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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask my mum to delete some of her Facebook friends?

48 replies

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 11:29

I'm going to try and cut a very long and complicated story short here. My mum was in a long term relationship from my late childhood through to early adulthood, and this man lived with us for most of that time. For many years he was a nice person and they had a healthy relationship. Around ten years ago when I was in my late teens his mental health started to deteriorate - at first it seemed like depression and anxiety but it quickly became clear it was more than that. He became increasingly paranoid and delusional, and eventually very verbally aggressive. He developed severe alcoholism and stopped working. I had to move out of home at the age of 20 because living there was unbearable and he was extremely verbally abusive towards me. About a year later the relationship ended after a physical altercation with my mum (it turns out things became increasingly physical after I moved out, but this was hidden from me).

Anyway, it's now a decade down the line and I'm pregnant with my first child. My mum has little/no contact with him directly, but does have occasional contact with some of his relatives. It seems like his mental health is as bad as ever, and from time to time he phones my mum and leaves her abusive answerphone messages or writes her strange letters. Anyway to get to the crux of the issue, my mum is still friends with two of his relatives on Facebook. She never sees them in person but says she messages with them from time to time to see how her ex is doing. I feel really uncomfortable with him knowing anything new about my life, and particularly anything about my baby. I don't even want him to know I've had a baby, and I certainly don't want him to know my baby's name or what he looks like, especially as he gets older and looks less like a generic baby. Am I being unreasonable to ask my mum not to post any pictures or info about my child to Facebook unless she deletes his relatives as friends? I know that asking this of her will really upset her, as she likes having contact with these people and will be worried it will offend them. But I can't shake the worry I have about this 😕 She's a bit of an avid Facebook user and oversharer anyway in my opinion, and so just not posting about the baby won't seem like a valid option for her. I'm worried about giving her an ultimatum... as you can imagine this whole topic has a lot of baggage and trauma for all of us and I have to tiptoe sensitively around it.

OP posts:
AryaStarkWolf · 11/08/2020 11:32

You can't tell her who she can and cannot be friends with but you can certainly tell her not to post pictures of your child online

uniglowooljumper · 11/08/2020 11:32

YABVU. Her wall is hers, not a democracy. Restrict her on your own FB so she can't see your posts, that's your right, it's not your business to police her wall.

Myneighboursnorlax · 11/08/2020 11:33

Why don’t you ask her to just change the settings on any post about the baby, so it isn’t visible to these relatives. It’s quite easy to do, and if she’s an avid Facebook user then hopefully she won’t find it too difficult. Then you don’t have to upset her by asking her to delete them completely.

iguanadonna · 11/08/2020 11:35

I don't think that's as unreasonable as pp seem to. You could at least talk to her about this, explain you're worried, and see what she says. It's easy to put people on restricted lists and your mum might well suggest a solution herself.

OhCaptain · 11/08/2020 11:37

Honestly, while you can’t tell her who to be friends with (although you did say ask, not tell) you can absolutely stop her having your baby on there.

Unfortunately the only way to do that is to keep her from having photos of your baby, and that doesn’t sound very doable really!

Is this something you’re willing to cut contact about? Because you may have to suck it up. If she sees your baby, she will be able to take her own photos and post them. There’s really nothing you could do to stop her.

What I’m saying is while you’re not wrong at all realistically you can’t control her actions or her friends. You can only hope she respects your wishes. Do you think she will?

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 11:41

@uniglowooljumper I'm not a Facebook user (I have an account but don't think I've posted anything for about 3 years) so won't be posting pictures of my child on there. My mum will spend a lot of time with the baby, and will therefore be taking plenty of her own photos (I'm sure) that she could post.

OP posts:
Poppyismyfavourite · 11/08/2020 11:42

you can set up different "lists" on facebook - I have a "limited profile" list of people that I don't really want seeing my posts or details, but they might be offended if unfriended...
Would this be an idea?

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 11:43

@OhCaptain no it's not something I would even consider cutting contact over. Yes she would respect my wishes, but I think it will upset her.

OP posts:
Newschapter · 11/08/2020 11:45

Just ask her not to our baby on social media due to safety reasons.

I wouldn't allow my MIL to put photos of my children on social media and she respected that. (My mum doesn't have social media, she wouldn't have a clue where to start!)

OhCaptain · 11/08/2020 11:47

@bluemoon2468 it’s really good that you think she’ll respect your wishes.

She might not be as upset as you think and even if she is, she’ll get over it! Honestly she will.

It’s important to you so it’s worth her feelings being a teeny bit hurt while she processes it, IMO.

And as PP says she can remove or restrict those friends. She has plenty of options available to her. Flowers

RedRumTheHorse · 11/08/2020 11:48

Regardless of who your mum is friends with you do have a right to request that she doesn't post any of your child's images online.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52758787

So if you tell her she cannot, and do in a message so you have proof, if she posts any ask Facebook or whatever the platform is to remove them and keep asking them to.

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 11:51

@RedRumTheHorse thanks. I know I have that right, I guess I don't really want to go down that road. I know I can prevent her from doing it, I guess I'm trying to work out how to do that with minimal upset, or whether it's even a reasonable request. From the votes on here apparently not 😔

OP posts:
Coffeecak3 · 11/08/2020 11:53

My db and his wife don't allow pics of my nephew online. I and my parents have no problems with this. Their child, their choice.
Tell your dm no pics and ensure she respects your wishes.

TheTrollFairy · 11/08/2020 11:55

I have a blanket ban on posting pictures of my child on Facebook and I think this would be more of a reasonable request than asking her to delete her Facebook friends especially as you yourself don’t really post on Facebook

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 11:58

@TheTrollFairy I guess the problem with that is I don't actually really care if people post pics of him on social media (within reason) and I myself am planning to post the odd pic on Instagram, although again I post maximum 5-10 pics per year anyway so it'll be pretty limited. But if I say to her no posting at all I then have to do that myself, and police that rule with everyone else in my life which I don't really want to do, especially when that's not really the thing I'm bothered about!

OP posts:
CrowdedHouseinQuarantine · 11/08/2020 11:59

what could happen op?
apart from seeing photos

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 12:01

To those who have suggested restricting posts, I cant seem to see a way of doing this other than for every individual post. I know my mum will forget to do this if she has to change the settings every time, and I can hardly go round policing it! Is there a way to automatically restrict people from seeing all of the photos you post for example?

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 11/08/2020 12:01

[quote bluemoon2468]@TheTrollFairy I guess the problem with that is I don't actually really care if people post pics of him on social media (within reason) and I myself am planning to post the odd pic on Instagram, although again I post maximum 5-10 pics per year anyway so it'll be pretty limited. But if I say to her no posting at all I then have to do that myself, and police that rule with everyone else in my life which I don't really want to do, especially when that's not really the thing I'm bothered about![/quote]
It's really not hard to no post pics of your DC online and in the future they may well thank you for it.

bluemoon2468 · 11/08/2020 12:05

@CrowdedHouseinQuarantine he's extremely unpredictable, I have no idea what could happen. He's turned up at my mum's house in the past and refused to leave (she's had to phone the police to have him removed on several occasions). When I moved out (so, to be fair, a long time ago) he threatened to find out where I live and come to my house (he never said what he would do but it was ominous). Several times he's threatened to commit murder suicide against my mum. I honestly, honestly don't know what I'm specifically afraid of, but he's a very sick and potentially dangerous man.

OP posts:
Yarboosucks · 11/08/2020 12:05

Your mum can delete them on FB but still keep them as contacts on Messenger. They will not know that she has done this (unless they look to see who her friends are) and she can still keep intouch with them.

RedRumTheHorse · 11/08/2020 12:11

I agree with TheTrollFairy WorraLiberty ask other people not to post your child's image online and don't post any yourself.

OP you need to remember you are the guardian of your child's image until they are able to tell you to stop posting them and take action to get them deleted.

I don't post my child's pictures online. I had a discussion with some of my older nieces and nephews when they were between 14 and 18. They asked me and other family members to remove pictures of them from social media because they decided they didn't want their entire lives pictured online as no one knows who can get access to them.

Nottherealslimshady · 11/08/2020 12:12

Of course you have right to tell her who she's allowed to share pictures and information of you child with. She just needs to block them from seeing her posts if she still wants to talk to them

stayathomer · 11/08/2020 12:12

I'd be more worried that this is a way to lead her back into his life. That's what I hate. All it takes is her asking, them saying he's not doing well and her saying she'll talk to hima nd things moving from them. I'd talk to her about it this way, although I do understand you want nothing to do with him and for him to have no access to your life

TheTrollFairy · 11/08/2020 12:13

@WorraLiberty
It's really not hard to no post pics of your DC online and in the future they may well thank you for it.

I always wonder what future children will think about naked bath pictures of them being online. I’m sure I have seen that there are teens out there suing their parents for posting pictures on social media.

Social media is used for everything these days, especially in recruitment, but on a lower basis, these pictures are online for their friends to potentially see when they are young teens trying to find their way in life and although to most people it’s harmless, you don’t know what any further repercussions may have (although my view is probably OTT about it)

Lurkingforawhile · 11/08/2020 12:14

The messenger idea from @Yarboosucks sounds like a sensible one. Completely understand that it’s a tough decision and hope your mum is safe and happy now

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