Narcissistic to display lots of pics in your home of just you, spouse, and kids?

[justlearning]

We just got a CD from a friend photographer with lots of beautiful pictures taken outdoors of our boys as well as some of the four of us together (including DH and me). But we already have quite a few framed pictures in our home of our kids alone or our kids with us. We also have some pictures displayed with other family members or friends, but the vast majority are of just us.

So now it's got me thinking about when is too much, i.e., when it reaches the level that others view it as narcissistic. I found this post with comments on the subject: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/too-...yourself-73038

But I'd like to hear what you all think about this. And do you try to follow any guidelines when displaying pictures? Do you just limit the number of pictures you display and then change out the pictures when you get new ones you like? What do you do with professionally taken pictures?

ETA that most of the pics displayed are upstairs or in our finished basement, so do you think it seems less narcissistic if they're displayed upstairs and in the basement? (Our friends do see those levels.)

[AngB]

We don't have a lot of pictures up yet, mainly because I just haven't had time to figure out how I want to put them, where, which ones, etc. (From DS's 6 month pictures, we got a disc of 180 pictures, about 50 of them I love.)

I have a friend who has A LOT of family and kid pictures up, and honestly, I really thought it looked nice. I'd personally rather see pictures than random artwork or whatever.

[crl]

I think family pictures are nice! And I like seeing them on the walls when I visit friend's houses. I haven't gotten ours up in this place yet, but that's laziness on my part, not a statement. I am sure it can be overdone, but ten to twenty-ish (depending on the size of the family and the ages of the kids and so on) pictures seems really nice to me.

Catherine

[lalasmama]

Around my living room is:
3 pictures of just DD (8x10)
2 pictures of DD and I (our first family photo 11x13 I think, and the most recent one 8x10)
1 canvas 16x20 print of DD and my dad
1 small picture of my mom and I when I was a teen
1 small picture of my mom and dad on their engagement day
1 small picture of XSO's daughters
1 small picture of XSO's grandbaby

So, the noticeable pictures are by far DD, and DD and I...

Do I feel egotistical about it? Not really. In previous homes, we have had a "picture wall" filled with a significant number of pictures of DD and I. There's just no room in this home for it. My family is big on pictures; my dad is a photographer.

One ex said it was "bit much", but more times than not, guests in our home would notice, and we would spend time talking about whatever pictures caught their eye--especially when it was someone connected to DD's foster care story, because all the sudden, they had a HUGE, obvious visual of how much time DD and I were together before she was my DD, and what a part of my extended family she was before the legal placement was done.

I guess I look at pictures and see stories. So, I don't see a picture of DD--I see the picture we took when out with my BFF who died; I see the goofy self-portrait my dad took with DD at a great BBQ; I see the day my sister and I took the girls out and DD fell asleep (she NEVER falls asleep in the car!); I see the day mom and papa and I went out to a swanky fundraiser at my church. So, to me, I don't see a shrine to DD and I.... I just see the stories that have made us a family, and who wouldn't want to be able too look around at those stories every day?!

[MoJo]

I read the link, and that really seems to be about too many pictures of just one person on display, especially when the person is the only one in nearly every picture.

I don't have many pictures on display in my home because I don't have many good family pics yet (I think there are a grand total of two of all four of us). I like looking at family pics and think what you describe is fine as long as it doesn't feel cluttered. In fact, we were taught to specifically include photos of ourselves with our families in our workspaces to help connect with others, and I find that even my family doctor and eye doctor do this in the exam rooms. At least where I'm from, it's actually a connection point, not narcissism.

[niccig]

As long as its not a huge picture of just one person, ala an Andy Warhol inspired print, I think you are fine. We have a picture wall in our family room, a few photos in our room, and other rooms have other photos/paintings.

[maestramommy]

Well, I'd like to know who else we are supposed to have photos of. I mean, we have a few pics of us with our parents, dh has a childhood confirmation pic with his late grandmother, and an old family pic. The rest are of us. I got Dh a digital frame with a slideshow of just him and the kids for Fathers Day. Then he put on a slideshow of just us before kids for our anniversary. The frame was on our dresser, but I complained I'm never in there during the day so we moved it to on top of the piano in our living room.

I don't understand why this is supposed to be narcissistic.

[smilequeen]

We have pictures of the kids everywhere. DH and I, not so much, a few from our wedding and a few family pictures.

I think pictures of kids/family are normal.

Now my MIL is what the article describes. Framed pics of just herself all over the place. More than the kids/grand kids. I do think she has a narcissistic personality too.

[Jo]

Well, I'd like to know who else we are supposed to have photos of...I don't understand why this is supposed to be narcissistic.

This. I find the whole idea silly.

That link was about a person who had an apartment plastered with pictures of me, myself, and I.

Totally different situation than family pictures.

[daisymommy]

I think it's a beautiful tribute to a family's happiness and joy together when I see lots of family photos. They tell of the family's story. I love to walk around and look at each one. I see nothing egotistical about it.

If they were all of just one person, that would be weird to me. Like a single person with all pictures of just themselves on display.



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