The burst of pride and joy that comes with sending your little one off to their first day of big school in their crisp new uniform is often unmatched.
Some jitters can be expected when starting a new grade or at a new school but witnessing your kids take on the challenge of high school or don a new uniform gives them and parents alike a sense of accomplishment that should be celebrated.
How else to show off your little one’s next steps in life than by capturing the moment and connect with friends, family and your community through posting those adorable pictures?
While the intention behind sharing those charming school uniform photos is undoubtedly positive, it’s important to acknowledge and prepare for potential risks.
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Rachelle Best, founder and CEO of AI-powered children’s devices monitoring app FYI Play It Safe and creator of the Sip the Tea podcast series tackling themes impacting teenagers’ online lives, is well versed in the dangers that come with posting your child’s information to public platforms.
“The concern lies in the expansive reach of social media posts, especially considering the diverse network of friends accumulated over time on platforms like Facebook. Individuals added to your network, perhaps from years ago, may not be individuals with whom you maintain a current connection,” she explains to TRUELOVE.
“Consequently, there's a lack of control over who within this broad network gains access to details about your child's school life. In essence, sharing such images publicly is akin to disseminating family news in a vast, undefined space, where visibility extends beyond your immediate circle.”
Parenting and lifestyle blogger Adele Koolen loves documenting her eight-year-old son Desmond’s first day of school with photos of him in his uniform, with mom and dad and with teachers on a creative board at home.
But Adele isn’t afraid to share such milestones and more of her little one to the social media page she manages, Life According to Desi, since she has taught him safety measures to use every day.
“I’ve never hidden where he goes to school. I feel like school is probably the safest place for him, I’m more concerned about him being outside of school. Desmond knows that nobody other than myself or my husband or maybe a grandparent or an aunt would ever fetch him and I safeguard him in the sense of we have a passcode,” she tells us.
“If a stranger had to come to his school because they know where he is trying to take him, he would know exactly what to do and he wouldn’t go with them because we’ve discussed all of that. So, for me, I don’t have an issue of showing where he goes to school. We’re also very proud of where he’s at and we have given permission to the schools to share him on their pages so anyone that does follow anywhere on social media would pick that up.”
- Creative angles: I love this one the most! Capture moments that highlight the emotion and excitement without revealing specific details. For instance, a picture of your child's school shoes walking into the class can convey the sentiment without exposing uniform details.
- Avoid identifying features: Ensure that the photo doesn't reveal school badges, emblems, or any other features that could identify the specific school.
- Control your audience: Use privacy settings to limit the audience of your posts. Share only with close friends and family rather than making it public or sharing it with a wide range of social media connections (they may not all be true friends).
- Delay posting: Consider delaying the posting of such pictures to ensure that real-time information isn't available to potential predators.
- No Geo-Tagging: Disable location services for the posts to prevent inadvertently disclosing the school's location.
With social media pages becoming a memory book of sorts for parents to cheer on their children’s little victories and a digital high-five to family and friends, it’s no wonder posting those images has become so popular.
There are other ways you can safely celebrate your kids’ schooling milestones. From memory jars to private digital scrapbooks, Rachelle shares some alternatives to showing off the memories made with your little one.
Create a digital scrapbook
To save on stationery – and save the trees – a digital scrapbook is the perfect solution to capture and keep those special memories.
Rachelle advises parents to “craft a digital scrapbook or slideshow capturing cherished moments from your child's school journey. Share this treasure with close friends and family through private channels, keeping the memories intimate and secure. You don’t have to post it anywhere online.”
Try out a garden of growth
Speaking of saving the trees, why not plant one yourself and make it an activity with your kids? This is a fun and unique way to document a milestone while teaching your children responsibility and growth.
“Symbolise each school year by planting a tree in your garden. Witness the tangible growth while documenting the process offline. It's a living testament to your child's academic journey, shared within the family circle,” Rachelle shares.
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Make a memory jar together
Looking back on the year’s achievements are exactly what memory jars are for. This can also be a beautiful activity to look forward to at the end of the year as you sit back with the family and reminisce.
Rachelle says, “Make a physical memory jar where both you and your child jot down significant moments on paper slips throughout the school year – add some printed pictures to this. At year-end, digitally immortalise the highlights for a virtual keepsake. It's a beautiful blend of the tangible and the tech-savvy.”
A secret email address for your child
Much like a memory jar, sending cute pictures and letters to an email address for your kids is an adorable way to put away memories for them. These can be built up and kept for years to look back on as they grow older.
“Throughout the year, send some pictures and notes to your child on this email address and only give them the password at a significant date (when they turn 18 as an example). They will love going through their letters, notes and old pictures and this will take them back into all the memories created,” Rachelle explains.
