On social media and blogs, many people throw caution to the wind when it comes to privacy—not just their own but that of their family members as well. Social media sites do have community standards, but, except in extreme cases, there’s little consensus on what’s socially appropriate to post and what isn’t. For this reason, many believe that parents should exercise some restraint in order to protect their children from future shame or ridicule stemming from online postings of their toddler pictures.

During the last decade, a growing number of proud parents have shared details about their babies and young children on blogs. Amy Smith, a Toronto stay-at-home mother of two-year-old twins, says she blogs because it’s “a way of sharing my worries and getting advice. It’s lonely and scary being a new mom.” She values the virtual connection with moms all over the world in similar situations. Edmontonian Jenn Oakley, a software developer on maternity leave, admits that blogging serves as a familiar activity that offsets the intense challenges of parenthood. “I feel competent doing anything on the computer,” she says, “but I feel like a struggling newbie being a mother.”

Blogging may be a refreshing relief from changing diapers and laundering bibs, but Vancouver psychologist Janice Kimmel warns that parents need to stop and think before publicly sharing the details of their children’s lives. “A blog is forever,” she says. “Once they’re adolescents, kids tend to be mortified if they find their baby pictures or toddler misadventure tales online.” Halifax event planner Doris Jones was shocked to learn from her ten-year-old that his friends were mocking him about a picture they’d found on her blog. “It was an innocent picture of my son and his sister in the bathtub when they were toddlers. There are millions of photos like this on the net, but still my son’s been the butt of jokes all year at school.” Janice Kimmel isn’t surprised. “We must respect our children’s privacy,” she cautions. “Before you post, think about your child’s future.”