When does sharing things about your kids online become oversharing? And how do older kids who have grown up on their parents’ blogs and social media feeds feel about having their childhoods posted for public consumption? You’ve probably noticed we’re much more private about our own kids these days, and in this special episode we’re diving into “sharenting” and the reasons why we’ve decided to scale back. We also talked with four other bloggers (Erin Loechner, Myquillyn Smith, Cassie Freeman, and Joy Cho) about how much is too much to share – and we loved hearing how they find the right balance for their family. It was fascinating to chat with people who all come at this topic from a different angle to hear what feels right for them and when they know they’ve crossed the line.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, and TuneIn Radio – or listen to it below! Then use this page to check out any links, notes, or photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you might have to click through to the post to see the player.
Guests
- Erin Loechner
- You can learn more about Erin on her blog, Design for Mankind, or follow her on Instagram or Facebook
- She’s also written a post called “The Line” about balancing her children’s privacy and blogging about motherhood
- She also authored the book Chasing Slow that Sherry was digging back in Episode #34
- Joy Cho
- You can learn more about Joy on her blog, Oh Joy!, as well as her social feeds like Instagram, Pinterest, & YouTube
- You can also hear our original interview with Joy about how rejection has fueled her business in Episode #36
- Myquillyn Smith
- You can learn more about Myquillyn (aka “The Nester”) on her blog, Nesting Place, on places like Instagram and Facebook
- She’s also got a book called The Nesting Place, with the ever-encouraging subtitle: it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful
- Cassie Freeman
- You can catch up with Cassie on her blog, Hi Sugarplum!, and her social feeds like Instagram and Facebook
- You can also hear our original interview with Cassie about embracing color in your decor in Episode #43
Additional Reading
Below are some links to other posts and articles on this subject that have been helpful as we (constantly!) think about it:
- As we mentioned, our friend Katie Bower wrote a post in response to a negative comment about sharing her kids and how she sees it as a way to celebrate them
- Nicole Balch (who was featured on our special episode about sponsored posts) wrote a great post about this subject and why she planned to share less as her kids aged on her blog Making It Lovely
- This writer on Wellness Mama addresses “Why I Don’t Post About My Kids Online” including some of the backlash she’s received for that decision
- “Why I Decided To Stop Writing About My Children” is a New York Times essay about the phone call that changed her perspective on sharing her children
- “Do Parents Invade Children’s Privacy When They Post Photos Online?” is an NPR piece that cites some interesting studies and stories on both sides of the discussion
- “The Pros and Cons of ‘Sharenting’” is from The Guardian, and ends with some helpful tips
- “Do We Reveal Too Much About Our Kids Online?” is a PBS Parents article also ends with some practical advice
- “Think Twice Before Posting About Your Kids Online, Pediatricians Say” is from TIME, and it summarizes the new recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics
There are certainly TONS of other reports and articles on the subject of “sharenting” so if you know of any – or have written one yourself! – please don’t hesitate to share them with us on social media.
And here’s that “Stay at Home Dad Meme” we mentioned our conversation with Joy. That’s me in the upper left (pre-beard).
Lastly, a big thank you to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. You can head over to grove.co/YHL to automatically get $20 off your first order of $40 or more AND to get our favorite natural cleaner, Mrs. Meyer’s All-Purpose Spray, thrown in for free!
Thanks for listening, guys!
