When to Stop Sending Photos as a Christman Card

[smitcompton]

Hi,

We all receive, either now or in the past, Christmas Cards with a picture of a family or just a picture of the children, usually posed for Christmas.. If i don't see the kids often, I enjoy seeing how they have grown, or perhaps, there is a new addition to the family. All Good, so far. But, how long do you keep sending photos of your kids as Christmas cards. I always assumed that it mainly meant showing how younger children changed as the years go by.

Now each year I get Christmas cards with a 22 , 21, 18 yr old in a card. Every Year! The 22 yr old is a teacher already, the 21 yr old has graduated college. I see them often enough.

Isn't this a wee bit self-centered. These are taken at a professional studio. I prefer Rudolf. I haven't received the new photo Christmas card yet, but I'm waiting.



Annette

 

[OreoRosies86]

Personally if I like and care about the family, I like seeing their smiling faces and seeing that they are doing well. Having holiday pictures is a nice thing that the kids will be glad to look back at someday. Plus it is more personal and thoughtful than a generic holiday card.

 

[Calliecake]

I love getting the photo Christmas cards from friends and family. Like Elliott I also loved seeing how much the kids had grown from year to year, especially from friends who had moved out of state. My sister and brother in law always sent the cutest photo cards. Often after the holiday I would put the picture in a frame. In fact I still have a couple of them around the house and the kids are now in their twenties. I think she quit sending the picture cards once the oldest was about sixteen. I don't recall ever seeing them with kids as old as their twenties Annette.

 

[PintoBean]

I don't get out much anymore, especially now that I work from home. I LOVE getting family photo cards during the holidays. It makes me feel like I'm still in touch with everyone and a part of their lives.

And as time goes by and your kids grow up, getting together for a group shot is a rare treat, so I'd say, never stop sending photos as cards.

 

[baby monster]

I love photo cards, especially of the whole family instead of just the kids. Doesn't matter how old everyone is.

 

[momhappy]

I don't think that there is an age limit for Holiday photo cards. What difference does it make if someone is 12 or 21??? Obviously, people make and send the same Holiday card for lots of family & friends and just because you might see some of the family members on a regular basis, doesn't mean that everyone gets to see them like you do (so others might actually enjoy seeing them on a Holiday photo card). Sending you a Holiday card is not about you - it's about the family and what type of card they enjoy sending, so just take the card for what it's worth and enjoy the season

 

[Mayk]

Eeeek I hope people don't think our cards are past their time... The oldest step son is a senior in college, the middle step daughter is 18 and a freshman in college and my daughter is 16. We rotate each year. One year it's just the kids and the next year it's the five of us... Interesting question...

 

[Calliecake]

Eeeek I hope people don't think our cards are past their time... The oldest step son is a senior in college, the middle step daughter is 18 and a freshman in college and my daughter is 16. We rotate each year. One year it's just the kids and the next year it's the five of us... Interesting question...

Mayk, Not at all! I think my sister gave up because her kids were fighting it too much. I think most people love to receive, the photo Holiday cards.

 

[missy]

Add me to the chorus of loving Christmas/holiday cards with personalized pictures. I love receiving cards with photos of the whole family. No matter their ages. I love seeing how my friends children are growing and changing and love it when the entire family participates in the photo. Keep them coming.

 

[VRBeauty]

I love getting photo cards, and even holiday newsletters, from people I care about.

 

[LLJsmom]

Ok, this comment is from the freak in me.

What do you all do when the season is over? Do you toss the cards? I don't like the idea of anyone throwing a picture of my family into recycle. So I kinda don't do it for that reason. And I feel a little self-centered doing it for my family. However, in all honesty, I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing other people's cards and little yearly summaries. It makes me feel like I am still in touch with them and sharing in their lives. I get the warm and fuzzies. I can't reconcile the opposing feelings. And just today, I received a fabulous card, that I have at my desk next to me. I love it and keep picking it up to look at it.

 

[marymm]

I also love receiving holiday photos/newsletters!

I keep most of the Christmas holiday photo cards I receive (I get them annually from only apx 4-5 families, plus the occasional random photo card from someone) ; I put them in a shoebox that I fit in with my Xmas decorations - so year to year I can pull out the old Xmas photo cards and see the changes. I also save some of the regular holiday greeting cards, the ones with images I find particularly Christmassy. The newsletters I'll hold onto for a while and then toss, unless I deem it a "keeper" due to content. I love the spirit and the sentimentality of the holiday season, and the photo cards are part of that.

 

[figaro]

Lol my husband and I were just discussing this the other day....we currently have each year's worth of cards in its own ziploc bag...we may have to take an IRS tax records approach and start discarding after 7 years or whatever it is....

 

[Autumnovember]

Call me the grinch but I don't like them. I do get a few a year and I do think it's a nice gesture, just not my thing. And then there's the fact that I feel bad about throwing out pictures of my friends toddlers into a trash can!

 

[aljdewey]

Maybe a tiny note in your card to them would help resolve this....

'Hey, it's great that you still think of me and remember me with a holiday card, but I'm less interested in seeing them on a card now that they don't change as much year to year and are all of voting age. I see them enough already.'

 

[Gypsy]

Maybe a tiny note in your card to them would help resolve this....

'Hey, it's great that you still think of me and remember me with a holiday card, but I'm less interested in seeing them on a card now that they don't change as much year to year and are all of voting age. I see them enough already.'

OMG. Is the sign off "ho, ho, ho...."

Seriously as long they aren't wearing silly sweaters or antlers or things better left to 6 year olds to wear, I like seeing the yearly cards.

 

[Laila619]

I probably won't do them anymore once the kids are all in high school.

 

[missy]

Ok, this comment is from the freak in me.

What do you all do when the season is over? Do you toss the cards? I don't like the idea of anyone throwing a picture of my family into recycle. So I kinda don't do it for that reason. And I feel a little self-centered doing it for my family. However, in all honesty, I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing other people's cards and little yearly summaries. It makes me feel like I am still in touch with them and sharing in their lives. I get the warm and fuzzies. I can't reconcile the opposing feelings. And just today, I received a fabulous card, that I have at my desk next to me. I love it and keep picking it up to look at it.

I have a bit of this freak in me as well. I love looking at the pictures and reading the cards even well past the holiday and I also cannot throw the pictures in the garbage. So I have many of them saved for years. Especially all my families holiday cards of the nieces and nephew. I never threw any of those out. I know, I have a problem LOL. My dh is the opposite. He has no problem throwing any of these things out and that is the only reason we are not hoarding these cards. No thanks to me whatsoever. However the family cards I do not allow him to throw out. Those are going to be saved for decades. I mean they are photos and photos are memories.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

It's the cards of pictures/long newsletters of people I don't know that "get" to me...otherwise pictures of people I do know, no worries!

cheers--Sharon

 

[luv2sparkle]

I am not a fan either. It is kind of like Facebook where people can make their lives look like whatever they want. Here is a picture of Johnny with his football trophy, doesn't he look so happy. Johnny just got a DUI, he may not graduate from high school and the last two girls he dated are pregnant with his children. But hey, he got a trophy for the CIF championship. Woohoo.

 

[momhappy]

Maybe a tiny note in your card to them would help resolve this....

'Hey, it's great that you still think of me and remember me with a holiday card, but I'm less interested in seeing them on a card now that they don't change as much year to year and are all of voting age. I see them enough already.'

A note to friends or family about how you don't appreciate their Holiday card???? Talk about ba-hum-bug….
The irony of this thread is that while OP is addressing the self-centeredness of sending Holiday photo cards, I must say that it sounds a wee bit self-centered to presume that anyone should have the ability to choose what type of Holiday card someone sends you (in other words, complaining about how you'd rather have a Rudolph card instead of a photo card). Sending Holiday cards is not about the receiver, it's about the sender and what they enjoy sending. If you don't like to receive the Holiday photo card, simply toss it in the recycling bin and move on with life.

 

[Autumnovember]

Maybe a tiny note in your card to them would help resolve this....

'Hey, it's great that you still think of me and remember me with a holiday card, but I'm less interested in seeing them on a card now that they don't change as much year to year and are all of voting age. I see them enough already.'

A note to friends or family about how you don't appreciate their Holiday card???? Talk about ba-hum-bug….
The irony of this thread is that while OP is addressing the self-centeredness of sending Holiday photo cards, I must say that it sounds a wee bit self-centered to presume that anyone should have the ability to choose what type of Holiday card someone sends you (in other words, complaining about how you'd rather have a Rudolph card instead of a photo card). Sending Holiday cards is not about the receiver, it's about the sender and what they enjoy sending. If you don't like to receive the Holiday photo card, simply toss it in the recycling bin and move on with life.

That's exactly how it happens....

 

[smitcompton]

Hi All,

Thanks for responding. I do enjoy the cards when the kids are younger, but I see i am in the minority for when the kids are older.
Mom happy, this was just a topic thrown out there that I was thinking about as I made out my card to this person. Thanks for the lecture .


Annette

 

[momhappy]

^No lecture intended and I certainly didn't mean to offend you with my posts I just thought it was sort of ironic, that's all. I can appreciate that you have a preference for a Holiday card (and it's interesting to read how everyone feels about it too), but I guess that I felt that people send Holiday cards to folks that they care about, so I feel like people send me what they like/want to send (not what I might like/prefer to receive).

 

[AprilBaby]

I love photo cards no matter the age!

 

[lyra]

If it really bothers you, stop reciprocating. That should end the cards altogether.

 

[Maria D]

Call me the grinch but I don't like them. I do get a few a year and I do think it's a nice gesture, just not my thing. And then there's the fact that I feel bad about throwing out pictures of my friends toddlers into a trash can!

I never felt bad about throwing out pictures of other people's children. And it's exactly why I've never sent a holiday card with a picture of my child - because I figure the recipient is just going to throw it out anyway.

I never got much into holiday cards. Or rather, I couldn't find a way to deal with my distaste for cards without a personal message and my own personal laziness. It would take me forever to get them sent out (and this is why I always went with Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas - they were always late) because I didn't take the time to sit down and write a personal note, but wouldn't send one out with just a signature. In the meantime, I'd complain that the ones I got were so impersonal, just a signature (if that!) and maybe a pic of the kids. If they were kids I saw all the time, I already knew how different they looked since last year and if they were kids I rarely saw ... mmm, who cares? And if there's no pic, and no message, then what was the point? My father-in-law used to say, "just to let them know you're still alive." Makes me laugh out loud every time I think of him saying this, so true!

Eventually I stopped sending out my ridiculously late, but with a little message, holiday card. And now I get very very few. Serves me right.

 

[tyty333]

I love getting photo cards no matter what. I dont mind throwing them out either.

 

[aljdewey]

MomHappy, my suggestion was meant to be totally tongue-in-cheek because I agree with you - I personally feel it's a bit ungrateful to crab about what would otherwise be considered a nice gesture. Too bad the person sending them doesn't know they are unappreciated - they could stop wasting the postage and effort.

I'll admit I'm puzzled at the 'thanks for the lecture' comment you received, though.....when someone opens a thread, I'd think most of the group presumes the topic is open for discussion...which may invite agreement or disagreement. If that's not the point, why start a thread at all? Or better yet, perhaps be clear in the title of the thread that only like-minded responses are welcome?

 

[CRYSTAL24K]

I love photo cards! Our friends and family live all over the place so it is nice to receive family photos as a tangible keepsake to admire and remember them by. I keep the photos and look through my Christmas card box throughout the year.

I hope to still receive Christmas card photos of my friends as they age even when the children are older and have left the home.

I intend to continue sending out Christmas card photos even if it is just me and hubby.