Kristy Cammell It’s ironic, right? That I’m all about motherhood and homeschooling… and yet you don’t tend to see photos of my kids? Let’s take a moment to chat about keeping our children safe online.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the lack of photos of our family, and I thought I’d take a moment to explain why. Because like everything I do, it’s a very deliberate choice.
It all boils down to this:
I prioritise my children’s privacy.
For me that has meant actively protecting them from being on social media or public websites in any form.
That includes photos, but it also includes anecdotal details. Basically anything that creates a picture in someone else’s mind.
Why? I want my children to be their own people, and I don’t want strangers (to them) to know more about them than they should. I want to protect their privacy, as well as model for them what it means to stay safe online.
To put it in perspective: I was the classroom teacher who chose not to talk (unkindly or otherwise) about any kids in my class outside the classroom, and this is an extension of that.
My family knows and loves and stands behind everything I do here in this space. (They think you’re a pretty epic community, you know!) But even so, anything I share here that involves any of my kids is done with express permission (like today’s photo) and is carefully thought through.
It often means that I stay silent, even when there is valuable advice I could offer about something dear to my heart.
Because my family always comes first.
Where appropriate, that advice and those stories are reserved for the safe space of my one-on-one coaching sessions, rather than being something I share widely.
My kids are unique. Their personalities are unique; their challenges are unique; their giftings are unique… and they’re also very definitely human, just like me!
I’m particularly aware of the volume of followers I have between my social media accounts and here, and this is one way that I have chosen to protect their privacy from the start. It’s one way that I am proactive about keeping my children safe online, even while connecting with people and doing a lot of online work myself.
As they grow older (which is happening faster than I can blink… and I love it!) this may well shift and change. But they get to grow up, first, in their own time. The key for me is that it’s ultimately their choice.
Because I’m their mama, and I love them.
What works for your family may be different, but this is what works for mine.
Hey friend, I want you to know that your thoughts are valued here, so let’s keep this conversation open and chat about how you navigate this in your home. You might have a stance that is helpful for someone else to hear!
How we choose protect our kids and keep them safe online will differ from family to family. And this can sometimes be a controversial topic.
But I truly believe it’s one that we each need to engage with and be proactive about for our families, however we choose to navigate it. (Just remember to keep your tone kind in the comments – but that goes without saying, I’m sure!)
Oh, and don’t forget to check out this article from awhile back: One KEY principle to teach your kids about technology.
Stay awesome!
