When In Doubt...Don't

I recently read an article entitled "To Share or Not to Share," in an older issue of "Thriving Family," a Focus on the Family magazine. http://www.thrivingfamily.com/  I am an avid "Facebooker" (made up word, describing one who enjoys using facebook), but I am often bothered by posts where parents complain about their children, or air their family's dirty laundry.  I don't typically comment on these posts, but this is my blog, and I can comment here on what I think.

This article was short, and to the point, and it offered a few questions to ask yourself before you post about your children.  The article stated that "In our social media-saturated world, our posts can negatively affect our children - inflating their egos, embarrassing them or eroding their trust in us.  Before you post, ask:  How will this affect the way my child sees herself?  Does it build trust?  Home should be a haven for everyone.  Blogging about my daughter's moodiness may be cathartic, but it violates her trust in me.  What if it were me?  What's adorable to us can be embarrassing to our children.  As your child gets older, he may be mortified you posted that picture of him during bath time."  (Article written by Esther Feng)

This particular article put into words exactly what I had been thinking.  I like to post funny anecdotes about my family, but hopefully I do not humiliate them, and I keep what needs to be private, private.  Keep in mind, that when you were growing up your mother was not blogging, tweeting, or facebooking the details of your life.  While I love this age of keeping in touch with so many, it can also be a temptation to divulge too many of life's details.  Do I love that your kid plays soccer? Yes!  Do I need to know that you are mad at them for leaving their dirty underwear on the bathroom floor?  NO!  

So, when in doubt about what to say on your facebook status, don't!