What to do when your friends share your baby's picture on social media

Don't like your child's pictures being shared on social media? Here's what you can do.

A few weeks ago, I got into an argument with a relative of mine because he had shared my daughter's pictures on his Facebook profile. My daughter was visiting his son and they both were playing together when this guy clicked a few pictured and posted online. I am someone who does not share my daughter's pictures online, so I thought he would respect that and understand, but he clearly didn't. He did take the pictures down, but now we aren't on talking terms. Whether or not I share my daughter's pictures online, I don't understand why someone else feels the need to share some child's pictures? I am sure a lot of other parents have faced a similar dilemma! And what do you in such a situation? I learnt my lesson after that episode and here are some steps I have taken to ensure that nobody else crosses that line again.

• Be vocal about it: I don't want to wait for someone to err and then taking up a fight with them. I am very vocal about how I feel about people sharing pictures, or just about anything, with the other person's consent. This lets the people in my circle know that I won't like it if they share my or my child's picture without my consent.
• Facebook settings: Go through your Facebook settings and turn on the notifications for when someone tags you in a post. You can set the settings so that when someone tags you in a post, it won't be visible on your timeline unless you approve it. This setting gives you the time to ask that person to take the picture down without your friends knowing that such a picture is doing the rounds on Facebook.
• Stop people from clicking pictures of your child: With everyone becoming a photographer with their camera phones, you can't really monitor what people do once they have clicked the pictures. Birthday parties, playdates and other gatherings are looked upon as photo ops by many parents. The best approach you can take is not allow other parents to click pictures with your child in the frame. Nipping the problem in the bud is usually the best approach.
• Don't share other people's pictures yourself: Practice what you preach, right? Don't share other people's or their children's picture yourself, even if they simply happen to be in the frame and the focus is on your child. While you look out for your safety, conduct yourself similarly when it comes to pictures of other people. If you practice this, it will be easier to convince people that you do not approve of other people sharing pictures of babies that are not their own.

In this age of social media, it is actually very difficult to monitor what everyone does, but as a parent, it is our duty to look out for our children's safety, in the real and in the online world. Better be safe than sorry.

Image: Shutterstock