To think this is an invented issue

[DaffodilsandCoffee]

I wasn’t a Supernanny fan in the first place, but I’m not sure how she can possibly know that children are only being taken to the park once a week because their mum (notice it’s gendered…) has the photos she wants.

It just seems a bizarre claim to me.

Supernanny article

She has a point. I think many could do well to take it on board, and it won't hurt to keep it as a consideration.

I think that for some parents, their priorities do seem to be focused on documenting far too much of their child's lives. But we all want memories and they're amazing to look back on.
I think it must surely be a minority who are only doing things simply for a photo opportunity.

If she was saying it’s an invasion of kids privacy, or can distract you from actually enjoying the moment, I could see that. Though I don’t think taking a few photos during several hours at the park really distracts from much.

What she seems to be claiming is that kids literally aren’t being taken to do things because their parents are too busy posting photos, which just seems a very odd suggestion.

I think that certain activities (pumpkin patches, Santa visits with babies) are mainly about the photos, but I also don’t think it’s some huge negative. The implication seems to be that it’s crowding out other genuine fun and I just don’t see it.

What I think parents probably do less of now is leaving kids to play themselves, with other kids in the street etc. You could make an argument about that being bad ofc, but it’s almost the opposite of what she’s saying.

Unless she’s talking to a very tiny minority of professional or wannabe professional instagrammers who have to spend ages editing pictures and stuff? But in that case it’s basically them spending time doing their job.

I think there are people who probably spend too much time filming and posting and not enough time just being, but it certainly isn't confined to mums. Also there should be some consideration about what you share to social media.

But as I used to be so crap at having a camera handy before smartphones existed, or putting the photos into albums when I did take some, and have never managed to keep a diary, I'm so grateful for having years of photos on Facebook and Google photos and love it when it tells me what we were doing seven years ago! It's great to have these things to look back on.

So it doesn't have to be uploaded to social media but it can be a really positive thing as well as having some obvious negatives.

Also people take their kids to the park as it's an easy and cheap way to entertain them, Jo Frost.

I have never had any any time for her. Dr Tanya Byron on House of Tiny Tearways was way better.

It's one thing she said, purely as a theoretical example, on a podcast. The worst newspaper in the world has clearly latched on to a throwaway remark and you're taking it much too literally.

Her overall point, which is that some parents need to ease off on the social media with their kids and focus more on being in the moment with them, is a very solid one.

If she was saying it’s an invasion of kids privacy, or can distract you from actually enjoying the moment, I could see that.

She probably did say that, during the lengthy interview on the podcast. You've only seen one out-of-context quote.

She said that some kids are, which I could see happening with some people on SM.

She isn't the first to say that... thats the "Instamums" trope. It is probably true for some. I suspect its a minority though. Taking a photo and posting online takes seconds, unless its an ultra posed thing.

From my experience of friends/family having children, I think she has a point tbh.

I think this is a useful example of a wider point. As @10HailMarys said, a lot of parents (myself included) could do with getting better at being in the moment with our children and just focusing on them. There are a lot of things which distract us nowadays...work pressures, phones, taking endless pictures for SM. Sometimes it's difficult to concentrate on just being there with our kids, shutting off everything else and listening to them. In my case, I often seem to have half my mind on my work 'to do' list and how I need to do or organise X, Y and Z when we get back from the park, zoo or wherever we are.

I think she has a point too. For many parents the children are used as props to some extent. Especially the ones who have parents who post a lot about them online. It just all becomes a bit of a show after a while. Sure, it might only be for a few minutes of the day, but to feel like the phone is always there and whilst it is, the parent can not fully engage must be hurtful. A bit like going on a date, and the guy you are with keeps checking his phone the whole time. It must honestly be exhausting being a kid today.

One of my friends has an Instagram page for her 1 year old..

Stupid patronising bullshit about mums getting "lost in the virtual world", but I don't know why anyone puts their kids on their social media nowadays. I have zero about my DC on my very limited social media...was a bit naive about it when he was younger but I now realise it's his digital footprint, not mine. I don't think parents have any right to make images of their children public for the sake of their own social interactions.

Yabvvvu to disguise a link to the S*n

Read that as "Superfanny nan". Not relevant I know but gave me a giggle.