it very aggravating.

Can she not replace one of the older ones with the newer ones? Or does that no go down well either? I think i'd limit it to 7 photos max of them, maybe in a singular frame, one of each of them solo, one with each of them with your mum, one of the three of them.
 
Soldato
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Can she not replace one of the older ones with the newer ones? Or does that no go down well either? I think i'd limit it to 7 photos max of them, maybe in a singular frame, one of each of them solo, one with each of them with your mum, one of the three of them.

Not without complaints.

At the rate they're going they might as well get some custom wallpaper featuring the three of them made and redecorate her home.
 
Associate
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Not without complaints.

At the rate they're going they might as well get some custom wallpaper featuring the three of them made and redecorate her home.
I'd go with a digital photo frame then.

Edit: The way you described the photos it sounded she already has a massive wall sized collage
 
Soldato
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Photos are cheap, i notice at events and such people aren't 'there' they're videoing or taking pics for later. When i was a youngster (37 now), my mum etc.. took photos with purpose behind them because film only had so many shots. Nowadays you take 20000 photos a month and not look at a single one ever again. I know more or less every single pic taken of me in the 80s and 90s. I love my daughter to bits but my wifes taken 1 million photos of her in the past year and i'll probably never view them.
 

RxR

RxR

Soldato
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It is emotional abuse of an elderly person. By the irrational exuberance of youth. You could ask them the question:

would you like someone coming into your house or bedroom and insisting you plaster your walls with their photos whether you like it or not? And if you didn't agree but they try to manipulate you emotionally until you give in, does that make it ok? Would it be abusive? Would you like that person, even if they were a friend or family member?

Then why are you doing it to grandma?
 
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