Don't Want to Be "That" Mom? Ask Yourself This Before Posting Your Next Kid Pic

By Kate Stahl

We all know that one mom on Facebook or Instagram. She probably means well, but you're this close to blocking or unfollowing her if she posts one more photo of her baby cutely covered in carrots or sitting next to the family cat. It's not that you hate babies; I mean, you have your own, and they're pretty cool. It's not that you hate baby photos; you literally beg your long-distance best friend to post more. It's not even that you hate her baby photos. You've just hit your saturation limit, and it's turned from cute to straight-up annoying. Like call-your-girlfriends-and-talk-behind-her-back annoying.

This chick just doesn't seem to get the etiquette rules of social media even though the rest of us know that, though vague and undefined, they totally exist. Think you might be "that" mom or just want to ensure that you never become her? Here are the four questions you should ask yourself before putting up that next kid photo on your favorite social media site.

  1. Does everyone need to see this photo, or should I just send it to my husband and mom? I know it's hard to believe, but not everyone is dying to see every single picture you take of your kid. Their dad probably is. Their grandparents definitely are. But your high school boyfriend or that college friend you haven't spoken to since sophomore year? Guaranteed they really aren't that interested. However, if you can name at least five to 10 other people (your three best friends, your brother, your cousin) who you know will "ooh" and "aah" or catch a giggle from the pic, then by all means, go ahead and post it.
  2. When was the last time I posted a picture of my kid? I once listened to a This American Life podcast interviewing middle schoolers about their Instagram usage, and even they said posting selfies more than once a week was tacky (though they probably used some other word that I had never heard before and still don't understand). And pictures of our kids are essentially that: mom selfies. So follow the younger, more social media-aware generation and realize that over-posting is just uncool in general.
  3. Where should I post this picture? Let me just preface this by saying the answer probably isn't Facebook, unless it's a photo so amazing that you've decided to make it your profile picture or that's the only social media site you and your friends and family ever use. (If that's the case, please let me introduce you to Instagram.) Is it a one-and-done Snapchat kind of pic? A photo that will look fantastic with an Instagram filter? Or should it go on some other social media site I'm too old to know about? Just remember that your friends who follow you one social media site probably follow you on others as well, so don't unintentionally bombard them with a single shot.
  4. Is this a photo I would put in an album if I ever had time to make one? This is my favorite question to ask myself because when my kids grow up and ask me where their baby albums are, I'm probably going to have to direct them to Instagram. So when I catch an awesome snap — even if I posted another one three days before — I'm putting it up . . . for their sake.