Sister in law told my elderly mother this is the last Christmas she’ll see their family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

Why is it disdainful? Holidays are traditionally with families.

That's considered gauche on DCUM.

lol, so true. Must be the loneliest set of misanthropes and strivers spamming this forum around Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

I'm a private school parent too, and I know there are people like this there. I'm not one of them and don't pretend or try to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From your dramatic title I thought your family had some big blowout fight, and they were cutting ties forever. But they just want to start going on vacation at Christmas? Good lord, OP. They are not beholden to your 20 year tradition. They want to start a new tradition with their family. It's not that serious.

Same here. This is not a big deal OP and if anything its nice that they gave her a heads up about their plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

+1. Abandoning your family and traditions so you can have social media travel content makes you an insecure freakin' loser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

+1. Abandoning your family and traditions so you can have social media travel content makes you an insecure freakin' loser.

True. Though that's not necessarily what sil is doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up staying at resorts on Christmas. I mentioned it to dh the other day how lovely it would be once the kids don’t believe anymore and he flipped out. I don’t think he even cares about seeing family he just knows it would upset his mom. I’m not sure why family on Christmas is such a big deal. I can remember sleigh rides in Colorado and beautifully decorated cities in Europe.

Similarly I’d like to take the kids on mini weekend trips for their birthdays instead of parties. But we’re not allowed because I have to host a big party and dinner for in-laws.

I think people get really weird about tradition and they use it like a bludgeon to make people submit to their will.

What holiday has meaning for you, and what is that meaning? To people who celebrate Christmas, being together with family is part of the point.

Worth noting many on this forum, this week especially, are loners, cranks estranged from their family, look down on extended family because they fled flyover country for DC, and often anti-religion and/or obsessively anti-Christian secularists. Rootless careerists who devalue extended family, faith, and traditions.

This is the second time you posted this, almost verbatim. It's not any more helpful or pertinent the second time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

+1 multiple families with beach and ski houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My SIL and her family have not been with us the last three Christmases, because they have a good family friend who has a villa in Italy, and they fly people there first-class for the holidays. You know what I say to that? Good for you, boo boo! Enjoy! Eat some pasta and gelato for me, enjoy every second, have a glass of champagne on the flight, soak it up!

Secure, happy people don’t feel jealous or bean-count when someone else takes a great vacation. They say bon voyage and go about their day.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

+1. Abandoning your family and traditions so you can have social media travel content makes you an insecure freakin' loser.

How do you know SIL is even on social media? Maybe they just want to take a ski trip or whatever.

Honestly, you people and your jealous fixations. I have a good friend whose kids are in private school, and they have a vacation home in Park City. When she posts the occasional family ski photo, I don’t think she’s doing it for “content.” That’s just sharing a moment of fun, same as when I share a much more humble moment of fun from the pumpkin patch in Davidsonville. Just enjoy life and stop comparing and assuming everything other people enjoy is somehow designed to make you feel inferior. What an awful way to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

+1. Abandoning your family and traditions so you can have social media travel content makes you an insecure freakin' loser.

The "freakin' loser" is the drama queen who turns everything in to hysterical hyperbole.

Sil is abandoning family! She is leaving them to die on a desert island so she can vacation with private school friends. We all know private school families are evil and eat children. Only horrible people who want their family to die would ever do this. How dare she destroy family traditions by deciding to do something else. No one, literally no one, in this family will survive this. They WILL DIE!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

I don't participate. But I just don't want to be surrounded by that attitude, and the percent of families acting like that is way higher in schools where they parents have to pay for the kids to be there. I can tell by the types of families who left our public for private. Just further confirmed my decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a terrible lesson to teach her children. Keeping up with the joneses and materialism and bragging rights is more important than family.

What a terrible lesson it would be to teach her children to give in to whims of controlling people when they are behaving selfishly. She is teaching them how to stand up for themselves.

Inviting someone to Christmas is behaving selfishly? Welcome to planet DCUM.

An invitation is nice. Pouting and whining and gossiping on DCUM when someone dares not to accept your family’s invitation is immature and reveals your desire to control. Welcome to the real world.

PP said it would be a terrible lesson to give in to people behaving selfishly. How would SIL and her kids know what has been posted here (after the fact). It is bizarre how posters get bent out of shape at the idea a grandmother is upset she won't be seeing her grandchildren on Christmas anymore. Anywhere else (except reddit) people would be reacting like humans.

OP’s desire to control and her seething with jealousy over SIL’s wealth and her close ties to her own family no doubt carry over into real life. No doubt SIL, OP’s brother and their kids have all picked up on SIL’s resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and my-way-or-the-highway attitude. OP’s brother clearly doesn’t care about having a relationship with his sister, and no wonder. She’s a pill.

Maybe I missed it but why the assumption SIL is wealthy or wealthier than OP?

Op's disdainful reference to the private school culture.

I am a private school parent and an element of private school culture is a lot of travel, vacation homes, and cliquish families taking trips as a big group. There is an undercurrent of pressure to participate and (keep up with the Joneses).

DP here. As much as I am sometimes tempted to move my kids to private school, the above is the reason I won't do it.

Ehh, my kids public school has this as well. It is not limited to private schools, it is everywhere. And you don’t have to participate.

+1. Abandoning your family and traditions so you can have social media travel content makes you an insecure freakin' loser.

Traveling for the holiday is not “abandoning your family”. LOL. Overdramatic much? We spent Christmas with my ILs this year- my family did not feel “abandoned”. Our plans vary every year. Sometimes we spend Christmas with my side, sometimes with ILs, and sometimes- gasp!- neither!