"Tommy," I said the other day, "do you mind when I blog about you?"
He shrugged. "No. It helps teach people about autism."
I let out a breath of relief. I figured I should ask because he is fourteen, and I keep seeing blog posts on why you shouldn't blog about your kids. Apparently they could be horrified when they get older and resent you for sharing their life with strangers. The posts I try to share about my kids are always meant to help others or to remind them that they aren't alone.
I had a feeling my son wouldn't mind. After all, he has a YouTube channel where he talks about what living with autism is like here. (Plus he does gaming videos.)
I went to my daughter next. She's 9 and understands that I blog. Sometimes when she comes in with friends and I'm on the laptop she's all, "Oh, she's on her blog thing."
"Natalie," I said as I walked into her room. I nearly passed out from the smell. It wasn't BO, no, it was like a perfume bottle had exploded in there. I hurried to the window and opened it. "Did something spill?"
Natalie shook her head. "No, I put on perfume."
I coughed. "Remember when I told you less is more? If I can taste your perfume, you've put too much on."
Natalie tilted her head to the side, considering my words. As she's getting older she's wanting to experiment more with perfume and make up.
"Anyway," I continued. "You know I blog, right? Do you mind when I write about you?"
"Not if you pay me," she quipped. "That'll be $29.99."
I gave her a Look.
Natalie smiled. "You can." She lowered her voice. "Are you going to be writing about this?"
"Probably."
"At least let everyone know that it's good perfume, bought in a glass bottle from The Children's Place."
"I will," I said solemnly.
I'll probably ask her again in a few years. Or maybe one day she'll ask me to stop on her own and I'll abide by her wishes. In my eyes, if your kids are okay with it, by all means, blog about them. Obviously keep it tasteful even when one of your children are behaving like Satan. (Natalie. Sometimes.)
But for now, I'll continue to share my stories about my kids.
After all, they are two of the best things I've ever done.
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I'm glad Tommy gets to use this as a platform to share his story!!! Your blog and his YouTube are very helpful to others!
ReplyDeleteTommy is awesome for looking at it that way!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely nothing wrong with sharing stories about your kids and that's so cool your son has a youtube channel at such a young age!!
ReplyDeleteAmanda :)
Ahaha that'll be $29.99. Very cheeky ;) I love the way Tommy thinks!
ReplyDeleteI love these answers! Looks like you owe her some money:D But at least you've got permissions:)
ReplyDeleteKids can be such a source of knowledge I know I speak about my grand kids in my blogs too, I never however share their photos or their location, you never know these days who is reading what. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThe whole point of my blog is to write about my kids. I know there can be risks, but I just take them!
ReplyDeleteOh, I definitely blog about mine on my personal blog. I think when you have a kid with SN blogging is a lifesaver -- at least it was for me.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. AT ALL. I understand people are proud of their children, but there are way too many creepy people out there these days!
ReplyDeleteI love how Natalie said you had to charge her for blogging about here. Ow, that was funny. In the real world, she should do that, if a "stranger" asks to blog about her. Tommy is brave, good for him. Keep blogging about your kids. 😄
ReplyDeleteI try not to blog to much on my kids, the world can be pretty scary when you share too much.
ReplyDeleteI blog about my grand kids but they always ask me to, lol. I think my kids would have bulked at the idea though.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good idea to ask anyone that might be identifiable permission. I like that you asked your kids if it was OK. I've had a similar conversation with my family in the past. The only other way is to anonymise your posts.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest boys dont mind me writing about them. The teen on the other hand does so I have to only get back photos of him and leave his name out.
ReplyDeleteJust checked out tommy's YouTube videos...they are amazing... and am thinking to blog on my son too but am not sure about it
ReplyDeleteMy grandma was sweet and thought I might be sharing too much. But after thinking about it, I didn't feel like I was violating their safety in any way. If anything, writing about them on my blog makes me very aware of what I share.
ReplyDeleteI like your perspective that it's too help others.
Both your children sound very astute, and I think it's great that your son shares his story too!
ReplyDeleteI love Tommy's answer! and Natalie's too - hilarious. I do think it's gotten harder now that I don't have babies or toddlers anymore. Generally Scarlet likes to know about things first, especially with Facebook stuff, since so much of my blog is more personal. It's tough. Des doesn't care at all yet!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter came home from school the other day saying kids had found her on google by searching for me. I ask them for permission before we post about stuff, the kids love to see themselves on the blog.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting- my girls are babies right now. I write helpful posts about Homesteading and they are in many cover photos because they like to "help". It's cute. Hopefully they won't sue me in 15 years.
ReplyDeleteNot having children, I can't really comment on what I would do. However, I do know that I would protect them from danger, real or perceived. As an attorney, I've seen a lot. I don't think think the internet is a good place for children.
ReplyDeleteBeth || www.TheStyleBouquet.com
This is so sweet :) I love that you ask your kids for permission. I feel like that shows them that you truly do respect their boundaries and wishes.
ReplyDeleteAnd I, for one, am grateful that you blog about your kids. As a SpED teacher, I really appreciate the way you highlight your relationship with your son. It helps me see the parent perspective :)
Omg - yes, to everything about this! I love that you talked about this with your kids (I have talked about it with mine as well) and that your kids are supportive of what you're doing and don't mind sharing your spotlight.
ReplyDeleteI also love that your son has a youtube channel where he can give his own perspective on things.
I think it's important to make sure your kids are comfortable with being mentioned in blog posts. You've done the right thing!
ReplyDeleteI like that you asked them, especially since they are a little bit older. However, if you are just documenting your journey with them, I wouldn't see why it would hurt. It's probably going to be awesome when they grow up and can look back through those memories that happened and see them through your eyes or theirs (if you interviewed them). It's good that you are thinking about it! Personally, I blog about my kids when it's relevant as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice topic and in my own opinion blogging about them sometimes will be okay but there should always be a certain limit because of the danger that leads the bad persons to get some information about your lifestyle where they can be attracted the most.
ReplyDeleteKids today are less inclined to keep it bottled in. They share just about everything. I have to tell my 20 yo son, that he's overhearing from time to time when he talks about his girlfriend adventures. And my husband will never look at my daughters IG feed ever again... Serves him right. lol
ReplyDeleteThank you for using your platform to share your families story. I really enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteI think it is lovely that you asked your son for permission and he was okay about it. Plus I really think that blogging about your kids is real nice x
ReplyDeleteI think at that age it is important to ask permission but it will be amazing for them to look back on your blog in years to come and see their childhoods documented for the m to read!
ReplyDeleteI think it is great because it almost creates a memory book. This is Internet space that they can look back on years later and laugh or smile wryly over memories :)
ReplyDeleteI think that your blog is very thoughtful and very interesting and helpful for many people so continue to share your posts :)
ReplyDeleteWhat I do is give my kids permission to read anything on my blog whenever they want. I should be okay with them reading whatever I write about them if I'm going to allow other people to see it. Anything personal or potentially embarrassing or negative, I can write it in a journal or talk to my husband in private about it.
ReplyDeleteLOL I like your little lady! She's an entrepreneur in the making. Knows exactly what she wants, with sass! 👍👍👍👍
ReplyDeleteI live in a small area and some people think I'm nuts for talking about my daughter and posting her pics all over. Personally I love seeing people share their children's lives on the net!!!
ReplyDeleteI do post my Daughter every now and then on my social media . But on my blog I have post about her. I guess I have to do it more often.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sweet you asked your kids for their opinion! I think it is something very personal to each individual and how comfortable they are with sharing stuff about their kids, there is no right or wrong.
ReplyDeletexx, Kusum | www.sveeteskapes.com
I think its cool blogging about your kids if it helps out other parents, or even funny stories. But also to a certain extent some people post way too much info about their kids and with the weirdos out in the internet it's scary.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't really go as far as sharing something really personal, just the general stuff. I think it's okay to share about your kids. It's also nice that they have something to read when they grow up.
ReplyDeleteYes to all of these! Sometimes blogging my kids feels me proud as a parent.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with this, so long as we have their permission and we're not invading their privacy, I think it's okay to blog about our kids. Oversharing is something that we have to be aware of.
ReplyDeleteWow, it's nice that your kids really let you blog them. I love Tommy's answer to you that he want's other people to get idea about autism! -Anosa
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely blog about everyone and everything that you are passionate about - including family. Tommy is a sweetheart.
ReplyDeleteI guess it depends on how old are you kids but if you're blogging about what you love that surely includes your family! Tommy is a legend!
ReplyDeleteI can't really comment on this since I don't have kids... but I don't actually have an answer on this. I think it's important to set some boundaries... but other than that ... I like that you asked your children, let them decide!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that debated for 4 years over this very topic. In the end, she did start blogging about him, but very rarely. For example, if she was doing a post about cereal, she might put a photo of him eating it but as far as telling a story about her kids, she still doesn't do that (and I don't blame her!)
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about posting about your children. If they are young they really do not know what you are doing. As they enter the teens I would ask permission if it was okay. My children are 22 and 24. They do not really approve of much. Of course I ask but it depends on the topic.
ReplyDeleteYour kids are adorable. I do post about my kids from time to time but I have changed their names, as I can't change their photos.
ReplyDeleteI love blogging about my family. We are far from perfect and I hope others will find some humor or relate to them in some way
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was younger he was always so excited about me blogging and him being on the blog. But last year he said he was letting his baby sister take over lol Now when I write something about him I ask if if it's ok.
ReplyDeleteI try not to but sometimes it is hard. Kids are so cute. My son is autistic and really doesn't understand the whole "blogging" thing. My niece, she will have me talk about her all the time if I wanted to! :)
ReplyDeleteI like the idea that you asked their approval before you post. I don't blog about my children for fear that the world can be less forgiving and scary when you too much. This is just me but you do what floats your boat.
ReplyDeletei think its awesome to blog about your kids. i mean why not everyone is blogging about everything and it seems to be a form of therapy for so many people
ReplyDeleteWhat a good blog topic! We talked about this in my social media ethics class at grad school. You have to be so careful what you post publicly, but I'm glad your son is willing to share his story.
ReplyDeleteYou have beautiful kids and they deserve to be featured on your blog. My daughter gets excited every time I mentioned that she'll be on my blog...lol! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletewww.gregdemcydias.com
Your kids are adorable! Featuring kids on your blog can also attract more readers!
ReplyDeletehttps://lovekimber.com/
Whether or not to blog about your kids is a tough question but I think it comes down to each parent to decide. I don't think there is a yes or no answer since it depends on the content and all sorts of things. I know parents that post all sorts of stuff on social media about there kids and others that have a social media blackout.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that your children shares their story too!
ReplyDeleteI have this experience too with my 9yr old daughter. she is proud that as her mum, i am blogging and do youtube videos, she tells everyone about it. I try not to blog and share about my family/personal life and just do my own thing. Sometimes I share photos of us, family trips but not giving much infos hehe
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you asked them what they thought about being involved in your blog. One day I will be having this conversation as well.
ReplyDeletelove reading about your children! They sound so lovely and wonderful <3
ReplyDeleteYour kids are a hoot, I'm so glad you blog about them and they are okay with it!
ReplyDeleteI really think this is kids and the parents choice. We mention our kiddos a lot in our blog and I know other bloggers that will never mention their kids. I think if the kids want to be involved why not. Your kids look very comfortable being part of your blog
ReplyDeleteI've thought about this a few times, and at least in my mind, it depends on what is being discussed in the blog. As long as it is respectful and doesn't put any information out there that shouldn't be about the kid.
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious!! At least it's good quality perfume from Children's Place (I didn't even know they had perfume!). And yes, less is more!! I blog about my kids too, oops! I don't use their real name at least though, that gives me a bit of privacy for them I hoped. They aren't old enough to ask like yours, glad they said yes though! Otherwise......awkward lol!!
ReplyDeleteI think it is fab that your son has a Youtube channel and is okay with your blogging! More people need to understand Autism and support those who have it :) I think it is also quite funny about Natalie with the perfume ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post. Your kids seem very mature.
ReplyDeleteBlogging about the kids would be nice coz your readers will learn something from your post. But if am doing it my way, i might created a more curated post, and perhaps not showing my kids faces directly, maybe photographing my kid from behind, just like Victoria Beckham is doing. For kids' security.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your kids really look like wonderful. It is good asking them their permission first before posting about them online. I do too with my 6 year old niece. She tells me if she want her pictures posted on facebook or not.
ReplyDeleteI’m very iffy about including my children in blogging…I still haven’t come to a decision about it (I’ll debate more when I actually have a child). I have no judgements though on those that do include their children in their blogging and admire them for it!
ReplyDeleteIt's actually so great that you communicate with your kids in such an open and candid way. I wish my own parents were like this when we were growing up.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I know parents who start FB accounts, Instagram, etc, once their baby is born! Hmm, I guess they want to secure a "vanity URL" for their kids, but at the same time, it does bring up serious issues of privacy and permissions/personal boundaries.
I guess "the Talk" now not only refers to the topic of sex that parents have to have with their kids, but now also extends to their social media presence! 😅
I could understand the reason to not write about your kids too. I was always wary about writing about my kids because of some horror stories I hear about but blogging about them is my joy and I just make sure I do everything to help protect myself and them!
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered what it would be like to grow up in a world where your parents share your life on a blog or Facebook. I just imagine my 14 year old self going through my mom's theoretical blog and being like "really? That one time I made a mess with x thing? Why mom?" Lol. I'm glad you are asking them and I want to go check out your sons youtube channel.
ReplyDelete