Thoughts on pictures of your kids as gifts?

[Searcher]

Okay look...the ultrasound discussion was my fault.  I thought it was a neat idea so I quoted Twiggy to tell her so.  She's been made aware now that ultrasound photos are offensive to some posters here, so she can rethink her way of announcing the birth if she chooses.  Most likely, it's already wrapped and her parents will be delighted. 

So if I apologize for saying that an ultrasound photo is a neat gift, can we move on?  I feel pretty terrible that posters are criticizing her gift when she clearly had no intention of starting a discussion about it. 

I don't think you need to apologize for saying that an ultrasound photo is a neat gift....just as long as you can accept that there arer others who do not.  I myself think photos of family members make a wonderful gift-once those family members are actually born.

[bellbird]

DD is 2, and this is her 3rd christmas so this year is the last year that I will be giving photos of her as presents for all the family.  I also figure she wont be changing that much over the next few years, so they dont need an update per se.  I am also going to let them know that I won't be giving more photos unless they ask, as I understand that they may already have enough. 

My parents house seems to be a bit of a dedication to my family at the moment with our wedding and DD photos, but neither my brother or sister have had kids/got married yet, I am assuming that some of our photos will eventually need to be culled to make way for the significant events of my siblings.  So this year I just got a couple of small 5x7's in a frame which can be placed anywhere.  I think I do need to have a chat with them to let them know that I won't be offended if they take down some of our photos.  Also because my sister is the photographer, then it is kind of two birds and one stone as they get pictures of DD and my sisters work.

My inlaws live far away, so they love getting photos, and I have done the larger 8x10 stuff and groups of 3 photos in a frame, but I am pretty sure that they will also be getting a bit overrun by DD photos as well, so I also got a couple of smaller pictures.

For my brother I am giving a couple of small family photos as he is living OS and his girlfriend requested it.

For my sister, well she is a professional photographer and still lives at home with my folks so photos are not an appropriate gift for her.

For my BIL he lives in an another state so he would probably like a photo of her, but I have only included one this year.

For my SIL she lives close, and I have just included a small one.

Ironically since we moved 11 months ago I havent put any of our photos up!

[BarensMom]

DH and I just received our Christmas present from my great-niece & nephew - their school photos in a nice folding leather frame.  What we like best is that the photos were taken right after we dyed my g-niece's hair black and had yellow streaks put in the g-nephews' back in August.

For a family with budget issues, photos of the kids or family are always a good option.

[amylouky]

Update: We framed one of the largest prints, and gave the rest to MIL loose. She loved it, and kept asking how we managed to all get together to do it. She also cut out pictures from the loose ones to give to all of her siblings that came over that day.
So, I guess it wasn't a bad idea, after all!

Thanks for your responses!

[LadyJaneinMD]

Speaking as an aunt, my absolute favorite gift is pictures, framed or unframed, of my nieces.  I'm also thrilled with artwork from them.  I don't think it's vain of the the giver.  It's really something I want.

I'm another Aunt who just loves pictures of my nieces.  My sister and BIL have been very thoughtful for the last 12 years, giving me lots of framed pictures of the girls.  This year, I even got a framed picture of their cats!!       Anything the girls draw or write is also fine by me. 

Pictures are wonderful presents, especially since children grow and change so fast, you can do it every year and it won't get boring!

[Sterling]

I hope this isn't rude.  I just gave my Grandma a framed pic of me from my Grad school graduation.  I also gave her framed pics of my Grandpa in his uniform during WW2 and my dad's college grad picture.  She lost all her family photos last year in a flood and I happened to have copies of some.  For her bday I have an entire family album made up.  A 92 year old is kind of hard to shop for 

[Minmom3]

Yeah, but old pictures from her past are a GREAT gift, imo.  Great.  At least, if she's mourned loosing her pictures, and wishes she still had them, I personally think it's a wonderful gift. 

My own mom appears to not care about pictures, and has given me back all the old pictures I gave her over the years of my kids when they were smaller.  Pictures older than that are stored in an old box, unframed, un-albumed, unappreciated. She just doesn't care about pictures that much.