Mommyshame
STFU Parents: Are Facebook Pictures Of Food-Smeared Babies Adorable Or Disgusting?
When parents share pictures of their children on social media, some images are more palatable than others. And yet, no matter what gets posted, someone (if not multiple people) will Like it. People are encouraged by their friends to post all manner of things on social media, because with every Like or Fav, an implicit nod of approval is communicated to the poster. Inevitably, that person is going to think, “Hey, they Like this! I’ll post something similar tomorrow.” We all want to be Liked, and for parents, no endorsement is more coveted than a “thumbs up” on pictures of their kids.
It’s within that framework of ‘social acceptance’ that I begin today’s column about pictures of kids with food smeared on their faces. Granted, this isn’t a subject I’ve considered writing about before, because my inbox is already crammed with a port-a-potty’s worth of bodily fluids that are much more repulsive than pictures of babies eating. But I’ve written about various bathroom accomplishments and accidents more times than I could count, and as a result, I occasionally want to write about other, less smelly topics that don’t involve a toilet bowl filled with “snakes.” Subjects like documoms and -dads who photograph their children’s teeth/mouths, or their injuries, or their rashes. What’s up with that stuff??
Still, those ‘icky’ subjects revolve more around special circumstances rather than a daily activity such as eating. Eating is something that everyone can relate to! We all do it, sometimes with nacho grease or a blob of tomato sauce glistening on our cheeks, so what’s the big deal about pictures of little kids chowing down? Why is this even a point of discussion? Well, allow me to explain. Let’s start with the inspiration for today’s column:
