A guide to responsible sharing of your children's information online with a customizable family social media policy.
"Sharenting," a blend of "sharing" and "parenting," describes parents sharing information about their children on social media. While sharing family moments can help connect with loved ones, it creates a digital footprint for children without their consent.
This guide will help you understand the risks, make informed decisions, and create a family policy that balances sharing meaningful moments while protecting your children's digital privacy.
Before developing your family sharing policy, it's important to understand the potential risks:
Information shared online is difficult or impossible to completely remove
Information shared about children can be used by criminals
Location information and routines can create physical safety risks
Others may use your child's images without permission
Children may feel their privacy was violated as they get older
Information is collected and used for commercial purposes
Before sharing content about your children online, consider this pre-sharing assessment checklist:
When you do choose to share content featuring your children, follow these guidelines:
Remember: Even young children can express preferences about their images being shared. Watch for cues like discomfort with photos being taken or shown to others.
Use this template to create a customized policy that works for your family. This can help establish consistent guidelines, set boundaries with extended family, and evolve your approach as your children grow.
Define your overall approach to sharing about your children online.
Add any additional context about your family's philosophy:
Select which platforms and methods you'll use to share family content.
Platform-specific notes or policies:
Define what types of content you will and won't share about your children.
Content we are comfortable sharing:
Content we will NOT share:
Define how you'll protect your children's privacy when sharing.
How will you involve your children in decisions about what to share?
At what age will you start asking for consent?
What rules do you want other family members to follow regarding sharing pictures of your children?
How and when will you review and update this policy?
1. Our Family's Sharing Philosophy
Our family follows a [minimal/selective/open] approach to sharing content about our children online. We believe in [additional context about your family's philosophy].
2. Where We Share
We will share family content on: [list platforms]
Platform-specific notes: [any specific approaches for individual platforms]
3. What We Share
Content we are comfortable sharing:
• [List types of content]
Content we will NOT share:
• Potentially embarrassing content
• School or activity locations
• Bathing or partially clothed photos
• Behavioral or emotional struggles
• [Any other content you decide not to share]
4. Privacy Protections
We protect our children's privacy by:
• Not sharing full names
• Not using location tagging
• Not revealing birth dates
• Not identifying schools
• Using restricted audience lists
• [Any other privacy protections]
5. Consent Procedures
We will [parents decide/ask first/child has final say] before sharing content.
We will begin asking for consent at age [age].
Additional consent procedures: [any specific approaches]
6. Extended Family Guidelines
Family members must:
• Ask permission before posting photos of our children
• Avoid tagging or including location information
• Use private settings only
• Honor removal requests immediately
• [Any other guidelines for family members]
7. Policy Review and Evolution
We will review this policy [annually/every 6 months/at child milestones].
Review notes: [specific details about how you'll evaluate and update]
Communicating your sharing preferences with family members can be challenging. Here are some tips:
Consider these alternatives to traditional social media sharing that offer greater privacy control:
As children grow, help them understand and take control of their online presence: