Is it irresponsible to share photos of my kids online? My friend told me off

I’m not coming to the pixelated party on a strong footing. I shared images of my kids to thousands of people for a few years and only stopped last year after setting down a fairly hefty digital footprint. But the conclusion I came to was that we can’t let ‘sharenting’ – sharing images of your children online – become the next judgemental stick with which to beat parents.

I think most of us are wearied by the ‘bottle vs breast’ milk debate, and the ‘to sharent or not to sharent’ division is in a similar vein. Ultimately, whether you have 50 or five million followers, there are some basic rules of engagement to keep your brood safe online – if that’s what you choose to do. I’m not interested in friends guilting each other. I know a postnatally depressed mother who gets joy out of sharing photos of her newborn to her 37 followers; it’s about information and balance.

Never share location details that could lead someone to your home. Don’t post images of your kid in a school uniform or near the school you normally deliver them to. Finally, don’t post anything that could come back to haunt your kid. That photo of your toddler on a potty may not go down well blown up by her friends at her 18th. But whatever you choose to do, remember it’s a choice. Your choice. @mother_pukka