Let’s talk about your kids’ privacy

Gorgeous millennial and Gen Z mums, I see you. We love our kids. They are adorable; with all of their quirks and cuteness. And we came at a time when technology has made it so easy to share how adorable our kids are with the world. It is so beautiful. We are not only limited to showing off our kids to neighbours, friends and in their school anymore. The world is now literally our oyster. 

Awesome stuff.

That makes us all guilty of sharenting - the practice of parents, relatives and caregivers sharing information about children on online platforms. It’s not terrible in itself. I mean, it’s a beautiful thing that a kid is walking, a child can do exceptional things at such a young age. Sharing can inspire other parents to pay more attention to their kids.

Where it goes wrong is oversharing everything about kids’ lives on online platforms. And a lot of times, we do it to get reactions that would drive traffic to your platform. In other words, the kid becomes a bait for amusement, for a product sale or for validation for parents whose identity is solely attached to them being parents of that kid. Outside of the positive attention that posting your kid might drag to your page, there are also some very negative comments and attention that it might attract. There are predators everywhere and with the world being so connected, posting your kid gives them permission to react/comment. You, the grown up can barely fight off negative comments/reactions on posts about yourself and your business. Now imagine what that looks like for a defenceless kid.

The unintended consequences of sharenting is also that “the internet never forgets anything.” We have no idea who our kids would be in the future; what profession they would choose; where they might end up. And whatever you post about them now is available as part of the impression that would be formed about them by anyone who cared to look. These posts contribute to what forms their identity, their confidence, their mental health and even their perception/understanding of what you think about them.

So before you make the next post about your kid on online platforms, consider the following;

• Respect your kids’ privacy - They are an entity whom you currently managed. How about you respect that.

• Think about what that post might mean in the next twenty/thirty years for that kid.

• Post only your appearance/role in the situation that you are intrigued about and leave the kid out.

• If you must post your kids, how about leaving their face out of the post. You can post their back view or other areas of their body.

• Shy away from posting potentially embarrassing things about your kids.

• Avoid posting their real names.

• Do not post their location or yours while you are still there. DO NOT post their school.

• Set a boundary of what to post or not post about your kids and compel family members to do the same.

• Let them decide the amount of information about themselves they would like to share when they are of age.

• Detach your identity from that of your child or in your role as a parent. This will be difficult but try.

• Normalise celebrating your kids’ achievements at home without feeling the need to post it online.

There are no take backs on the internet. Even when you scrub, there are still traces or impressions that your post has left with people. Try as much as possible not to make an impression for your kids online before they get a chance to decide what they want to be known for. And if you think you have overshared, that’s not a problem. You can start by deleting some of those posts. And be cautious going forward.

Application to join the cohort of Umi Mentorship Program opens today. If you are interested in having an experienced mother with expertise in their professional guide you, listen, inspire and hold your hands for a 3 months period of mentorship, this program is for you. These are experts who have walked the journey that you are on and are ready to share with you practical tips on how to climb the career ladder while being very much involved in your kids’ lives.

See the flier below for more details. APPLY HERE