PARKER Natasha Burt, 33, from Sheffield, never expected her picture-perfect toddler to become famous…
Skipping down the stairs, I waved the stick in Daniel’s face. ‘I didn’t see that coming!’ he shrieked. A positive pregnancy test! We couldn’t believe it.
It was June 2017 and me and Daniel, then 20, had been together for 18 months.
We hadn’t been trying for a baby, but this was such welcome news.
In such disbelief, I did a further three tests just to be sure!
Each one positive.
And when Parker finally arrived in April 2018, he was perfect.
Blond hair, piercing blue eyes and such a cheeky grin.
I’d always been into photography, and beautiful Parker now gave me the perfect excuse to keep on snapping.
Sending the pictures to my friends and family, I was keen to show off my little boy.
Whether it was a photo of us all as a family out at the supermarket or cracking a smile around the house, I made the most of each and every photo opportunity.
Soon, I’d amassed a whole album on my phone.
‘You are just adorable,’ I cooed. Each picture captured a memory of my little boy that I’d cherish.
I wouldn’t miss a moment of him growing up.
In December 2018, when Parker was eight months old, I had an idea.
Running out of memory space on my phone, I wanted to keep all of his pictures in one place.
So, I decided to create his very own profile on Instagram.
I know it sounds silly.
He was only a baby.
But it meant I could keep snapping photos of my boy.
And with lots of friends and family in Australia, too, the profile was a great way for them to see Parker growing up.
A self-proclaimed socialmedia buff, I loved sharing bits of my life online.
I’d had Instagram for years. So when it came to creating
been given gifts worth over £10,000 in total.
And Parker’s Insta-fame has opened up so many opportunities for our family.
We’ve done things we wouldn’t have been able to afford before. Family trips to theme parks, watching shows and concerts like Marvel Live and Disney on Ice, eating out at trendy restaurants. Unforgettable experiences. And I still find it crazy that it has all come from just posting photos of Parker.
We’ve even been contacted for sponsored deals, which pay around £200 a post.
Before I fell pregnant, I worked as a dog groomer, but the money from the ads has meant I’ve been able to cut down my hours. Managing Parker’s profile is like a full-time job.
I’m constantly thinking about deals, sponsors and what his next pic will be.
But the best thing is that I’m around all the time and I won’t miss a moment of Parker growing up. In the future, I hope I can make enough money from it to make it a full-time job.
There have been times I’ve been criticised, though.
It’s dangerous posting photos of your children online, comments on the web read. But I don’t see it like that. I’m very careful about the type of photos we take and upload of Parker.
And the people who follow him love it. Now, Parker is gaining around 200 followers a week and he currently has 18,500 followers on Instagram. Some of his posts can be seen by 20,000 people. It’s crazy!
I reckon that makes him Britain’s cutest toddler – but then, I would say that! While we’re grateful for all the gifts and opportunities having an Insta-famous tot has brought, the main use of Parker’s profile isn’t as a business.
To me, it’s still as I intended it to be all along.
A diary of pictures of my beautiful boy growing up.