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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?

OP posts:
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.

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 02/08/2026 05:33

naturetrail · 01/08/2026 21:46

Okay so they weren't sneaky photos. Things like i took a photo of dd2 on a swing in the garden so i was stood in front of dd2, making her giggle and phone up taking her photo. I was looking at dd2 and didn't even notice Dd1 who is stood behind swing slightly to the side talking to my sister. She has her hand down by her pocket with middle finger stretched out. Not like i was deliberately taking her photo. Another one is of the sandpit. Dd2, ds, several cousins all in sandpit. I've taken a photo of them all playing. Dd1 and another cousin are sat on picnic table behind, she's holding phone to her ear with middle finger.
Photo of my dad and siblings sat round chatting, she's stood behind my brother pushing her fringe back with her middle finger.

I have to admire her dedication!

concertinacornflake · 02/08/2026 05:31

naturetrail · 01/08/2026 20:01

So my childhood photos were all destroyed in a fire which is why I place a high value on photos as I've nothing to look back on which makes me sad and i take photos so my kids have things to look back on.
For context dd isn't asked to pose for the photos they're just taken as people were playing, eating, etc. Video of dd2 being sung happy birthday to features dd1 sat at the table a few seats down resting her hand on her chin with Middle finger up 🙃 It's not like i said say cheese look this way etc.

You need to respect your DD's wishes.

You may also need to read some books or see a therapist about not projecting your feelings about something that happened to you in your childhood onto your children. Your children are different people with different thoughts and feelings.

What's happened to your DD is just as upsetting as what happened to you - potentially more so as it was done knowingly by her mother.

Respecting her autonomy as a person is important, it is only be respecting her that she will learn to respect others.

Itsnotallaboutyoulikeyouthink · 02/08/2026 05:30

Don’t you find it a bit funny? My kid used to do this and it’s a great memory of his personality at the time.

however I have a kid that doesn’t like photos so I don’t take them. Stop taking her photo. She doesn’t like it, she told you that so perhaps you got what you deserved and perhaps you will listen next time.

FrippEnos · 02/08/2026 05:28

Some of these views are interesting on a site that supports boundaries and consent.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 02/08/2026 05:22

I hate when people take "candid" pics which turn out unflattering. Mouths agape, people eating, etc. Some people really are embarrassed by unflattering pics of themselves, too. OP really should have asked her 15y dd to pose or move out of frame. Her daughter warned her. 🤷‍♀️
I take a tonne of pics of my dc, delete bad ones, adjust the frame if poss for a better pic/expression/eye contact etc.

comealongdobbeh · 02/08/2026 01:37

Have AI amend them. But I’d save them for the laughs

Crispsandcola · 02/08/2026 01:23

I'm afraid it doesn't matter how well intentioned you are or how much value you place on photographs, your DD1 didn't want you to take them and when you didn't respect her wishes she didn't respect yours. Please understand, this is not a rebuke, it's just a reminder that your children don't have fully developed frontal lobes and will react sometimes in an overtly negative way when they are forced to do something that they did not consent to. More importantly, don't teach your children to comply because an adult tells them/coerces them to do so - that can have far reaching consequences.

hcee19 · 02/08/2026 00:19

Photoshop can take out the middle finger or Ai, but not seeing the photos l cannot tell if it would be difficult or not. Max Speilman photo shops can edit all you photos and you can still keep the originals, they are very good, unsure how much it would cost, but worth a try.

Pistachiocake · 01/08/2026 23:12

That's awful of her. Obviously if you were posting them, it's different, but where is the harm in private photos.
If she really didn't want to be in it, she should have looked or walked away. That's what any kid I know (lots in wider family/family groups) would do-they would never do that. I'd have been grounded with nothing for the rest of the summer if I'd done anything like that-I'd never have hurt my mum in that way.

FunPartyIdeas · 01/08/2026 22:43

The reason I asked if OP and daughter's dad are still together is because it may be a case of "sabotage." Daughter doesn't want evidence that she is happy within the other family as it may get back to father.
I speak from experience as my eldest did the same during his early teenage years. Divorce was far from amicable.

Screamingabdabz · 01/08/2026 22:39

I can’t relate to the drama of this. If it was someone’s wedding or a really significant event then fair enough, but it’s a ‘tea party’ for a 1 year old baby completely unaware of the occasion.

In fact I’d bet money that the day will become a hilarious family legend because of the middle finger, and will be remembered far more than it would ever have done as just a boring baby gathering.

‘Making memories’ happens in actual relationships, not in digital images.

Yetone · 01/08/2026 22:36

Edit your photos with chatgbt.

ByRoseBiscuit · 01/08/2026 22:35

She sounds really immature, my son is the same age and doesn’t particularly like having his photo taken (and I don’t share his photo either because of this) but I can’t imagine him doing this at all. I’m not at all uptight but I just wouldn’t find it funny like pp, it’s cringey at that age

FunPartyIdeas · 01/08/2026 22:34

@naturetrail
This is going to sound like a random q but...are you and your daughter's dad together or separated?

InterestedDad37 · 01/08/2026 22:31

Well, she did warn you, I guess - your reasons are valid, of course, and it's not how you wanted it to be - but have a laugh about it, and both learn a lesson from it.

OneMoreProfiterole · 01/08/2026 22:28

What goes around comes around. She may have a wedding one day and dd2 will be able to get her own back.

RedRock41 · 01/08/2026 22:26

Papster · 01/08/2026 22:24

I refer you to my previous answer

@Papster you’re ignoring the Q so no point referring to a previous answer. Why should no not mean no?

Papster · 01/08/2026 22:24

RedRock41 · 01/08/2026 22:13

We’re talking about consent in general. Ignore the Q if you want but same spectrum imho. No means no 📸.

I refer you to my previous answer

RedRock41 · 01/08/2026 22:21

naturetrail · 01/08/2026 21:46

Okay so they weren't sneaky photos. Things like i took a photo of dd2 on a swing in the garden so i was stood in front of dd2, making her giggle and phone up taking her photo. I was looking at dd2 and didn't even notice Dd1 who is stood behind swing slightly to the side talking to my sister. She has her hand down by her pocket with middle finger stretched out. Not like i was deliberately taking her photo. Another one is of the sandpit. Dd2, ds, several cousins all in sandpit. I've taken a photo of them all playing. Dd1 and another cousin are sat on picnic table behind, she's holding phone to her ear with middle finger.
Photo of my dad and siblings sat round chatting, she's stood behind my brother pushing her fringe back with her middle finger.

Why not just take photos with her not in them or ask - can I take a pic? Even a few and let her delete the ones she didn’t like? You sound a lovely Mum OP, and for those who maybe don’t mind photos it’s hard to understand but for those of us who hate them, say no, to have people do it anyway it is really impactful.

RedRock41 · 01/08/2026 22:13

Papster · 01/08/2026 22:04

That’s not what we’re talking about.
Have a good evening

We’re talking about consent in general. Ignore the Q if you want but same spectrum imho. No means no 📸.

Persephonia1966 · 01/08/2026 22:13

Papster · 01/08/2026 22:04

That’s not what we’re talking about.
Have a good evening

It's an example of a boundary though. The whole point of boundaries are that you can allow some people to cross them sometimes and it still exists as a boundary.
If someone insists I drink a cup of tea/eats some food of their plate despite me saying no that gets annoying because they aren't listening to me. The fact that sometimes I drink tea, or I was spotted eating a chip of Simon's plate last week is irrelevant. Likewise someone who is happy to have photos taken in specific circumstances but not the rest of the time.

TrainspottingWelsh · 01/08/2026 22:11

Papster · 01/08/2026 21:51

She seems fine with social media and I doubt if she’s vetting everyone else’s posts.
Shes being inconsiderate and rude with her family.
Your mileage may, and clearly does, vary.
We’re not going to change each others minds

So what? Pre social media and phone cameras in my childhood/ teens it was standard to have a professional photographer at competitions, and I genuinely didn’t care about riding photos with my face mainly obscured by a hat and a tiny part of the photo.
But I’d make myself sick to avoid a class photo at school.
Logical to an outsider, probably not, but I had my reasons, as I’m sure op’s dd does.

Dontlletmedownbruce · 01/08/2026 22:10

Sorry OP but that made me laugh. Don't give her what she wants, keep the photos and you can all laugh about it when she is older. While what she did was wrong obviously, I do think you should respect someone who doesn't like having their photo taken. Just because you lost your childhood photos I don't think that gives you the right to insist she poses for you. I think respect her views and maybe she will let you take the very occasional one.

PrettyLittleRose · 01/08/2026 22:08

I am honestly on the fence, and can see that some people are triggered and get very anxious at having their photo taken, I don't like having mine taken - unless I know it's being taken, and will never be photographed at home with no make up, my 'lounging around the house' clothes, and messy hair. But I am happy to have it taken outside, in public, at a party or event, and be in family photos etc...

But I know a few people who are not, and a couple of them are really annoying. A Christmas party of DH's work colleagues (2.5 years ago) was nearly ruined by one woman - Louise, aged about 28 - who kept crying out and wailing and screaming every time anyone wanted to take a photo. It was a PARTY!

She wasn't even in some, she was just ranting at how she MAY have been caught in them, and how someone MAY have caught her arse or her back and she would be deeply upset if anyone posted them on social media. Even when a few people were taking photos of a big group of people (about 10 out of the 16 of us,) she started yelling 'no no NO - don't take my photo, oh my God you're killing me!' Even when she wasn't in the bloody photo.

One woman had got the barmaid to take a group photo that included all 16 of us - with her camera, and Louise was like 'NO! NO PICTURES!' and the woman whose camera it was said 'oh for fuck's sake Louise, if you don't want to be on the group party photo, piss off and sit by the bar while the rest of us have it taken.' Louise was like Confused and then... Hmm She didn't move though, she stayed for the group photo. Wanted to throw a tantrum at people taking photos, but didn't want to not be included. Silly mare.

It was a Christmas party! Everyone was dolled up in their best gear and nice make up, and nobody was taking photos of anyone without them knowing. Don't go out to socialise with people if you're so scared of having your photo taken!

Nobody tagged her in when they posted the Christmas party photos on Facebook, and most even put her on Restricted Friends so she couldn't see any of the photos... She did ask a few people when they were putting the Christmas party photos on, and they just said 'meh, not gonna bother...'