It’s natural for parents to want to share pictures of their children on social media. They are understandably proud of their children and want to demonstrate that pride to their friends and family.
If parents aren’t careful, however, they could find themselves sharing information about their children that just shouldn’t be made public. Here are a few types of pictures that parents should never share on social media.
1) Pictures of Other People’s Kids
Unless you have express permission to post an image of another person’s child, you should refrain from sharing those pictures online. Some parents are very protective of their children and don’t want pictures posted online for strangers to see.
If you’re throwing a party for your child or taking pictures at an event, make sure you ask the other parents if it’s okay for these pictures to be shared online. This will help you make sure you don’t inadvertently share something that other parents don’t want you posting.
2) Embarrassing or Shaming Pictures
We’ve all seen those images of people shaming their dogs for eating the furniture, rummaging through the trash, etc. Those are funny and cute. It’s not funny or cute when such a picture is posted of a child.
You should never post something that could embarrass or shame your child. It might seem funny or harmless, but it could have a big impact on their self-esteem. The only pictures you post should be positive and uplifting.
3) Pictures That Show Questionable or Dangerous Activities
You may have a funny pic where it looks like you’re dangling your baby over the lion’s den at the zoo or something like that. The picture may look a lot more dangerous than the actual activity, but that won’t stop someone from being really, really offended by it.
If the picture looks especially bad, it may get reported to the authorities. Even if nothing untoward actually happened, it’s not fun being investigated for child abuse. Think about that before sharing a questionable picture online.
4) Pictures of Your Kid in the Bathroom
You may have taken some pictures of your child in the tub or learning how to use the potty. That’s fine for your own private collection. It’s not fine to share online.
People with bad intentions could be stalking your page without your knowledge. The last thing you’d want is for them to have a picture of your child in the nude. Keep those images to yourself.
5) Anything Your Child Asks You Not to Post
Eventually your child will be old enough to have an opinion on what they want posted and what they don’t. No matter what age they are now or whether they’re on social media, don’t post something that your child objects to.
Doing this could ultimately damage the trust and safety a child feels with their parents. If they worry that Mom or Dad is going to turn around and share private information with the world, they may be less inclined to open up to you when it really counts.