If you’re a mum and use Facebook or Instagram….

[Youngatheart00]

lighthearted

….little plea for you to post something other than yet another pic of your child every once in a while.

I don’t care if it’s your lunch, your holiday, hell even a motorway service station just not more baby/kid spam please. It’s astounding to see how once interesting friends have changed and now post pretty much daily updates of their offspring eating toast, watching tv, with relative xyz. Fine to take the pics, why do they need to be shared with the world?

NB also stop with the damn elf on a shelf

OP I feel you, I was child free (not by choice) for quite a few years whilst all my friends had babies and kids and I felt the same way. So I do empathise.

I have kids now and I just want to say that my life isn’t interesting OP. I’m sure it will be again some day so I’m not trying to martyr myself - but honestly right now I have very little time to myself and very little (non existent) social activity. I do go to the gym but I’m too old for gym selfies.
My life is basically working and childcare and there’s probably the odd cuppa with a friend once a month if that.

So just consider it from the other side too - mums often have naff all to post about other than their kids or domestic activities. For some this is an active choice and they love it and that’s great but for others, the role of mum has stripped them of anything of their own (time, money, patience, body autonomy) and they have nothing much to Share outside of it.
Again not trying to martyr anyone! It’s just the reality of being a mum for some women.
I find it hard and it upsets me when I think about how one dimensional I seem to have become.
But as I say, hopefully not forever!
Maybe I should take some gym selfies then…

Yup, I'm afraid I am quite boring since I had a child. Covid hasn't helped. The problem is, rather than going to gigs and galleries and pretty cities for a mini break, I now spend my weekends stood in a playground or visiting a petting zoo. There's not much else to take a photo of.

@SnowyPetals

Newsflash OP - these platforms have the unfollow/mute function. Use that, it is your friend. Much healthier than letting it wind you up like this.

This

Surely OP you can scroll past the lovely pictures of your friends children until you get to a picture of someone’s lunch?

I share cat pictures lots and lots of cat pictures they are more naughty than any elf on the shelf

@Sleepyquest

Since becoming a mum, my life has become pretty uninteresting!

Exactly.

Just checked my FB photos for this year and I seem to have more photos of bikes and art galleries than I do of my DC!

I'm with you on the Elf posts though!

People can choose to post whatever they like. I agree with a PP that Covid hasn't helped. Our lives aren't that interesting as they used to be.

The simple solution ( and you know this OP!) is to either unfollow them or get off social media.

I can imagine it’s really hard when you are childfree not by choice but ultimately people post about what they are doing. Pre kids my pictures were all cocktails, holidays, brunch, weekends away with friends. Now they’re park trips, nativities, stuff with kids as the centre. It’s rare I do things without the children particularly over covid. I also have family the other side of the world who love seeing the children grow up (who are really who the pics are for, my settings are all private and I don’t have loads of ‘followers’). I would agree that if it bothers you you need to mute them rather than ask them to stop posting. Over lockdown when I was in tears most nights over the juggle of work, homeschool and toddler wrangling while worrying over money etc seeing friends post another delicious bbq, toasting the weather and talking about what they will do with all their savings made me feel viscerally envious and angry but that was on me, not them.

@Ohpulltheotherone

OP I feel you, I was child free (not by choice) for quite a few years whilst all my friends had babies and kids and I felt the same way. So I do empathise.

I have kids now and I just want to say that my life isn’t interesting OP. I’m sure it will be again some day so I’m not trying to martyr myself - but honestly right now I have very little time to myself and very little (non existent) social activity. I do go to the gym but I’m too old for gym selfies.
My life is basically working and childcare and there’s probably the odd cuppa with a friend once a month if that.

So just consider it from the other side too - mums often have naff all to post about other than their kids or domestic activities. For some this is an active choice and they love it and that’s great but for others, the role of mum has stripped them of anything of their own (time, money, patience, body autonomy) and they have nothing much to Share outside of it.
Again not trying to martyr anyone! It’s just the reality of being a mum for some women.
I find it hard and it upsets me when I think about how one dimensional I seem to have become.
But as I say, hopefully not forever!
Maybe I should take some gym selfies then…

This is very true.

Also your friends social media account are actually theirs, not yours OP. They don’t exist to entertain you, they reflect the reality of their lives. If you think that is boring or beneath you I’d suggest you mute or unfollow.

I actually think this is a way for you to have a dig about how boring and one dimensional they are because their lives are focused on their children.

Totally agree. I don’t share any pictures of my DC. It doesn’t feel fair to do so.
Also to the poster who said how would you feel if your Mum’s fb profile picture was a picture of you? Exactly! I find it really strange! You are still yourself even if you now have a child! I don’t understand the point they think they are proving. You love your child? We get it already.

You’d love me. I post about my cat, beaches, forests, my children occasionally, crazy patterns, cool lights, flowers and tasty bakery treats and houses that I’ve designed… that’s on Instagram.

My Facebook is a bit quieter. I don’t like it!

I have Instagram because I had awful PND where I was convinced I was a shit and lazy mum. So I use it as a visual record that I’m doing ok and it comes in very useful when I feel low.

I use SM to keep my pictures and memories in one place. I love looking at ‘on this day’ and remembering what the elf did (kids too old now), being able to find a photo of our trip to Disney because it’s in an album called Disney 2019 etc. If people don’t like how I use MY SM, they are more then welcome to remove me.

Plus my family who live far and wide get to feel like they are still part of my family by seeing what we’re up to. I’d like to hope they are more interested in my kids growing up then my lunch.

Mine's just full of me to promote my only fans 🤭 I won't put pics of my kids anywhere online, not even Facebook. Partly to do with an over zealous ex.

With you on the elf posts. Anyone on my feed that does this has been muted temporarily.

@Rainydayss

What is really annoying is when they post 50 photos from the same event such as an hour in the park. Can't they just pick one. Oh and 4 different photos of the same takeaway on a table...just why.

Ive unfollowed a few because of their constant elf photos, it's like a badge of honour to prove how creative and he hilarious they are. It makes my teeth itch...
But each to their own and all that...

Agree with all of this!! Also unfollowed everyone who is doing elf on the shelf! Bah humbug

@Theunamedcat

I share cat pictures lots and lots of cat pictures they are more naughty than any elf on the shelf

Oh and this too....but he is my --favourite- baby

You know, when I first had my DS I was like “Oh I’m not going to be one of those mums who just posts pictures of my kid all the time!” But then I barely use social media at all.

And I have a lot of long distance family. And I got a lot of messages “How’s DS? Haven’t seen a photo in a while! Where are the pictures from Christmas? Is he liking his new toy? Does he wear the shirt I got him?” And so on. So yeah, the only thing I use Facebook for is putting pictures of him on. And my previously-smug attitude about not being “one of those mums” has thoroughly disappeared.

OP I feel for you as it must be very painful having the constant reninder. But it's not really on to come on a parenting website telling mother's what they should be putting on SM.
Do you feel the need to police anyone elses SM?

Just unfollow them.

The majority of my posts are of my kids. I use them for me to look back on as i am too lazy to make a photo album

I hear you! Although to be fair, I'm not sure what people like that have to prove? I have a friend who does this, and I think she spends more time taking pics than enjoying the moment. It's sad I my opinion, I think they do it for validation.
"Oh what a great life you are having!"
Yeah, whatever 🙄

Meh

I love seeing baby photos on FB!
Also like mundane stuff like lunch, reminds me of another era when the news didn't affect us so much.

I have a 9month old, Facebook and Instagram. I've just checked and there are 4 pictures of her on Instagram and 2 on Facebook. My dog on the other hand.........

I'd much rather, given a choice, see kiddie pics regularly than mega frequent filtered-to-F selfies... where you just know they're waiting for all the comments for validation ...🥱.

Too much of anything can get tedious though tbf.