I Got Permission Before I Posted This

These days, you hear about kids, safety, and the Internet. People discuss how to limit information so that predators do not know too much about your kids People discuss the dangers of cyberbullying, and sexting. But no one has discussed whether or not the kids want to put their stories on the Internet.

Sometimes I read parenting blogs or Facebook posts where the parents complain about their kids or
relay negative stories, such as how some three year old took their poop and smeared it all over the
walls. The stories are not limited to babies and toddlers - some parents continue with these stories
as the kids progress through elementary school and higher. When I read the story about how a kid
cheated at school, I wonder if that kid really wants the world to know about it. Or if the kid simply has a bad day, does he or she want the Facebook community at large to share the information?

How will this sharing effect these kids in the long run? Will your teenage son or daughter want their
future dates to be able to look up every dirty story from his or her childhood? What about future
employers? Will a kid who screws up in elementary school still be haunted by it ten years later?

I know some of you will think I’m exaggerating, but once something is posted on the Internet, you have to assume it is out there forever. It is the only safe and sane assumption. So if an employer has a
pool of qualified candidates and begins to use the Internet to learn more about each candidate, who’s
to say that these stories won’t affect the decision?

That doesn’t mean I don’t like parenting blogs, or cute stories of kids. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t post about your kids. I just think that we as parents need to think about what we post, and maybe ask kids for their permission before posting about them. After all, it is their life and their story to tell.

Besides, would you want your kids to tell everyone about your bad days?