Childrearing
STFU Parents: 6 Things Parents Should Avoid Posting About On Facebook This Summer
While much of the country tends to slow down during the summer months, my inbox tends to ramp up. The kids are out of school, which means that many parents, especially stay-at-home parents, are spending much more quality time with their little ones. And with that quality time comes Facebook updates about all things summer. A lot of these updates include adorable pictures of toddlers in swim suits or older kids participating in swim meets, but some of them include information that people just don’t care to know. After all, you won’t catch me posting about sitting in my underwear on the couch with my feet in a bucket of ice water. I just let my friends assume such things. Not everything needs to get documented and Instagrammed, but according to some parents on Facebook, that’s precisely the opposite of the truth.
Today’s examples are a mere glimpse into the world of summertime parent overshare, but there’s much to be learned from them. Namely, don’t let yourself post about this stuff. Each year, I receive similar submissions across several genres (pool time, potty time, snack time), and that tells me these subjects are common fodder. Which is all well and good when they’re discussed around the kiddie pool, but on social media? No thanks. Parents, this summer when you’re making memories with your children, consider leaving your phones at home. Here are six things to avoid posting about as you watch little Jaeydden practice his belly flops in the shallow end.
1. Complaints About The Ice Cream Man
Every year, parents complain about the ice cream man — a man whose sole purpose from May through August is to shuttle delicious ice cream around to neighborhood kids. Sure, ice cream truck songs are irritating and get stuck in your head for hours, but the ice cream man is just working a job like any other person. This year, try being grateful for his omnipresence despite your grievances, because it’s a hell of a lot better to be stuck inside with cranky children than it is to be behind the wheel of a scorching hot ice cream shop on wheels. If you don’t believe me, just try it! And in the meantime, don’t yell at the poor guys or threaten to blow them up.
