I’ve been wanting to write a post for a while about ‘Christmas Stash’ photographs. As an avid social media fan I’m often found browsing Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. They are my go to social media. I don’t really get snapchat, maybe I’m too old. A few people have tried to teach me but I just don’t get it!
I’m in lots of different facebook groups. I have lots of varied interests so it really is a wide range of groups. Around this time of year my feed starts to fill up with other parents ‘Christmas stash’ photos. If you’ve never seen one, let me explain. It’s usually a photograph or photographs of a pile unwrapped of toys/gifts for a child (sometimes children). The photos are always accompanied by an explanation and often a question. The question is usually “Is this enough?” or “What else can I get?”.
This is what I just don’t understand. Why are people posting pictures of piles of presents and then asking if it’s enough or what else they can get?
Surely if its ‘enough’ is an individual decision. What some families might consider enough may be way over the top for others or visa versa.
Surely the amount or quantity of presents is an individual decision. I’m often left wondering if the photographs are just to show off? Is it that the person posting the photograph wants people to say that its way to much to make them feel better?
Is the poster feeling better about themselves by proving how much they can give their own child?
Do they do it to make other people feel inadequate?
I just don’t get it, to me it seems like showing off.
I honestly doesn’t bother me how much other parents by their own children.
What does bother me though is that these kind of photographs maybe making the parents feel upset, sad or inadequate.
If it’s your families tradition to buy 100 presents at Christmas then so be it. If you just get one per child then thats cool too. It’s ok to be proud of working hard and being able to afford to buy gifts.
It’s sad that in todays society there are so many people struggling with money, and many can’t afford to buy gifts for children at Christmas. Many can’t even afford food year round not to mention at Christmas.
I don’t even know what the purpose of this post is. Maybe if it makes one person think before posting a picture with the words “What else can I get?” or “Is this enough?”.
Enough is what you personally think is enough.
Enough is what you can afford to give at Christmas.
No two families are the same.
Children remember the love they feel and have felt in years to come not the gifts they receive.