There’s a Tumblr account called Asshole Parents and it’s simply photos upon photos submitted by parents of their kid in meltdown mode because the parent wouldn’t let them do something. Google #AssholeParent and you’ll be inundated with these photos. Kids crying, screaming, flailing, freaking out, tear-stained faces, faces contorted in anger…
Funny, right?
NO.
Listen, I get it. I’ve been there and done it and am thankful to be out of that stage. Because the fact is, toddlers and small kids can be completely unreasonable little beings who will meltdown at the most innocuous things.
Cut the sandwich the wrong way? Bam! Tantrum.
You have to wear mittens in the middle winter. Full on freak out.
Parents need to blow off steam because all this craziness can take its toll. We need to be able to vent and if we can laugh about it, all the better.
But not this way. Not on the internet.
This is the first generation of kids growing up on the internet. Their lives are blogged about, photographed, and every detail put out there for the world to see—the good, the bad, the funny, the sad, the embarrassing—it’s all out there. The truth is, none of us has any idea how it will affect them as adults.
The other day my son came across an instant message I sent a friend that mentioned him. It was right after a challenging day of parenting and although what I said wasn’t bad, he was embarrassed I had been talking about him to someone else.
Imagine how he would feel if I had taken a photo of one of his worst moments and posted it on the internet for all the world to see.
Now, imagine if someone took a photo of one of YOUR worst moments without your knowledge or consent and put it on the internet.
It wouldn’t feel good, yet it’s seemingly okay for parents to be doing it to their children without knowing how it will affect them in the years to come.
Ten years from now those cute toddlers are going to google themselves, this is a fact. Not only will they google themselves, their school friends will google them, and even worse, people who aren’t their friends at school will. People who could use those photos to make fun of your child, just like you were making fun of him by posting it.
Only these people don’t love your child and they certainly don’t have your child’s best interest at heart.
There are people who will see these photos and won't be laughing with your child, they will be laughing at him.
I get it. We need to vent. We need to see the humour in parenting because it’s a tough gig. So send a photo to your friend then delete it. Get together with your girlfriends to vent when the kids aren’t around. Talk to your partner late at night and laugh about it.
But don’t post these photos to the internet for the world to see.
I understand the need to vent and laugh it off so I don't think you're an Asshole Parent at all.
But be very careful because your kids are eventually going to grow up and they just might.
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