Internet Safety as a Parent
Sharing your child's milestones, birthday, funny things they do or say, and school accomplishments can be one of the joys of being a parent. Social media makes it easy to keep family and friends updated, especially if they don't live nearby. But before you post something, it's important to remember that your child is growing up in a digital world and some of the information shared about them may become part of their digital footprint long before they are old enough to make that decision for themselves. This doesn't mean parents should never post pictures or updates about their children. Instead, it is about finding a healthy balance between celebrating your child and protecting their privacy. A good rule is to pause and think about what you're sharing, who can see it, and how your child might feel about it years from now.
What Parents Should Think About Before Posting
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Think about why you're posting.
Are you sharing a special memory with close family, or are you posting because you feel pressured to keep up with social media? -
Be careful with personal information.
Avoid publicly sharing details such as your child's full name, home address, school, phone number, full birth date, or other information that could make them easily identifiable. -
Avoid posting your child's exact location.
Be cautious about posting where your child currently is, particularly if the information identifies their school, daycare, regular playground, sports practice, or other routine locations. Consider waiting until after you've left a location before sharing photos from there. -
Think twice about school uniforms, logos, and identifying details.
A school name on a uniform, a street sign in the background, or a visible house number can give additional information about where your child spends time. -
Keep embarrassing moments private.
Potty-training accidents, temper tantrums, punishments, medical situations, and other vulnerable moments may be funny or memorable to a parent, but your child may feel differently about them later. -
Never post photos of your child who is undressed or partially undressed.
This includes bath-time pictures, diaper-only photos, and other images that expose your child's body. In the age of AI where anyone, anywhere can take your photo and make it into something else, it's important to protect your child by not sharing nude or semi nude photos of them. -
Check your privacy settings.
Know who can see your posts and review your followers and friends from time to time. Make sure your location on apps like Instagram, facebook and snapchat are off. Remember that privacy settings cannot guarantee that something will remain private. Someone can screenshot, download, or reshare content at any time. -
Be careful about posting other children.
If your child's friends appear in a photo or video, consider asking their parents or guardians before posting it publicly. Teaching children to respect other people's privacy is also an important part of internet safety. -
Remember that deleted doesn't always mean gone.
Once something is posted, someone may have already saved or shared it. Even disappearing content can be saved through screenshots or recordings.
Parents don't have to completely disappear from social media to protect their children's privacy. Consider sharing:
- Family celebrations without identifying information
- Photos that don't reveal your child's location
- General milestones rather than detailed personal information
- Activities and hobbies your child enjoys
- Photos where identifying school or location information isn't visible
- Family memories shared privately with trusted relatives
For especially personal memories, consider keeping them offline. Printing photos for a family album or scrapbook can allow you to celebrate your child's childhood without creating another permanent digital record.
"Think Before You Post" Checklist
Before posting a photo or story about your child, ask yourself:
- Would my child be comfortable with this being public?
- Does this reveal where my child lives, goes to school, or spends time?
- Does it include personal information?
- Could this embarrass my child now or later?
- Would I be comfortable with a stranger seeing it?
- Would I be okay if this post were still around years from now?
- Have I considered whether my child is old enough to have a say?
Parenting in the digital age means making decisions that previous generations never had to consider. Sharing your child's life online can be a wonderful way to celebrate memories and stay connected with loved ones, but it is also important to remember that those memories belong to your child, too and they should be considered. If you're reconsidering what you've shared, start where you are. Review old posts, remove information that no longer needs to be public, adjust your privacy settings, and create new boundaries around what you share going forward. Also, make your family and friends aware of your boundaries so that they know what to post and not to post about your child.
