Of all the things that irk me as a mom, this one topic rises pretty close to the top. I understand the urge to take thousands of pictures of your children — eating, sleeping, smiling, walking, even bathing. But can someone — any rational human being — please explain to me why some parents think it’s appropriate to post these “birthday suit” photos of their children on social media sites that can be seen by anyone, anywhere at any time?
When I see pictures like this, it makes me cringe. There is nothing wrong with having a picture of your baby naked — and keeping it in a real photo album (the kind with pages you can turn, remember those?) so it can be used to embarrass them later in life. But when these photos are posted on a website for all to see, so many lines are crossed. My protective instinct makes me want to send a private message to the perpetrator and not-so-kindly request that they remove the picture.
Then I remember that it’s not my child and I cannot control other people’s actions.
OK, so I might not have always followed that last bit of advice in the past, but I promise to try my best going forward. I’ll leave you with this: if you think I might be referring to you in this rant — I probably am!