With social media such a big part of most of our lives, it can be hard to figure out where to draw the line with sharing pictures online.
Being a mum in this new digital age is not easy. With social media such a big part of most of our lives, it can be hard to figure out where to draw the line with sharing pictures online.
I find it difficult to not want to share all the pictures of my beautiful children yet, on the other hand, I want to protect them from the dark side of the internet we can all imagine.
When you hit a milestone or you capture that perfect moment, it is normal to want to share that with your friends and family and what better way to do it than on a platform where all of them will see it at once. But with more information all the time about the dangers of the web and how some images could be used for bullying or child pornography it makes it a difficult choice to make whether to share or not share.
Personally, of late, I have decided to not show pictures of my eldest child. His peers are at an age where they are all on social media and it was becoming apparent that they were seeing his picture and I feared some bullying as a result.
I feel it is not a choice I can make for him, if he wants to be out there for the world to see, he can and will make that decision for himself when he reaches that age.
Rachel Platten is a celebrity mum who has the same struggles. She recently got honest about posting photos of her daughter online on her Instagram.
"Fight Song," singer and mum of one, Platten took to Instagram last week and opened up about her feelings on the topic.
“Some of you guys have noticed I took most of violets pictures off of Instagram. I honestly can’t figure out how to navigate sharing her with the world. As you guys know I’m a very open person."
"I choose to share so much of my life because it makes me feel good to be vulnerable and normalise things other people maybe don’t talk about as freely. But who knows how Violet will feel and be. She might be a very private person and hate the spotlight.”
It can be difficult for a lot of mums to find the balance of what to do when you’re stuck between pride and protection.
“It feels wrong and confusing to choose to share her baby pictures with millions of people without her consent. BUT at the same time, she’s my WORLD. The thing I’m most proud of and it’s hard to try to share my life but not include the thing I’m MOST excited about. Soooo bear with me as I try to figure this whole thing out.”
She even asked her followers for their advice and what they chose to share of their children
“I’d love to hear from you guys, how do you choose what to share and what not to?”
What do you guys think? Do you share pictures of your children online?
We would LOVE to know in the comments below.
Laura Doyle, Mum of 4. Kyle 9, Noa Belle 4, Briar 2 and Milla 12 months. Breastfeeder, co-sleeper, coffee drinker. Staying positive and inspired by the chaos of it all. Follow her on Instagram.