*Mom2Mom: Mom Jenni Brennan Finds Baby's Photo on Craigslist Ad*
Mom Jenni Brennan Finds Baby's Photo on Craigslist Ad
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How does this story affect us here at Mama Buzz?
We are Mamas and we blog . . . alot. We love to brag on our kids and publishers and companies love it when we post pictures of our children using their book or product. So what is the solution to this?
Unfortunately, I have had the misfortune of having unsafe people track me down on the internet, most specifically, by targeting my blog and threatening me. Granted, I have a background of unsafe individuals in my life, so it was a bit easier for them. However, this is a scary world we live in, and just when we think "IT" can't happen to us, "IT" will. How many news videos have we watched where we see people express shock that their child was kidnapped or the neighbor kid was murdered?
As one of the founder's of Mama Buzz, who relies on your blogs to help us fulfill our mission, I feel a strong sense that I need to encourage you all to take appropriate steps and measures to protect your families and especially, oyur most precious treasures, your innocent children.
1. Do not give out identifying information . Take your address off your blog. Your phone number. Don't mention places in your particular city. Call your kiddoes by names other than what they have.
If you do reviews, provide your address only to a company that you know is valid, via our notification to you!
2. Speaking of our kiddoes---don't post their pictures.
I know! This is so hard. How can we not share their sweetness with the world? Yet, obviously, from the story listed above, there are troubled and sick people who will use those pictures for their own means.
When I post pictures, I hide my daughter's face. I take shots of chubby hands holding teddy bears. Of her face covered in green paint, totally hiding her looks. Shots of her back as she clumps around in my high heels.
While I do have a picture of me and her on this blog, it is an old picture and her features have changed considerably since that picture. She's like a different looking child today and so, I have little concern with that picture on this site.
3. When posting pictures of your home and family in doors or out doors, think, "Am I giving away too much information? Am I showing where the door is located? The kid's windows to their rooms? Is that my street sign showing up in the picture as my son rides his bike? Is that my mailbox number in that picture of my daughter running through the sprinkler?"
4. Out of respect, never, ever, post pictures of other children on your blogs. I, as a mother, would be exceptionally concerned if I found out that friends were posting my daughter's picture on their blogs. . .
Do we as Mamas, need to live in daily fear? No. We don't. In fact, if we do live in fear, we are going to raise fearful, clinging children. (As far as how to NOT live in fear, well, that's another mom2mom post!)
What we do need to do, is practice discernment and safety on our blogs for the sake of our children.
Are there other safeguards you take, as a blogging Mama, that I haven't mentioned here? If so, please share with us!
From my Mama heart to yours. . .
Melissa j
Shared via AddThis
How does this story affect us here at Mama Buzz?
We are Mamas and we blog . . . alot. We love to brag on our kids and publishers and companies love it when we post pictures of our children using their book or product. So what is the solution to this?
Unfortunately, I have had the misfortune of having unsafe people track me down on the internet, most specifically, by targeting my blog and threatening me. Granted, I have a background of unsafe individuals in my life, so it was a bit easier for them. However, this is a scary world we live in, and just when we think "IT" can't happen to us, "IT" will. How many news videos have we watched where we see people express shock that their child was kidnapped or the neighbor kid was murdered?
As one of the founder's of Mama Buzz, who relies on your blogs to help us fulfill our mission, I feel a strong sense that I need to encourage you all to take appropriate steps and measures to protect your families and especially, oyur most precious treasures, your innocent children.
1. Do not give out identifying information . Take your address off your blog. Your phone number. Don't mention places in your particular city. Call your kiddoes by names other than what they have.
If you do reviews, provide your address only to a company that you know is valid, via our notification to you!
2. Speaking of our kiddoes---don't post their pictures.
I know! This is so hard. How can we not share their sweetness with the world? Yet, obviously, from the story listed above, there are troubled and sick people who will use those pictures for their own means.
When I post pictures, I hide my daughter's face. I take shots of chubby hands holding teddy bears. Of her face covered in green paint, totally hiding her looks. Shots of her back as she clumps around in my high heels.
While I do have a picture of me and her on this blog, it is an old picture and her features have changed considerably since that picture. She's like a different looking child today and so, I have little concern with that picture on this site.
3. When posting pictures of your home and family in doors or out doors, think, "Am I giving away too much information? Am I showing where the door is located? The kid's windows to their rooms? Is that my street sign showing up in the picture as my son rides his bike? Is that my mailbox number in that picture of my daughter running through the sprinkler?"
4. Out of respect, never, ever, post pictures of other children on your blogs. I, as a mother, would be exceptionally concerned if I found out that friends were posting my daughter's picture on their blogs. . .
Do we as Mamas, need to live in daily fear? No. We don't. In fact, if we do live in fear, we are going to raise fearful, clinging children. (As far as how to NOT live in fear, well, that's another mom2mom post!)
What we do need to do, is practice discernment and safety on our blogs for the sake of our children.
Are there other safeguards you take, as a blogging Mama, that I haven't mentioned here? If so, please share with us!
From my Mama heart to yours. . .
Melissa j
Posts
2 comments:
I used to post pics of my boys but Hubby wanted me to stop. even though I have been careful never to mention names or important info, I can see why pics are bad too.
Due to my hubby's line of work, we talk about security a good deal. We're extremely protective of our daughter, yet we have decided that posting pictures on the blog is okay for our family.
One of the main reasons I began my blog was so family and friends to stay connected to us even though we lived far away. Each family needs to make decisions on what works best for them.
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