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AIBU?

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Middle finger

181 replies

naturetrail · 01/08/2026 19:34

Dd2 1st birthday little family tea party today. Dd1 15 moans she doesn't like her photo being taken. I respect her privacy and NEVER post her photo anywhere but I do take photos of all my kids for memories. Today I've taken photos of everyone throughout the afternoon. When I've sat just now and looked through my camera roll dd1 has done a sly Middle finger in every single photo that has her in. Ones with her and ds and dd2, grandad, aunties, uncles etc. I'm absolutely fuming that she's spoiled every photo.
I spoke to her and said I can't believe you've done that and that I'm really cross she's spoiled the photos. She said oh mum I've told you i don't like having my photo taken and then she's flounced off because I'm being ridiculous in her eyes.
Am i totally out of order on this? I take the photos as memories and photos are so important to me. All my childhood photos were destroyed which dd1 knows really upset me, so capturing memories feels ultra important to me and maybe thats making me over react and i should just laugh this off?

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Imdunfer · 02/08/2026 20:30

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 19:56

She wants the memory of her other child’s birthday. She either remembers the day with everyone smiling or she remembers the day with her eldest being unreasonable about a photo. I know what I would rather.

But she can't remember that as anything but coercion, can she? Unless she convinces herself the girl was willing, it will just be a memory of the girl being difficult on the day, smile or no smile.

As long as the 15 year old is in the photo, it's a memory of her being "unreasonable". I don't actually think it's unreasonable for a 15 year old to ask not have her photo taken, especially not if she's been brought up as she should have been to believe that she has autonomy over her own body.

ThisChirpyOpalCat · 02/08/2026 20:08

I wouldn’t find it funny. Does it not still mean fuck off?

TrainspottingWelsh · 02/08/2026 20:03

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:41

The same could be said about me forcing my child to have their nappy changed, forcing my child not to tell lies, forcing my child to go to school. There are many things in this world that we have to do because we just have to or it’s kind. Coercion is all around us - what do you think following the law is. You are forced to do something because of a threat. Why don’t I speed along a deserted country road - because it’s against the law.

parenting is teaching your child the difference between being kind - letting your mother take a photo of you and coercive behaviour - someone wanting to take inappropriate pictures of you. It’s teaching your child what is kind and what is inappropriate. The daughter is 15. Not 5. There can be layers to a rule.

we teach our children not to hit. And then as they get older we bring in caveats to that - if someone is attacking you it’s ok to h back and defend yourself.

She’s not wanting a picture at the beach. She wants a picture of her kids at a birthday party!

Absolutely ridiculous comparison.

Anything I needed my dc to do/ not do, if they objected it involved me explaining why it needs to be done. If anything I ever said could only be explained by ‘because it makes me happy and my feelings are more important than yours’ I would have known my expectations were unreasonable and unfair

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 19:56

Imdunfer · 02/08/2026 18:22

Yes, why would a mother want to look at a picture of a daughter who she forced to face the camera and smile? Why would she want a picture of that memory?

She wants the memory of her other child’s birthday. She either remembers the day with everyone smiling or she remembers the day with her eldest being unreasonable about a photo. I know what I would rather.

BobbysDazzler · 02/08/2026 18:50

Imdunfer · 02/08/2026 08:40

Why else would you bring up a long dead issue about something he can't now change? I don't understand how you think it might help him become a better parent, faced with a child behaving the same way, by being forced to talk about how bad he's made you feel.

It can't serve any other purpose that I can see than to make him feel guilty and for you maybe to feel slightly better about it for knowing he feels guilty. I hope for his sake you can let it go.

He's my son and I know him better than anyone lol

I will also add that I didn't ask for advice, the OP did and I offered my ten penneth, it's her decision if she wants to use it ignore it or respond. But I appreciate your input. Have a good day.

Imdunfer · 02/08/2026 18:22

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 18:06

Why would a mother want a picture of her daughter? Seriously?

Yes, why would a mother want to look at a picture of a daughter who she forced to face the camera and smile? Why would she want a picture of that memory?

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 18:06

Imdunfer · 02/08/2026 15:05

Why would a loving mother want a photo that she knows is an entirely false impression of a willing person smiling for the camera?

She would effectively be asking her daughter to lie as well as surrendering autonomy over her own body.

Why would a mother want a picture of her daughter? Seriously?

Imdunfer · 02/08/2026 15:05

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:44

Because sometimes you have to do things that are kind to others. I’m assuming her mother does a lot for her. Could she just smile in a couple of photos just because it would make her mother happy. I don’t think there is anything wrong is showing different ways to be kind.

Why would a loving mother want a photo that she knows is an entirely false impression of a willing person smiling for the camera?

She would effectively be asking her daughter to lie as well as surrendering autonomy over her own body.

Edenmum2 · 02/08/2026 14:18

I do at least admire her commitment to the cause

Theresalittlebitofwitchinyou · 02/08/2026 12:49

This would be Dd2 in our house and I would absolutely laugh, roll my eyes with Dd1 and say typical X. I don’t anticipate she’ll grow out of it because it started as a tiny toddler sticking her finger up her nose deliberately to look like picking her nose in photos too. Her future wedding could be fun if she ever finds a partner they will have to be as mad as she is!

CatsMagic · 02/08/2026 12:08

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 05:36

I would be fuming. but there’s no point in getting cross. However Personally I would stop doing things that I don’t want to do for her for a while. And explain that we all gain from things by being in a family. You don’t like having your photo taken, that’s fine, I don’t like driving you places, having friends over, putting money on your lunch card at school, paying for clubs, giving you pocket money, free board and lodging, housemaid service etc. being in a family is sometimes about doing stuff you don’t like to make others happy.
the fact that she went out of her way to ruin the photos is really unkind. That’s a moment you’ll never get back. She will understand when she has children but that’s a while to wait.

This is just petty nonsense, and setting up for a poor adult relationship further down the line.

As the parent it is your job to facilitate your child’s life, even when they are being a daft teenager who doesn’t always do what you want them to.

My DD13 has phased into not wanting her photo being taken ……. And as much as I dying to take a million photos of her as I am the ADULT in this situation then I can teach my daughter that she deserves her boundaries to be respected, and hope that she will eventually CHOOSE to be in photos again.

Growlybear83 · 02/08/2026 12:07

If your daughter has told you on multiple occasions that she doesn’t want her photo taken but you still go against her wishes then it’s not surprising she’s done this. I can remember doing similar in my teens when I was forced to have pictures taken but in those days, my parents didn’t know until the photos came back from the film processor a couple of weeks later 🤣🤣

BauhausOfEliott · 02/08/2026 12:02

If someone repeatedly took my photo when I’d made it extremely clear that I didn’t want them to, I would also resort to this.

CountessBinface · 02/08/2026 11:58

Stop taking pictures of people who have explicitly said they don't want to be photographed. It's creepy.

FrippEnos · 02/08/2026 11:51

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:41

The same could be said about me forcing my child to have their nappy changed, forcing my child not to tell lies, forcing my child to go to school. There are many things in this world that we have to do because we just have to or it’s kind. Coercion is all around us - what do you think following the law is. You are forced to do something because of a threat. Why don’t I speed along a deserted country road - because it’s against the law.

parenting is teaching your child the difference between being kind - letting your mother take a photo of you and coercive behaviour - someone wanting to take inappropriate pictures of you. It’s teaching your child what is kind and what is inappropriate. The daughter is 15. Not 5. There can be layers to a rule.

we teach our children not to hit. And then as they get older we bring in caveats to that - if someone is attacking you it’s ok to h back and defend yourself.

She’s not wanting a picture at the beach. She wants a picture of her kids at a birthday party!

What a crock, this has nothing to do with health (nappy) nor safety (law) this is purely about forcing someone to do something that they do not want to do.

At 13 the courts would let her have a say in what happens to her
At 10 she is criminally liable.

The DD has set her boundaries. Parents should be respecting them and not trampling all over them.

Morelovelyandtemperate · 02/08/2026 11:47

Well she did warn you...

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:44

Anarchy99 · 02/08/2026 11:19

What’s right about forcing her to go along with it?

Because sometimes you have to do things that are kind to others. I’m assuming her mother does a lot for her. Could she just smile in a couple of photos just because it would make her mother happy. I don’t think there is anything wrong is showing different ways to be kind.

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:41

FrippEnos · 02/08/2026 11:21

Coercion is the act of forcing someone to do something against their free will by using threats, intimidation, or physical pressure. It removes a person's power to choose freely.

Do you call that parenting?

The same could be said about me forcing my child to have their nappy changed, forcing my child not to tell lies, forcing my child to go to school. There are many things in this world that we have to do because we just have to or it’s kind. Coercion is all around us - what do you think following the law is. You are forced to do something because of a threat. Why don’t I speed along a deserted country road - because it’s against the law.

parenting is teaching your child the difference between being kind - letting your mother take a photo of you and coercive behaviour - someone wanting to take inappropriate pictures of you. It’s teaching your child what is kind and what is inappropriate. The daughter is 15. Not 5. There can be layers to a rule.

we teach our children not to hit. And then as they get older we bring in caveats to that - if someone is attacking you it’s ok to h back and defend yourself.

She’s not wanting a picture at the beach. She wants a picture of her kids at a birthday party!

Suchevilforebodings · 02/08/2026 11:37

You are not being unreasonable at all. She acted selfishly. But it's also typical 15 year old selfish behaviour. It's developmentally normal for them to not see a bigger picture and only see their own feelings.

Go on Facebook and find a photoshop group, upload photos and ask them to edit out your DD's middle finger. Or you can do it yourself with Gemini or something.

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 02/08/2026 11:33

She told you she didn't want to be in the pictures so fair enough. You should have told her to get out of the shit if she didn't want to be in it.

MNLurker1345 · 02/08/2026 11:31

@FrippEnos, it can feel like bordering on coercion the zeal some people feel about taking photos.

As someone that doesn’t like having my photo taken, and it isn’t even anything to do with how I look, I am confident in my appearance, I just stand back and watch. Occasionally someone will make a comment but I don’t take it personally. It is about them not me, but I won’t be in their photo.

My DH and I went to a black tie event recently, he likes a photo opp, I took photos of him. He showed others at a later date and everyone said and where’s one of you? There wasn’t one. I do remember what a wonderful dress I wore and that we had a fantastic time. They are my memories.

My DGM had dementia, it was so sad to see her not remember any one in the photos the family insisted on showing her. Thankfully they stopped eventually because it was causing her distress:

WonderingWanda · 02/08/2026 11:27

Tell her to go to her room next time there's a family event where you are taking group photo's. My phone has an automatic object eraser tool,could you use that to fix the photo's.

FrippEnos · 02/08/2026 11:21

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:14

Stop parenting? How is not being her personal taxi service not parenting? Creating a caring member of society who can do things for others is parenting. The children that are being created are entitled and have no sense of doing something for others because it will make them happy. I would question are you parenting or pandering?

Coercion is the act of forcing someone to do something against their free will by using threats, intimidation, or physical pressure. It removes a person's power to choose freely.

Do you call that parenting?

Culpeper · 02/08/2026 11:19

‘Absolutely fuming’, really? She hasn’t ‘ruined’ the photos. You can edit them if it annoys you, or just laugh about it.

Anarchy99 · 02/08/2026 11:19

Oaktree1952 · 02/08/2026 11:16

It’s a photo! What is not right about a photo at a siblings birthday party?

What’s right about forcing her to go along with it?