A Child's Privacy

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about what it means to me to have this blog, to write about motherhood and document my daughter's first year. It's strange how much my perspective has changed in the past 10+ months and a lot of why I haven't been writing recently has to do with this change. I am one of the first generations of parents who's children will grow up in the age of social networking sites. Privacy has taken on new facets that parents before us just didn't need to think about. What with the popularity of Facebook, of Twitter, birth boards, blogs, how will this impact the childhoods of today's youth?

 An article came out a couple months that asked this very question.  I honestly didn't think too much of it at first but the seed was planted and I have begun to ponder the implications of posting pictures and stories of Rose on the internet. I am a writer by passion and have always documented my life in one format or another but I never really considered whether Rosie's story was mine to share.

The verdict is still out. I do feel a sense of pride in being a mother and writing about my daughter brings me joy, but I think it is important for me to always remember that she is an individual, albeit a small one for now. I must remember also to respect her emotions, to protect her from embarrassment when I can and not post things that might bother her someday. The day will come when she finds her voice and will want to tell her story her way.

What does this mean for the mama mermaid blog? I don't think a whole lot must change so long as I continue to be mindful of what I write and the impact it has on those around me. I will continue to reflect on the idea of my child's privacy and hope that other mamas do the same. In the mean time, perhaps this epiphany should simply mark a new turning point in where I would like things to go with the blog. Not necessarily moving away from writing about motherhood but expanding on what it means to be a woman who has a child.