Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Child Party Photo Etiquette

11 replies

WTFParents · 30/09/2023 23:56

I was at a child's party today with DD and sat next to a couple I didn't know (not birthday child or their family). They were taking some pictures of themselves and I thought it was weird that they had turned to a position where I was slightly in it but ignored it. They were with a child I know vaguely by sight and had never seen them before, usually a different woman does school run and parties - although I understand step families, guardians may be involved too.

Then there was an activity so I'd set DD up with it and let her get on with it. The man gets involved when DD isn't able to do something and falls. We are both equal distance from DD but I actually want her to have some independence so didn't rush straight over. It was an activity like, lets say trampolining, so he held her hands to pick her up and then under the arms so she was steady on her feet. This isn't my main issue. The problem for me is when the woman starts taking pictures/video in DD's direction and although I couldn't see her phone, I believe it's of her as there was no one else nearby at the time. I did interject and take DD off elsewhere afterwards.

What also bothered me is just before we left the woman started complimenting DD and asking her name. On its own, I wouldn't have worried, but put together with everything it feels off.

AIBU to think this is a bit weird? Generally there were group photos of all the kids taken and shared to a group of a few of us, however, I don't know these people and no one else was taking photos of other people's children that they didn't know. Our kids aren't close at all. I have no interest at all in taking photos of children that aren't mine, especially when they're not friends.

OP posts:
Hermittrismegistus · 01/10/2023 00:08

You think they are perverts that want to kidnap her or something?

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 01/10/2023 00:15

You know they definitely had a child there?

Maybe she was being "aww look at DH helping this other child" which is maybe a bit weird

Maybe she wasn't even taking photos at all. Or was taking selfies and turned to watch him as well because he was being helpful.

Or maybe they are running a secret child trafficking ring and aren't being subtle

WTFParents · 01/10/2023 00:17

@Hermittrismegistus I haven't concluded anything about their intentions.

I have an internal question that keeps coming back around: how many times do you take pictures/videos of a child you don't know? Or even know the parents of?

The answer is 0.

OP posts:
Happiestonthebeach · 01/10/2023 00:18

Maybe her child has mentioned being friends with you child or has seen them playing together at nursery or the park?

it sounds like she was trying to be friendly. It’s hard as a working parent, step parent to get to know your children’s friends.

airfresh123 · 01/10/2023 00:19

It’s normal to take pictures of your children at parties! I have boxes of pictures of my children at their parties …the only thrill we get is reminiscing 🤷‍♀️

WandaWonder · 01/10/2023 00:20

WTFParents · 01/10/2023 00:17

@Hermittrismegistus I haven't concluded anything about their intentions.

I have an internal question that keeps coming back around: how many times do you take pictures/videos of a child you don't know? Or even know the parents of?

The answer is 0.

You have one heck of an inner dialogue going on in there to unpick

WTFParents · 01/10/2023 00:21

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 01/10/2023 00:15

You know they definitely had a child there?

Maybe she was being "aww look at DH helping this other child" which is maybe a bit weird

Maybe she wasn't even taking photos at all. Or was taking selfies and turned to watch him as well because he was being helpful.

Or maybe they are running a secret child trafficking ring and aren't being subtle

I don't know that it was their child but they were definitely with a child from my DD's class. She was angling the camera towards them, held a bit differently than you would if it were a selfie. It seemed kind of "aw, look at that" in awe of the man, considering they also had an older girl with them too.

OP posts:
SM4713 · 01/10/2023 00:23

Why didn't you casually ask when there what they were taking pics of, rather than wondering/seething and now asking on MN?

WTFParents · 01/10/2023 00:26

She didn't know my DD's name until the end when she asked so she didn't know who me and my DD were. My DD and the child they were with are not friends at all, they didn't even interact once.

I'm not sure why you would take pictures of a random child from someone else's party. Yes, at your own child's party or if it were a group/photo with your child too or they were friends/you knew them but this isn't the case.

OP posts:
Ella31 · 01/10/2023 00:44

Maybe they were asked by the birthday child's family to take pics of the big day

WTFParents · 01/10/2023 00:49

They actually had someone in their family going around taking photos.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page