A British mother who was criticized for posting an Instagram photo showing a Christmas tree buried in a pile of presents has responded to haters who have argued she is materialistic or spoils her kids. She uploaded the holiday photograph of around 300 gifts covering much of the tall tree on December 3, which has been shared over 100,000 times with a message about "materialistic parents." However, the United Kingdom mother has fired back at her critics, explaining that she has worked hard to spoil her children during the holiday season because she loves Christmas.
Emma Tapping is a 35-year-old mother of three children from the Isle of Man, a small island between Great Britain and Ireland. She shared that the total cost of the gifts was about $2,300.
Tapping was quite exasperated with her critics. She explained on the British TV show "This Morning" on December 9, Wednesday, that the way parents raise their children is more important than the number of Christmas gifts they give them.
The British mother explained that her children know what is morally right and wrong, and they are thankful for things they receive. She added that her kids are not spoiled during the rest of the year.
For example, Tapping noted that if they break something such as a mobile phone she does not replace it, according to Metro. Her children have to save up money to buy a new handset.
Some social media users supported Tapping. They argued she has the right to spend her money how she wants to, and to spoil her kids.
Tappping has a Facebook blog that includes tips about how to save money. In a blog post she encouraged people to remember that the issue is about three children's experience during the holiday season.
The UK mother also pointed out that she is not wealthy. Tapping always starts shopping in January and keeps looking for sales and deals all year, according to Kare11.
Another Christmas tree also recently made headline news. An Australian lawyer set a Guinness World Record by adding half a million lights to an artificial tree, in order to raise money for a children's charity.