Do you post pic of your children's faces online / judge people who do / don't and why ?

[sicklye]

I occasionally post pics of my kids on FB and instagram.

Maybe once or twice a year. I occasionally do stories too. Maybe 3 to 4 times a year.

I decided that if it wasn't too often, it would be fine.

Some people never post at all or some blur out the faces.

Others post daily.

What's your stance on this and what are you reasons for posting / not posting / blurring out faces ?

DB has a 20 and 19 year old. I have a 17 year old.

So we were all on Facebook in the late 2000s. I posted pics of my baby, DB's two were not. Their mother (very sensible imo) said she didn't want pictures of her kids in such a public sphere.

I cancelled Fb when DD was about three. DD has grown up with SM and expressed to me at about the age of 10 not to post her face on SM (Instagram by then) without her knowing.

Now she has her own IG and can control her image online as best she can. I sent photos of her to my parents and brother by email. I rarely put her photo even on my private IG account.

Her older cousin is an aspiring musical actor so we get the odd IG story from her. But her brother never posts a thing on SM. I think their mum has definitely influenced this.

I think it’s one thing having a private SM account and posting normal photos of your child. I find that acceptable as it’s sharing with people you trust.

What I do find off, is people who share photos of their children when their account is public and literally anyone can look at their photos. I find that idea awful as you don’t know who could be looking.

I also find it concerning when people post so much of their life online that you could work out where they live, where they work, where their kids go to school as they have their child’s photo on with their school uniform on. It blows my mind when people do that who have public accounts!

But loads of people would already have seen it, maybe for years. The damage is done.

Once a year I do a big photo dump of DD on her birthday (she's now 4) for the family that don't get to see her often and I love the memories each year. However we recently did an internet safety thing at work and I've been really bothered since then, deleted loads of friends that I don't really know or see any more as I can see how easily people can access and misuse images.

My security settings are pretty tight but I don't think it's enough.
If I did it again I wouldn't put any pics up

No I don't and

No I don't and personally I think it's wrong to post photos of children who can't give their consent.

I wouldn't judge the occasional birthday photo because I know some people like to do that but I absolutely judge people who plaster their kids all over social media, often with 'funny' anecdotes such as 'the face of a girl who's just hit her brother over the head.' Or where they're basically vlogging their children's life. It's unnecessary, potentially embarrassing for the children and at worst, these images can and are manipulated into sexualised ones.

I mean, why do it? IME although we all think our own children are the most incredible beings to walk the planet, no one else is that interested in them anyway. I'm a big believer in respecting children's privacy to grow up without an online presence

I post on my private account, but only ever appropriate photos eg clothed. A number of my international friends don’t post their children so I think they take it more seriously in their countries - they post but with a heart over the children’s face, or not at all.

it’s up to people what they want to do. Was quite a funny one though as a friend of mine posted a very sanctimonious post when her first was born “this is the ONLY photo of PFB face I will ever post”. Cue her then posting photos weekly of him because “he’s just too cute not to”!

Absolutely agree I have a real problem with people sharing videos across the internet of private incidents in their children’s life for likes and laughs. It’s not the same as just sort of sharing/keeping up with friends and their children. It’s much more like using your children and it’s not alright.

I dont post any pictures of my children, it is their data and they cannot consent.

Yes, I judge those who SM is wall to wall pics/running commentary of their kids lives.

It is for the likes and nothing else in my opionion.

My settings are private only friends can see (and that's about 40). I always ask my kids if I can post a pic before I do.

I don’t have Facebook or instagram.
only twitter - the few I post, I blur their faces out.
I work closely with Safeguarding so have become lots stricter as a result.
judgemental? Hmm. I don’t really understand the need to post photos of children to be honest. Any photos I want to share would be with family, and I do that via WhatsApp.
What I really do judge is posting photos of children who are injured/in hospital etc. Really bizarre behaviour.

When my children were babies and toddlers I would put up a lot of photos and videos of them on Instagram, and a little bit on Facebook (private accounts with only close friends and family as followers). However, when my dd got to school age, simultaneously I started feeling uncomfortable about what I was putting up about her (mainly photos/videos of her saying or doing funny things) and she started saying she didn't want to have her photo on instagram. So I started limiting it to rare photos of her posing with the family at occasions/events rather than more personal photos. I did the same with my ds. I got rid of Facebook and Instagram last year so it's no longer an issue now anyway. Dh never posts anything on social media, and none of our close family or friends really use social media for posting anymore so my dc (10 and 6) have barely appeared on social media for years now.

It isn't with everyone. I don't post for the likes

I post pics of my kids. I hid lots of my early FB albums as they went to secondary school so they can only now be seen by me just in case of any unintended embarrassment (although no naked/bath pics or anything like that).

I don't judge people who don't post their kids, I barely notice, but I sort of do judge people who people who post obscure pics/only hands/back of head etc as it's kind of boring so I think why bother.

@FarmCFer yes, children in hospital, or hurt, or just upset about something and crying - that's particularly bizarre. But I disagree with posting any pictures of young children who can't consent, and blurring their faces or putting a heart over is pointless. Just let children spend their formative years offline!

But there is no support? A couple of likes isn't worth her daughters privacy.

@entiawest thats fair enough! Trying to think of the occasions I have.. two were for competitions (one for WBD costume and one holding up a picture they’d drawn). I am in the habit of asking them anytime I do! Think that’s just common courtesy to do for anyone.

Photos of children crying 😩 just why would that be a parent’s first thought to not only take a photo, but post it? It’s so strange.

Would you not have those memories in any case?

I don't post any photos of DS.

Not in a million years.

Happy to share DDs photo with family/friends, with strict understanding it will not find it's way to SM under any circumstances.

The other thing is that social media is quite a good way to know your information is there for you to look at. It’s a highlights real that can be as private as you want, with as few followers as you want. I never trust that iCloud etc won’t fuck up and delete everything and it feels a bit safer somehow knowing some key moments are logged somewhere for me to look back at.

My daughter has an allergy and its been so hard and I post for support

I sometimes post a pic on my dd’s birthday and that’s it. I also dont have any pics of her on my page

Why do you need to post her photo?

Surely you can protect her privacy and still get support?

Because my friends and family like to see her.