My friend won’t stop sending me photos

Ziggy62

So, if we're unhappy we don't won't to share our friend's happiness?

My daughter has decided not to have children but I love seeing pics of my friend's grandchildren and always send a card and a gift.

I think it is a proportionate thing. People are happy to see some pictures - and exchange some - but it can get relentless and overwhelming.

Like Primrose I have a dear friend where we have been friends since we were 12/13. We have supported each other through thick and thin for nearly 70 years. My friend never married but she is a supernumery grandparent, and a very generous one to her brother's grandchildren and is worse than the most doting of mothers. She doesn't send the photos by phne,, but whenever we meet out comes the tablet and it is non stop brother's grandchildren. The problem I am not a photo person. I do not take non-stop pictures of my grandchildren and neither do their parents. we get a photo or two each month, usually on FaceBook, which is fine by me, but I cannot retaliate.

I grin and bear it, we have been friends so long, and through so much. It is easing up as the children grow up and leave school.

Olivia, I am so sorry you are having a hard time, it's one day at a times some times I know.
You won't be losing much if you lose your friend. I wouldn't look at them if it upsets. I would concentrate on what is important, the odd photo ok but every day very tactless to put it nicely.
I'm getting fed up with What's app and don't keep photos in my photo file, except the odd good one.

Could you perhaps tell your friend that you have reached the maximum storage on your phone and say, as much as you like to see her photos, ask her not to send any further photos as you don’t want to have to pay for extra storage.

So, if we're unhappy we don't won't to share our friend's happiness?

My daughter has decided not to have children but I love seeing pics of my friend's grandchildren and always send a card and a gift.

Return the favour by sending her pictures she will hopefully get the message. Your friend may get bored looking at random pictures of birds etc that you see when going for walks.

Tactless is the word. We presently have the sale of our house going through and have had an offer accepted on a lovely bungalow, but our daughter and her husband have just had their house sale fall through, again, and have had a really hard time in general, so we steer clear of our own good news.
Same goes for a good friend whose childless daughter miscarried, again, no talk of my GCs or pics of them on whatsapp.
Do you respond to her pics etc., if so, don't. And don't look at your whatsapp thread with her constant pics on it until you feel you want to. She can tell if you have seen her pics etc., due to little ticks, so staying off it for a while would be a good idea.

Are friends like that really friends? I would say not.

Come off WhatsApp? Being contacted and expected to respond is exhausting mentally.Otherwise only respond rarely and ignore the pics and text.Tell her that your DH comes first and family.

I have a friend like this but I think she sends the same to all friends in her contact list. Jokes, memes, photos etc etc. Last week she sent me stuff about her “fabulous” holiday to vietnam and Cambodia, knowing my husband was due home from hospital after 3 months in hospital and we won’t be holidaying for the forseeable.

She does things before she thinks. Always been the same. We’ve been friends since we were 12 so I don’t think she will change now.

I fear that this yet another one of those one way friendships, I have had several.

These people have rhino thick skins and seem to think they are endlessly fascinating but you are not. I have found that you really have to spell it out for them as they do not take hints or read situations well.

As I have mentioned on other threads, my DD calls them emotional vampires.

I'm also sorry you're having a difficult time.

I think the use of the word "overwhelming" is good, that way you are expressing your experience, not picking on her. "I find constant texts and photographs overwhelming, I'd rather catch up with (people) or (you) every few weeks".

I completely understand why you want this to stop. I had a similar thing with one of my relations. Normally I could tolerate it but when life got a bit tricky it was exhausting.

Eventually I told her it was overwhelming me and suggested we have one decent conversation a week rather than lots of snippets and photos. I found that much easier to cope with and now we have a proper chat at a time when I can relax and enjoy it.

So sorry you're having such a difficult time.