Blogging about your kids...always a good idea?

[PachiSusan]

The blogs that probably need to change, aren't participating in this discussion.

 

 

That's probably VERY true. :)

[SKL]

OP here.

 

I didn't mean to say that any and every type of blog referring to your children is somehow wrong. Not at all. There are certainly some lovely blogs about family life.

 

My concern is about parents broadcasting a child's mistake or shortcoming or horrible mood or really irritating behavior. I think that's what my original post said. I don't think that's fair to the child.

 

Just restating.

Your OP seemed broader to me, including stuff like picky eating, which I would think is just something most kids go through to a greater or lesser extent. To me, posting in a lighthearted manner about common childhood phases is just keeping it real. I don't get embarrassed when my mom brings up typical young kid stuff I did. Nobody is going to look down on me for that. As for who owns the information, I would say in most cases it is shared. My kids sure have no filter on what they say about our home life, LOL. In the adoption context it is different. I am very careful what I say about my kids' histories up to the time I took custody as their mother. In that case it's not my personal information, but theirs and their birth families'. I might share rare bits and pieces for some purpose (e.g., understanding some of my kids' inherited issues), but certainly nothing that could be hurtful.

[I.Dup.]

I think sharing your children's problems with your parents is very different than sharing them with extended family, friends, and strangers via blog or other social media. Dh and I have discussed kid issues with our parents, but they don't share that information with others. I also don't see it being so much about keeping secrets. It is more, at least to me, about having parts of our lives meant to be private, and about respecting what my kids are comfortable with sharing with friends and strangers.

 

I understand, but that is why I mentioned "the village." We don't have a village anymore. The things I mention with my kids are things 'the village' would know if there was one. If a kid screams all the time, that will be noticed in "the village" or come up in conversation as the parents are exhausted, don't know how to react, are just venting, etc. I don't see that being mentioned as the end of the world.

 

I do think there is a difference between what I am thinking of- the occasional vent (not rage, or name calling, cursing rant, but vent) and what some of you all may be talking about in parents truly going off on their children, their spouse, etc. It just seemed many posts were disgusted that anyone would speak of their children at all, or post pictures.

 

I think there is a spectrum of opinion here and some are taking offense when their blogs/posts have nothing wrong with them. I can't speak for everyone, but in my responses to this topic, I believe I've made it clear that I like blogs, FB, and other forms of social media. My only concern is for those children of parents who seem to have no filter. They see nothing wrong with ranting about their children, mocking them, venting publicly about their latest mistakes, etc. How much personal data or pictures someone puts on their blog is their choice, and I have no opinion about that as long as what they're displaying isn't solely for the purpose of making another person laugh at the expense of their child's feelings or raging about a mistake that their child made. That is where I draw the line. Saying you had a hard day and had to clean sharpie off the wall is entirely different than posting a picture of your pouting child in front of said wall holding a sign of shame. That is the type of thing that I am talking about.

 

Well this makes sense. I found it very sad what a poster mentioned previously about blogs that purposefully humiliate and expose their family just to make money or draw readers. That makes me sad. :( I have not personally seen that, well, maybe on one blog that I can think of, maybe, but thankfully that does not seem very common.

 

Your OP seemed broader to me, including stuff like picky eating, which I would think is just something most kids go through to a greater or lesser extent. To me, posting in a lighthearted manner about common childhood phases is just keeping it real. I don't get embarrassed when my mom brings up typical young kid stuff I did. Nobody is going to look down on me for that. As for who owns the information, I would say in most cases it is shared. My kids sure have no filter on what they say about our home life, LOL. In the adoption context it is different. I am very careful what I say about my kids' histories up to the time I took custody as their mother. In that case it's not my personal information, but theirs and their birth families'. I might share rare bits and pieces for some purpose (e.g., understanding some of my kids' inherited issues), but certainly nothing that could be hurtful.

 

:iagree:

[Catwoman]

I think there is a spectrum of opinion here and some are taking offense when their blogs/posts have nothing wrong with them. I can't speak for everyone, but in my responses to this topic, I believe I've made it clear that I like blogs, FB, and other forms of social media. My only concern is for those children of parents who seem to have no filter. They see nothing wrong with ranting about their children, mocking them, venting publicly about their latest mistakes, etc. How much personal data or pictures someone puts on their blog is their choice, and I have no opinion about that as long as what they're displaying isn't solely for the purpose of making another person laugh at the expense of their child's feelings or raging about a mistake that their child made. That is where I draw the line. Saying you had a hard day and had to clean sharpie off the wall is entirely different than posting a picture of your pouting child in front of said wall holding a sign of shame. That is the type of thing that I am talking about.

 

 

That's the kind of stuff I was thinking of, too.

 

As with most things, it's all about the intent.

[Caroline]

I was thinking about this thread while reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Do you ever wonder if Alexander felt betrayed by that book? I guess the difference between Judith Viorst's books and a mommy blog is the frequency of the information.

[Guest submarines]

I was thinking about this thread while reading Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Do you ever wonder if Alexander felt betrayed by that book? I guess the difference between Judith Viorst's books and a mommy blog is the frequency of the information.

And the fact that most people assume picture books are fiction.