Posting pics of your sick children on facebook

[NeedMoMoney]

I'm sure there's probably been threads on this before, but it just irritates me that parents (mostly mums) post pics of their kids who are clearly unwell e.g covered in sores, snotty faces crying etc...for likes on Facebook. There not even asking for advice for their illness just putting pics up of "poor 'such and such' felling I'll today"...and that's it! I'd absolutely hate to find out my parents did this to me! Leave the poor kids alone! their picture doesn't have to be shared at all!

I know someone who always checks in when she takes her daughter to a&e.
one time there were loads of photos including one munching on a sandwich from a lunchbox. It’s like she’s posting about a family day out!
it’s ridiculous.

Not different at all, anyone that profits (financial or for the buzz of attention) off their childrens misery is a disgusting human being. A LOT of 'influencers' are disgusting

I've reflected on this quite a bit, and why this thread has made me feel uncomfortable. There is, in some posts, a whiff of, 'hiding the disabled children'. Let me explain...

I share the pretty much unanimous view that its attention seeking and crass to share ambulance selfies and A&E pics on fb. Equally, sick bowls, kids in ICU, or very obviously being very clinically unwell at that point.

But, there are thousands of families whose lives involve living in or virtually living in hospital. Kids that never actually get to leave. Kids who have achievements the same as any other kids (or ones unique to their situation).

To their parents, that's not a hospital facebook picture, but their child celebrating Christmas, or their birthday, or as above, their first smile. Most first smiles don't come with medical devices visible, but some do, and those pictures are just as precious. To some families, managing a play in the ward playroom is as much of a special event thing as a day out to a theme park. They are allowed to share photos if their child's happiness just as much as if their child wasn't disabled or iniured.

Should children that are chronically ill be hidden away because its uncomfortable for other people? Because some kids will always be sick. When my daughter had an ng tube, and was therefore visibly unwell (her illness is largely invisible now), should I have refrained from pictures because there was medical equipment? What about kids in wheelchairs?

Where pictures dont infringe on their dignity any more than any other kid (if you disagree with kids on fb, thats a much wider question), censoring what us allowed feels very much like squeamishness over disabled kids.

It's not a matter of wishing to keep disabled or chronically ill children out of sight, speaking as someone who was myself, to a relatively mild degree compared with many, a chronically ill child. It's a matter of objecting to posts of the sort 'See how ill poor X looks! Please bestow some sympathy and attention on them (really on the parent)!' In my experience, children and adults who have or had chronic health issues tend to dislike having sympathy bestowed on their symptoms, almost as though it were a treat, more than the usually-healthy do. More than once, I've heard people comment on other people's symptoms 'Well, at least it must get you lots of sympathy!' I find it really upsetting if said to me.

I hate this as well and the hospital check in one's. What I hate the most is when they set pages up of they're child's journey. Either battling cancer or another terminal illness or disability. Then there's the one's that have constant articles in the local paper and they're child often can't consent or understand what they are posting. It's attention seeking.

Not everything in life has to be shared online. Somethings need to be private. There is nothing acceptable about a selfie with a dying relative in the background.

Someone I know literally posted a photo of their toddler in hospital with a broken arm. The poor little thing looked in so much pain and so sad. Just no need for it!