Earlier this month a new word was added to the Collins English Dictionary and the vocabulary of social media-savvy parents everywhere: “sharenting”.
It’s defined as “the habitual use of social media to share news, images, etc. of one’s children” and it’s something many parents — the famous and not-so famous alike — take part in.
Everyone has an opinion on the Dos and Don’ts of sharenting and chatting to blogger Sophie Cachia today, aka The Young Mummy, Mamamia found out exactly what hers are.
The first time mum has built a legion of fans by sharing her parenting journey on social media, but there’s one rule of sharenting the 24-year-old says is non-negotiable.
“The only obvious one I have is nudity,” she told Mamamia‘s Katy Hall during a Facebook Live this morning at a fundraising event for local Melbourne charity St Kilda Mums.
“I actually had someone write on my page not that long ago, ‘you’ve gotta stop posting photos of Bobby in your Snapchat nude,’ and I got really defensive cause I’ve never actually done it,” she said.
Cachia, who is now pregnant with her second child, conceded she did once share a photo of her two-year-old son getting his nappy changed by accident. But she added the experience had been mortifying.
“I was just meant to send to my sister and I accidentally put it on my story… I was mortified, I was scarred, I was really upset by it.”
“So if someone accused me of doing that I thought, ‘That’s not actually true because I’ve never done that’.”
The full interview with TYM here:
Zoe Foster BlakeSonny
“I think that about Bobby,” Cachia explained.
“Bobby is my life. He is the highlight of my life moment … what would I post about if I didn’t post photos of him, but that’s just me.
“I always think that when it comes to posting people’s kids you should always just ask because some people don’t like it and it is their child.”
The soon-to-be mother of two said she also completely understands people’s concerns, but believes it’s up to every parent to decide what’s right for them and their kids.
“There’s no point dwelling on the negatives … He can’t decide what he’s having for dinner, he can’t decide what he wears, he can’t decide what we’re doing today, unfortunately for him, I’m his mother at the moment and he’s two and I make those decisions.”
To make a donation or find out more or about the work that St Kilda Mums does, head here.
Top Comments
I'm sorry - who is this woman and why are we meant to care about her blog?
We don't own our children. They are separate human beings to us with their own thoughts, feelings and insecurities. Their privacy should be respected! When parents post whatever they like, and say they know what's best for them and their kids, they're really saying 'I'll do what I want with my child's privacy'. We need to step back, stop being so selfish and think beyond the current moment of needing to post photos of our kids. Wait till they're older and actually give permission.
YES ^^^ Ava that is exactly my opinion - children are people, not our things!