As excited as I was about re-starting a blog and as sure as I was that this was the avenue I wanted to pursue, one pesky hesitation lingered: how would I blend sharing my life and thoughts in an authentic way while also protecting the privacy of my family?
I know it seems kind of crazy; the two goals (sharing what's precious to me, and guarding what's precious to me) couldn't be more opposing. If blogging was just about sharing thoughts through words, that would be one thing, but let's be honest: it's all about images. Remember when Facebook statuses were mostly just text? How often do you see text-only statuses now? Instagram and Snapchat are so popular because they revolve around images (and now videos), and Facebook has mostly turned into a platform to share pictures, as well. Do you use Pinterest? Then you know what I mean. Most of us are visual beings, so it all makes sense. Except: how do we find balance in a world that is designed to put it all on display while also protecting the safety, privacy, and dignity of our loved ones?
If it were just me, I wouldn't be too concerned. I'm a consenting adult who can carefully, thoughtfully think through the effects of the decisions I make. I can share the images that I feel best represent me, don't embarrass me, and don't put me at risk. But because what has inspired me to re-join this world are my kids (motherhood and all that comes along with it) -- I've found myself stumped. Sure, I'll share a photo here and there on the blog of my daughters, but I question each and every one. Will they be embarrassed I posted this one day? Does this put them in danger in any way?
It is the main reason I keep my social media fairly private (although you can find The Lucky Lifestyle on Facebook here). I'm a proud momma, and my Instagram, for instance, is basically made up of daily pictures of my kids. It is an authentic representation of my life right now: our world very largely revolves around our girls. So while I'd love to connect with you all on Instagram, right now I'm asking that you send a request my way so I can still vet who has such access to the little people who mean the most to me.
So back to that original question: how do I blend sharing my life and thoughts in an honest way while also protecting my children? I haven't found the answer. Maybe there is no answer. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I'm not acting enough. So for now, I do what I feel is right in my gut and take it step by step, post by post. I do share images and will continue to do so, but until I figure out the right balance I understand that the growth I'd love more than anything to see here might be slow going. Thank you for your patience and support as I figure out what's best for this space and, most importantly, my family.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. There is no right or wrong -- the above has just been my personal tug-of-war and I'd be so appreciative of hearing how you navigate this era of putting everything out there into the world (whether on a blog or on social media, or all of the above). How do you handle it?
It's definitely wise to take all of these things into consideration. My blog has become our family diary and I do love sharing challenges through events we encounter but it is always tricky to share enough to help someone else who may be going through something similar without sharing too much to make my family members feel insecure or embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand. That struggle between wanting to offer enough to help and connect, and wanting to always put your family first can be tough. I'm glad you weighed in!
DeleteThat is my biggest struggle as well. I watermark my photos on my blog and I get scared about IG, but I still post pictures of my kids. It is hard to balance it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you can relate! Watermarking the photos is a great idea -- I think maybe I'll do that, and it will help to ease my mind a bit. IG freaks me out, too. We'll see!
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