The unwritten rules are far and few between.
Thank you notes were a big one - after pulling together postcards as a thank you for a wedding, the first time I sat down to write them was after the baby shower. And I pounded them out the night after the shower.
Of course, I probably should have written them for all the generous gifts we were given once the baby arrived. And I had every intent to do so - I bulk purchased thank you cards when they were on sale before the shower - but the first few weeks were a bit of a blur, and gifts were washed and put away at random, and no one in the house was in any real frame of mind to make a note of who gave what and when. I just hope everyone realises how appreciative we were (are?!).
Another interesting one came to light last night when some of the baby's, ehm, older relatives came to visit. I was sitting with them as the baby was being held and coddled, as she is want to be.
"You've grown so much since last time I saw you", she was told. "Tell your mummy she needs to send me some photos. Yes! Tell your mummy she's been slack and needs to send me some photos!".
I started to explain that I really only take photos on my phone (mental note: take more 'everyday' pictures with the proper camera) and I have stacks, but I don't print them out.
*silence*
"Tell your mummy to stop being slack to send me some proper photos! Yes!".
Point taken.
I printed out 25 of the photos I had on my computer that I had emailed myself from my phone. Of couse, they're grainy, they're zoomed in, and they're pretty MySpacey. But they're photos. Printed photos.
And if someone had told me I was meant to be printing and mailing photos, then I think it's something I would have actually done. Particularly in this case.
In this day of internet, facebook and technology, I wouldn't have thought there would be an expectation on you to send printed photos to people! Most people (even my 85year old grandmother!) have email and could access photos via that medium. Ultimately you should do whatever you want to do and whatever is easiest for you! :)
ReplyDeleteI can't even get my sis-not-quite-in-law to email pics while I am over the other side of the world... (Mum has to forward them, and even then I've not had new ones for a month...)
ReplyDeleteSo tell the older relatives, politely, to shove it, and don't care what they think of you- it's that gorgeous bub and yourself you need to worry about xx
KO
Trixy - I think the issue is that they live a few hours away, and don't have internet. They used to access the pictures through the internet at someone elses house, but I don't think that arrangement is in place anymore. I'll be doing it from now on though, I think!
ReplyDeleteKO - It's a shame they don't email them to you!!! They were very pleased with the photos, I guess more than I realised because I find the poor quality quite distracting... I feel terrible because it's not their fault that there's an expectation, and I don't believe it was meant to be mean in any way, but I'm oversensitive with this sort of stuff and already felt a little like I was a little excess to requirement now that the baby has arrived ;o) Maybe an email to ask if they are ever sending any around to include you on the mailing list? International hugs to you!!!