Thoughts on annual family newsletters

[monkeyboy]

First Christmas card arrived today. (how they found me I dont know)

It contained a one page document on them and their lives etc.


What are your thoughts on this? information and updates or bragging?

 

[kidzmom3]

bragging and obnoxious! I really hate them.

 

[Agri]

I always figure that if you have to give someone a whole page telling them about your year, you aren't that close to them and should not be sending them a card in the first place.

Most people share their lives with those they care about throughout the year, not in an annual summary.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I like them. Some are written better than others--even if content is similar. There is an art (I believe) to writing them so you don't sound like bragging.

I'm afraid to do them anymore for fear it will come across as bragging since it seems there are folks who hate them.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

We don't do them in my family but I guess it would depend on who was sending them out. For most people I think it would be a waste of time to read them but there are a few people in my family that are messed up enough I think a yearly newsletter would be highly entertaining.

 

[amyy]

Love them!! Especially like the ones that are really creatively written. Granted if it is someone I am friends with on Facebook I probably know their story for the whole year Sad but life gets so busy that there are people I care about but don't touch base with often enough. Love learning about kids, new puppy, vacation etc I can't wait until we have enough going on in our lives to do a creative family newsletter.

 

[Buckalew11]

I love them. Even if they are bragging, I think it is funny to read them. I just read them aloud in my "snobby" voice. lol

My aunt used to send one all about our grown cousins. It was obnoxious. But then, we'd get letters from 2 of the cousins who told the *real* story of how it really was. Made it even more funny!

 

[penn19]

I always figure that if you have to give someone a whole page telling them about your year, you aren't that close to them and should not be sending them a card in the first place.

Most people share their lives with those they care about throughout the year, not in an annual summary.

This exactly. To me it is brag, brag, brag and then you don't hear from them to the next year at Christmas. Obnoxious.

 

[Buckalew11]

Oh and I receive 2 that I thoroughly enjoy because one is from a family who does interesting things but they are not bragging and it does not sound as if they are.
The other one is creatively written and so much fun to read. The man could write a book--very entertaining!

 

[dimimi]

I love them. Some people are very creative and write beautifully. Of course there are a few...like telling us their child's first grade teacher 's name that I don't get!

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

I love them. None that I receive come across as bragging.

 

[handinpocket]

Who doesn't like to hear about grandma's hemorrhoids and Sally and Jim's struggles with infertility. Good times!!!

 

[jaminmd]

First Christmas card arrived today. (how they found me I dont know)

It contained a one page document on them and their lives etc.


What are your thoughts on this? information and updates or bragging?

Don't like them. Used to have a friend who would send these & it was all doom & gloom. One year she proceeded to give the details on how she assisted in the autopsy of her cat! Then she's go on about the health of her dad (who I did not know), including a list of his medications.

The neighbors down the street send them, too, and it's brag, brag, brag. You'd think they're the Brady Bunch. Funny how they left out the parts where the mom is sleeping with the guy down the street (not her husband), their psycho son & the fact that they're broke.

I'd prefer not to read all of that.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I always send them out.

People say they enjoy reading them. One person wrote back and said "I always look forward to reading your letter" etc.

Last year was really special I got to "Brag" about how I had cancer, 7 operations, ended up with 15 minutes to live and being in a coma for 2 days, radiation etc. I guess the reader could decide if I was "bragging" or not.

I am in the midst of collection my thoughts for this year. It will include high school and college graduations, another small crisis and averted surgery, updates on the 3 ds, my health, etc. oh yes and I am gong to brag about the 2 disney trips dh and I will have taken. I am calling our vacation next week the celebrating life etc. vacation.

 

[Fintastic]

I love them. Most of them come from longtime friends of DH's family, so they're not people I talk to regularly, but they are people that it's nice knowing what's going on with them.

 

[powellrj]

I love them! I love to hear what everyone is doing and how they are. I wish more people would send them out!

 

[minkydog]

I like most of them. Our family is scattered about the U.S., so we rarely get everyone together to keep up. Only some of us are on Facebook. I like to get the one page letter that tells me how old the kids are now and what they're up to. Fortunately, none of them send those awful doom & gloom letters or the "can you top this?" letters.

I write a Christmas letter every year at the request of my extended family. It's upbeat and humorous. I tell one anecdote about each kid (like, Christian won a blue ribbon at the Special Olympics, DD17 is active in her school's theater dept, and DS24 moved into this first apartment) and a little update on DH & I if something is new. I DONT write paragraphs bragging about all our various accomplishments. I figure if anyone really wants to know they'll call me and ask.

 

[kirstenb1]

DH's Aunt Dianne is the only one who sends them. She's very down to earth, and we enjoy them. I can see how the ones that are full of bullcrap would be irritating.

 

[Buckalew11]

Oh and then there's the one that is accompanied by the CD of the dad and 3 kids singing and playing instruments and they really can't do either, lol.

 

[MichelleVW]

Love them!!